Preschool Placemat Craft With Fall Leaves

Well, it’s fall y’all. There are still hot days but see signs of fall coming all around and the leaves are already starting to drop! September 23 marked the first official day of fall this year. I always look forward to the crisp, cool air that feels so fresh and exhilarating after the stifling heat of August. As a fun way to welcome the new season into our home, my kids and I always enjoyed making homemade placemats. These fall placemats are a fun leaf project to make. Plus, I love that this preschool placemat craft produces easy-to-clean, functional placemats that the kids will love using.

DIY Fall Placemats For Kids They Can Actually Use

For this fun, fall leaf project, your kids will get to go outside and collect their favorite leaves. They will also enjoy cutting and coloring paper as they create homemade fall leaf placemats. Finally, they will preserve their leaf art and craft work in a fashion that makes it functional for daily use.

Placemat crafts are one of my favorite things because kids get to feel such a sense of accomplishment from making their own placemat. Not only are they pretty table decorations but kids will get more vested in setting the table and keeping their space clean when it is for their own personal use at the dinner table. Fun crafts like this are also great for young children to further their fine motor skills.

Place Mat Craft Supplies

• 1 piece of paper or thin of cloth, per placemat (17”x 11”)
• Ruler
• A handful of leaves, various shapes and sizes
• Pencil
• Colorful construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Markers, paint, or crayons (optional)
• Clear contact paper (12”x 18”)

How To Make Leaf Placemats Craft

Making placemats for preschoolers is so fun! Here are step by step directions.

1. Begin by creating the foundation for your placemats by choosing the size and material. I recommend a size of 17”x 11” and a foundation of regular or colored paper.  That is the standard paper placemat size. Conveniently, you can simply take two sheets of standard paper and put them together to make the perfect size. 
2. Have your child collect their favorite leaves and then arrange them on the placemat in the desired design. So they don’t forget where they want each leaf, take a pencil and lightly trace their outline on the placemat foundation paper.
3. On colorful construction paper, trace the leaves and cut out their shape. Alternatively or additionally, your child can also cut out the leaves on plain white paper and then color them in or paint them. If they use paint or markers, they will need to wait for them to dry fully before proceeding to step 4.
4. Add glue to the back of the leaf shapes and stick them back on the foundation paper placemat in their designated locations.  
5. They can also use markers and paint to customize their fall paper placemats by adding inspirational fall quotes, the crafter’s signature, and/or dating the placemats by season and year, “Fall 2013.” These fall leaves placemats make great keepsakes!
6. Using clear contact paper, cut into 12 by 18 rectangles, seal the placemats. Place the paper over the top and bottom of the placemat so the sticky sides face each other. Stick together to create a clear protective cover and border around the placemat. 
7. Set your table with the lovely new fall leaf placemats for a nice autumn look!

Placemat Craft For Kids Conclusion

This kids placemat is a surprisingly easy craft for little hands with such a nice-looking, useful finished product. It is a great project for younger children but an older will still have fun with it too!

I hope your kids enjoy this fall placemat craft! What are some of your favorite types of leaves to see in fall leaf crafts?  How do you use leaves to decorate your home for the fall? I’d love to hear your ideas for other favorite fall crafts in the comment section below. Share your pics of this preschool placemat craft on social media @familyfocusblog!

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