Apple Stamping:

 

Most of us have apples in our fridge especially in the fall when they are in season.  With all those apples at reasonable prices why not do a craft project with them?  All you will need are apples, either poster, finger, acrylic (if you are stamping on fabric), fabric, or water color paint (depending on what you have on hand and what you are stamping on), a sharp knife for the parents to cut the apple, a few disposable plates together, paper or fabric.

 

Have an adult cut the apple in half with the sharp knife.  Cutting one way will give you a star shape print and the other way (top to bottom) an oval shaped print.  Pour your paints of choice on a few paper plates.  Use poster, finger, or water color for paper, and acrylic, or fabric for any cloth material.  Blot the apple halves with a paper towel or towel to dry them a little so they will adsorb the paint.  Then have fun dipping the apples in the paint and making a pattern on paper or fabric.  Try pushing some small cookie cutters in the apple for a different print.  You can add contact paper to make the paper permanent like a place mat, apron, napkin, bag or anything else you like. 

 

 

Leaf Rubbing or Printing:

 

Have the kids collect some interesting leaves and then you can do several things with them.  You can make the leaves flat by placing them in between two pieces of paper or wax paper with a heavy book on it for about one week for a flatter leaf or just continue on with a fresh one right from a nature walk.

 

Leaf Rubbing:

 

Simply grab some white paper and a contrasting crayon and you’re ready to go.  Place the leaf bumpy side up and then put the paper on top of it.  Give your child the crayon and have them color back and forth over the leaf and they will have a pretty leaf pattern.

 

Leaf Printing and Spraying:

 

Grab a variety of leaves and a paper or the fabric of your choice.  Use water based paints and have kids use paint brushes to paint on the leaves then simple stamp on the paper and you have another way of getting a beautiful print.

 

One final way of decorating with leaves is to place the leaves on the paper and then spray with a spray paint (you might want to do this one outside and all of the crafts with old clothes).  Remove the leaves and you have a slightly different look than just brushing on the paint.

 

 

Peanut Butter Pine Cone Bird Feeder:

 

This one is fun to make and rewarding afterwards.  You will need a large pine cone, smooth peanut butter, some wild bird seed, string, and zip lock bags. 

 

Simply grab some large pine cones, and then place a generous amount of bird seed in a large zip lock bag.  First tie a piece of string or ribbon on the stem of a large pine cone.  Next put smooth peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds, just enough to soften it (check to make sure it’s not to hot for the kids to handle). 

 

Then let kids smooth the peanut butter on the pine cones.  Grab the zip lock bag with the wild bird seed have the kids put the peanut butter pine cones in the bags and shake on the seeds.  Now you’re ready to tie the strings or ribbons on a tree near a window so you can see the hungry birds love the special treat they have made!

 

Nature Picture:

 

Make a nature picture using anything collected on a walk: leaves, grasses, stones, sticks. Seeds, bark, and so much more.  Let the kids go wild with kid safe glue and their imaginations.

 

All you need for some fun crafts is a little imagination; supplies and you’re ready for a great time!