There is so much to love about the fall, from flavors to colors to the cooler temperatures that allow you to enjoy the backyard and your patio without excessive heat. It’s also a fun time for kids to create some seasonal crafts they can show off outside the home, so gather up some munchkins and create some fall décor to place around your yard and patio this season.
Setting the Stage
Before the crafting begins, set the stage for your get-together with some fantastic fall snacks and libations, like the ones we shared last week in our post, and add a sweet cart for the short people to keep them satiated during the event. Your fall snack cart can include hot cocoa, apple cider, pumpkin or apple cider donuts and cookies. You can add a little decoration the backyard to add to the festivities like hay bales and mums, and a scarecrow or two.
With your menu ready and waiting, it’s time to get onto the patio to build your creations.
Pumpkin Painting
What you’ll need:
- Pumpkins
- Acrylic paints
- Paint brushes
- Newspaper to drape on patio tables and the surrounding pavers.
Probably the most obvious of all fall crafts for kids is making a jack-o-lantern. However, you may not want pumpkin guts all over your patio and/or your mini-guests may be less than enthusiastic to stick their hands inside a slimy pumpkin, so consider painting your pumpkins instead! Using only some newspapers to lay on your table, acrylic paints and brushes, the kiddos can let their imaginations run to create any kind of scary or silly face they want, to keep ghouls at bay.
Hand Wreaths
What you’ll need:
- Paper plates with the interior circle cut out
- Construction paper in fall colors
- Scissors
- Glue sticks
- Yarn
This one is great for a craft that can be given as a gift or hung indoors. Using construction paper in a variety of fall colors, like red, yellow, brown and orange, trace little hands and cut them out with scissors. Take your hand “leaves” glue them to the paper plate ring with the fingers facing out. Glue the yarn at each end to the back of the wreath and once dried, it can be hung from a hook to show off the artist’s work.
Fall Candle Holders
These are a truly beautiful and functional crafts for your patio party guests to do. Better suited for older kids, or younger with the help of an adult, they result in a décor piece you store away and can use every fall.
What you’ll need:
- Mason Jars
- Mod Podge
- Fall colored Tissue Paper ripped into pieces
- Brown Construction paper
- Scissors
- Paint Brush
- Candle (a votive works perfectly.)
To begin this craft, paint the Mod Pudge glossy glue over a small section of the jar (about 1/6th of the surface space) and cover with varied colors of the ripped tissue paper. The glue tends to dry quickly, so keeping your work area smaller ensures the best adherence. Complete this process all around the jar until it’s entirely covered. (Be sure to cover your pavers with newspaper so you don’t get glue on them.)
While the mason jars are drying, cut out three pieces of brown construction paper to resemble a tree trunk and two branches and glue to the dried tissue-covered jar.
Once the glue has set completely, place your candle inside the mason jar and light. The glow through the tissue paper will delight anyone who sees it.
Fall is the idea time to get out into the backyard and enjoy your patio, so why not add to the fun and invite friends, young and old, to celebrate with you?