Make · Occasion
Fall projects
71 things to make for Fall, sorted by who is making them.
17 projects
Toddlers
Painted pie pumpkin
A real little pumpkin your toddler covers in color, then it sits on the porch all October.
Nature playdough prints
Leaves, pine cones and bark pressed into flat dough, leaving prints your toddler can peel up and study.
Pumpkin washing station
A tub of soapy water, a few small pumpkins and a scrub brush, which is all a toddler needs for a happy half hour outside.
Nature walk bracelet
A tape cuff with the sticky side out, so your toddler can stick every leaf and petal they find on a walk.
Nature paintbrushes
Sticks with leaves, grass and pine needles tied on, so every brush makes a different mark.
Leaf suncatcher
Fall leaves pressed between clear sticky paper that glow orange and red when you tape them to a window.
Pumpkin squish bag
A taped-up bag of orange gel your toddler can poke, squish and smoosh with zero mess to clean.
Fall oat sensory bin
A bin of oats, big leaves and scoops for pouring, hiding and finding, and it's fine if a little gets tasted.
Pumpkin pie playdough
Soft orange dough that smells like pumpkin pie, made in 10 minutes from pantry staples.
Crayon leaf rubbings
Leaf shapes that appear like magic when your toddler scribbles over a leaf hiding under the paper.
Pine cone roll painting
Pine cones roll through paint in a box and leave wild tracks all over the paper.
Leaf color sort
A pile of fall leaves and 3 colored buckets, so your toddler can sort leaves on the lawn.
Apple stamp painting
Apple halves dipped in paint make perfect apple-shaped prints, star and all.
Tissue paper plate pumpkin
A bright orange pumpkin made from scraps of tissue your toddler sticks on 1 piece at a time.
Letter A apple collage
A giant letter A covered in red paper apples, for a first taste of the alphabet.
Handprint fall tree
A brown handprint tree with fingertip leaves in red, orange and yellow, and a fall keepsake to frame.
Paper plate turkey
A round turkey with bright paper feathers your toddler glues around the edge.
15 projects
Preschoolers
Paper bag scarecrow puppet
A lunch bag puppet with yellow paper straw hair and a patchy hat, ready for a fall puppet show.
Puffy paint pumpkins
Homemade puffy paint from shaving cream and glue dries into a squishy, raised pumpkin you can't stop touching.
Handprint turkey
A rainbow handprint becomes a puffed-up turkey, the classic Thanksgiving keepsake for the fridge.
Thankful tree
A paper tree on the wall where everyone adds a leaf with something they're thankful for, all November long.
Paper plate pumpkin
A fat orange pumpkin with a curly green vine that your preschooler paints, tears and glues all by themselves.
Handprint fall tree
Your child's hand and arm become the tree trunk, and fingertip dots in red, orange and yellow become the leaves.
Pine cone owls
A pine cone from the yard turns into a sleepy little owl with felt wings and big round eyes.
Coffee filter fall leaves
Color coffee filters with markers, spray them with water and watch the colors melt together into glowing fall leaves.
Sticky leaf suncatcher
Press real leaves and flower petals onto clear sticky paper for a window decoration that glows in the afternoon sun.
Torn paper acorns
Tear brown paper into tiny pieces and fill in a big acorn shape, a fall picture that quietly builds hand strength.
Crayon leaf rubbings
Hide fallen leaves under paper and rub with a crayon to watch every vein and edge appear like magic.
Bubble wrap corn
Paint bubble wrap and press it on paper to print bumpy rows of corn kernels for a fall harvest picture.
Fork painted hedgehog
A plastic fork dragged through brown paint makes the spikiest, cutest hedgehog you've ever seen.
Fizzing pumpkin volcano
Baking soda and vinegar bubble out of a small pumpkin's mouth for a Halloween science show that never gets old.
Apple stamp painting
Cut apples become paint stamps that leave a perfect apple print, star and all, for a back-to-school picture.
9 projects
Kids
Fall leaf mason jar lantern
Glue real or paper leaves onto a mason jar with Mod Podge, drop in a battery candle, and it glows amber all evening.
Apple stamp prints
Cut an apple in half, dip it in paint, and stamp apples with a star hiding in the middle.
Thankful turkey
A paper turkey with feathers your family fills in, one thing you're thankful for on each one.
Corn husk dolls
Soak dried corn husks and tie them into a little doll, an old fall craft that only needs string and patience.
