Autumn Leaf Wreath: A Recycled Craft

Today we celebrated Autumn! The green leaves we’ve watched all summer have begun turning into brilliant shades of gold, red, and orange.  Although they are still topping the trees we are waiting for them to cover our yard. To celebrate this change, we made a simple and colorful leaf wreath craft using materials we already had at home.

This project was not only fun but also gave us the chance to talk together about the turning of the seasons and all the beauty fall brings.

What We Used:

A recycled cardboard circle (ours was cut from a pizza box)

Construction paper in fall colors

Scissors

Glue stick

Crayons or markers (optional, for leaf details)

How We Made It:

1. Cut the base: Start by cutting a large circle from the cardboard. Then cut out the middle to make a wreath shape. 

2. Make the leaves: Stack pieces of construction paper together and cut out leaf shapes. This is a fun way to create a bunch of leaves at once, and they don’t need to be perfect.

Funky, unique leaf shapes add character!

3. Add details: Use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to draw lines and veins on your leaves, giving them more texture and personality. we rolled a brown crayon over the top to "age" the leaves.

4. Glue them on: Begin gluing the leaves around the cardboard ring, overlapping them as you go to create a full and colorful wreath.

5. Finish & display: Once the glue is dry, your wreath is ready to hang on a door, wall, or window as a cheerful reminder of the season.

Conversation Starter 🍁

While we worked, we talked about how summer is turning into autumn—what changes we notice in the air, how the days feel a little cooler, and how the leaves on the trees around us are starting to change colors. It’s a sweet way to connect nature, art, and learning all in one project.

This craft is perfect for children of all ages. Simple enough for little hands, but open-ended enough for creativity to shine. Plus, it’s a great way to reuse materials you already have on hand.

Happy autumn! 

Chloe