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. To welcome the new season into our home, my kids and I always enjoyed making homemade placemats. This fall leaves placemats craft is a fun leaf project to make and you are left with easy-to-clean, functional placemats the kids will love using.
How To Make Fun Fall Leaves Placemats Kids 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.
Materials
- 1 sheet of paper or rectangle 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 Fall Leaf Placemats Craft
- 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. As a tip, you can simply take two sheets of standard paper and put them together to make the perfect size.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add glue to the back of the leaf shapes and stick them back on the foundation paper placemat in their designated locations.
- 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!
- 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.
- Set your table with the lovely new fall leaf placemats for a nice autumn look!
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 or on social media @familyfocusblog!
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