Paper bag pumpkins
Stuff a lunch bag with newspaper, twist the top into a stem, paint it orange, and it stands on the table like a real pumpkin.
Leaf rubbing art
Collect fall leaves, put them under paper, and rub with crayons to reveal every vein and edge.
Nature paintbrushes
Tie leaves, pine needles and grass to sticks and find out what kind of marks each homemade brush makes.
Paper plate owls
A paper plate owl covered in torn-paper feathers, with huge round eyes and a little orange beak.
Paper plate spiders
A big black paper plate spider with bendy accordion legs that bounce when you hang it from the ceiling.
9 projects
Teens and students
Iron-on patch jacket
A thrifted denim jacket covered in patches that tell people what you're into before you say a word.
Paper bat wall swarm
A flock of black paper bats flying across your wall for Halloween, gone in 5 minutes on November 1.
Embroidery hoop fall wreath
A wood hoop with faux leaves and dried stems clustered on 1 side, a minimal wreath for a dorm door.
Reverse tie-dye hoodie
Bleach pulls the color out of a dark hoodie in swirls, the moody version of tie-dye.
Embroidered denim jacket
Hand-stitched flowers, a name or a little design on a jean jacket, the upgrade that makes it one of a kind.
Soy candle tins
Scented soy wax candles poured into travel tins, a top seller at school fairs and online.
Pallet wood sign
A rustic hand-painted sign built from reclaimed pallet boards, one of the best things to make and sell.
Painted faux pumpkins
Dollar store foam pumpkins painted in soft neutrals or bold patterns, fall decor that lasts for years.
Branch slice coasters
Rustic wood coasters sawed from a branch by hand and sealed, a woodworking first that people actually buy.
10 projects
Grown-ups
2x4 wood pumpkins
Chunky little pumpkins cut from a single 2x4, painted in fall colors and topped with real twig stems.
Dried flower fall wreath
A grapevine wreath tucked with dried wheat, eucalyptus and strawflowers that looks good from September through Thanksgiving.
Velvet fabric pumpkins
Plush velvet pumpkins with real dried stems, the high-end fall decor look for a few dollars each.
Envelope pillow covers
Zipper-free throw pillow covers with an overlapping back, so you can swap your couch look every season for a few dollars.
Leaf-printed cloth napkins
Plain cotton napkins printed with real fall leaves for a Thanksgiving table that looks pulled together.
Scented cinnamon pinecones
Foraged pinecones baked clean and scented with cinnamon, for bowls and baskets that smell like the holidays.
4x4 tealight candle holders
A trio of chunky wood blocks drilled to hold tea lights, a quick rustic centerpiece that sells well at fairs.
Rustic blanket ladder
A 6 ft leaning ladder with dowel rungs for throws and quilts, with real drilled joints that stay tight.
Soy wax melts
Scented wax melts in snap-apart clamshells, one of the fastest candle-adjacent products to make and sell.
Plywood Halloween yard silhouettes
Big black cats, bats and witches cut from plywood that stand in the yard and look eerie with a light behind them.
11 projects
Seniors and grandkids
Thanksgiving place cards
Folded name cards decorated with real pressed leaves or stamped acorns for every seat at the holiday table.
Pine cone turkeys
Little Thanksgiving turkeys with paper feather tails, made from pine cones you pick up on a walk.
Leaf rubbing cards
Fall leaves rubbed onto cards with crayons, so every vein shows up like magic as you color.
Yarn-wrapped pumpkins
Soft, round pumpkins made by winding chunky yarn around a cardboard ring, as soothing to make as they are cute.
Apple print tote bag
A canvas tote stamped with halved apples that show a little star inside, handy for the farmers market or library.
Fall potpourri sachets
Little fabric bags filled with cinnamon, cloves and dried orange peel to tuck in drawers or give away.
Thankful tree
A branch in a jar hung with paper leaves where everyone writes something they're grateful for.
No-carve painted pumpkins
Pumpkins painted with simple patterns, faces or dots that last for weeks longer than carved ones and need no knife.
Fall grapevine wreath
A full, rustic front-door wreath of faux leaves, berries and mini pumpkins tucked into a grapevine base.
Pine cone bird feeder
A pine cone packed with seed and hung where you can watch the birds come to it from your chair.
Backyard nature journal
A homemade sketchbook for pressing leaves, drawing birds and writing down what you and the grandkids spot outside.