How to Create Autumn Collages For Kids

Kids and crafts go hand in hand, so why not embrace the beauty of autumn with a fun art project? Creating collages will teach children about color, texture, juxtaposition, and working with mixed media. This will also give classrooms and families an opportunity to go on an outdoor adventure.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Construction paper (fall colors)
• White glue
• Glue sticks
• Small paintbrushes
• Watercolor or tempera paint
• Small containers of water
• Leaves (wide variety of colors and shapes)
• Acorn tops
• Pinecones
• Fall themed clip art
• Markers
• Scissors

1. 
   Use plastic bags, buckets, small containers or whatever else will work best.

   Go on an outdoor adventure! Make it fun by turning it into a scavenger hunt. Each child should collect a wide assortment of leaves, acorns and pinecones.

2. 
   Be sure each child has their own creative space.

   Set up the workspace for each child. Each workspace should contain a piece of construction paper, white glue, glue sticks, paint, paintbrushes, small container of water, scissors, and markers. In the center of the table, place the clip art, leaves, acorn tops, and pinecones.

3. 
   The children will inspire each other!

   Start layering! Encourage each child to use paint first, using fall colors, in a swirling pattern all over the construction paper. (Be sure not to use a lot of water or else it’ll take extra time to dry.) Set the paintings aside to dry and, when they’re 100% dry, layer the leaves throughout the paper using the glue sticks. (Using a dry adhesive, such a glue sticks, allow for quicker drying time and less buckling in the paper.) Allow the piece to dry completely.

4. 
   Regular school white glue will work just fine.

   Using the white glue, add three or four pieces of fall themed clip art. (Use of the white glue allows for a stronger hold when layering over the leaves.) Using the white glue, layer acorn tops and pieces of pinecones throughout the entire piece. Wherever there’s a blank area, use the markers to write fall-related text and quotations.

Tips & Warnings

• You might want to press the leaves in a flower press or in the pages of a thick book to ensure they’re going to remain flat on the piece of art.
• It’s possible to spread this project out over several days if the need for a multi-day project is present.
• Don’t use too much white glue or the elements will become too slippery and won’t dry as quickly.
• You might want to seal the entire project over using decoupage medium or a glaze medium if there are a lot of weighty elements that might otherwise fall off.

Resources

• Mixed Media Arts