Little Things MadeKids Craft
DIY Fall Leaf Wreath
The idea
This is our go-to first fall craft: it's simple enough for little hands, forgiving of mess, and turns two flattened cardboard boxes into a wreath that actually looks intentional. Everything but the glue and paint came from Dollar Tree.
Materials
- Cardboard, cut into 2 ring shapes (we used an old box)
- Brown acrylic craft paint (we used CraftSmart Chocolate) & a paintbrush
- Elmer's Washable School Glue (clear)
- Dollar Tree Seasonal Collection: Maple Leaves (50pc bags, a few different colorways)
- Dollar Tree Velvet Mini Pumpkin Sets (we used an olive green set and a pink set)
- Dollar Tree Sunflowers pick
- Dollar Tree Harvest Acorns
- Jute twine, for a hanging loop
What we did
We cut two ring shapes out of cardboard and painted both with the brown acrylic in loose, swirling strokes so it reads more like wood grain than flat cardboard once it dries. While that dried, we sorted the leaves by color so the kids could grab handfuls without digging through one big bag.
Working in sections, we squeezed a line of glue directly onto the cardboard and pressed leaves down overlapping like shingles, working all the way around the ring before starting the next layer. Once the base was fully covered, we glued on the velvet pumpkins, a small cluster of sunflowers, and a bunch of acorns tied together with a scrap of jute as focal points, then tied a jute loop to the back for hanging.
Result
Two wreaths, made side by side so nobody had to share leaves. If you're doing this with kids, let the glue on the pumpkins and acorns set for a minute before letting go — they're heavier than the leaves and will slide out of place otherwise.
