The jumpers are out, the clocks are about to go back an hour and we’re ready for the darker evenings with smoky skies and chillier climes. It can mean only one thing – half term is almost here, and with it brings lots of time to fill with fun!
In a bid to inspire us all to get outdoors a little more, we’ve been pulling together some of our favourite home-made crafts using foraged finds at autumn. Hand made elements are a great way to bring in colour, scent and warmth into your home, and if they're into making things, they also keep the children occupied for hours, too.
Create a beautiful autumn wreath
Perfect for the front door or the children’s bedroom wall, a homemade wreath is a simple way to pull a little seasonal warmth in to the home.
Firstly, take a walk in a local park or woodland; collect leaves, conkers, acorns, twigs and berries and dry them out on some blotting paper or kitchen roll.
Keep things traditional and cosy by leaving the natural elements just as they are, or craft a modern, stylized palette by brushing them with paint to suit your décor.
Top tip>> Making a wreath is a great way of using up old tester paints. Use a dry-brushing technique (try not to overload the brush) to get a more subtly painted style.
Whether or not you choose to paint your objects, once fully dried out, using a wreath base (these are usually wooden or metal), attach your leaves and other autumnal elements, carefully securing with floristry wire.
Make a pressed leaf collage
You may have already tried flower pressing, which is a fabulous activity for the summer holidays. Pressing leaves can be just as satisfying; the challenge lies in picking the leaves at the right time (before they start to dry out and go a little curly and crispy!)
To achieve pressed leaves without having to invest in the equipment, simply spread the leaves over some blotting paper or kitchen roll, and add another layer on top to create a leaf sandwich. Apply pressure with weighty books (or even by using weights on top of books), ensuring an even spread of pressure over the leaves.
Leave for a week, and carefully remove the books and peel away to reveal a set of paper-thin leaves, perfect for card or collage creation.
Produce textural leaf rubbings
This one is a lovely activity for younger children. - Collect some leaves that have quite pronounced veins and texture to them. Stick them to a table, veiny side up (use white tack or double sided tape underneath) and overlay a sheet of plain white paper.
Using wax crayons on their sides, rub over the surface of the paper until the leaf shape shows through. It’s a quick and satisfying activity, making it perfect for kids with short attention spans and little ones too.
To extend the length of the activity, why not create a series of leaf rubbings and make a cut-out leaf bunting to decorate their bedroom?
Prettify a pumpkin
Painted pumpkins are still very much en vogue. To ensure your pumpkin doesn’t go to waste, why not keep the innards for soup whilst you admire your handiwork.
Painted pumpkins make fantastic table decorations and centre-pieces and also help revamp a window sill. – Perfect for passers by during Trick or Treat evenings.
Start by scooping out the pumpkin innards and saving for a yummy soup or stew.
Next, get to work on decorating! For a bolder effect, it’s a good idea to paint the whole pumpkin one colour first. This makes a great base colour that you can even tie in to your décor.
Take a look on Pinterest to gain inspiration, and choose a style that you’d like to paint in. – Perhaps you prefer a more painterly, modern aesthetic, or maybe something more structured and neat?
If you are creating more than one painted pumpkin, it’s a good idea to consider the theme as a whole and then choose how to decorate each pumpkin within the theme.
Happy home-crafting this autumn half term! x
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