Acorn Crafts for Kids

Use acorns as a craft material.

An endless supply of craft materials comes directly from Mother Nature. Leaves, flowers, rocks, seeds and nuts provide shape, color and texture to a variety of craft projects. An acorn is the nut of an oak tree. Its distinct shape, which looks like a head wearing a cap, inspires numerous craft ideas.

Acorn Face

Because of its shape, the acorn is a natural as the head for crafted figures. Glue it atop a pine cone, to make the head of a pine cone snowman. Paint the acorn, accenting its "hat" and adding features to the face. Instead of a snowman, use the acorn as an angel or fairy's head, with a narrow pine cone as the body and colorful fall leaves as the wings. Use the acorn as the head for other animals, fashioned together with other gifts from nature--such as feathers, dried flowers, pine cones, rocks and shells.

As Itself

Instead of transforming the acorn into an entirely different object, such as the head of a figurine, display the acorn as itself, alone or with other items from nature. Decorate the border of a mirror or picture frame with acorns. Create a fall, dry flower arrangement, using acorns as accent pieces. Cover a circular disk with acorns to create a fall wreath. Glue a magnet to one side of an acorn, to make a refrigerator magnet. String acorns, shells and other natural objects from fishing line and hang on a piece of tree branch, to create a wind chime.

Disassemble

Take the acorn apart, separating the nut from the cap portion. The cap portion is the top of the acorn that originally hung from the tree. Utilize the two parts as craft material in a variety of different objects. Upside down, turn the cap into a basket or bowl for a diorama or dollhouse. Decorate greeting cards, altered books or artist trading cards with pieces taken from an acorn.

Jewelry

Just like shells and sand dollars, acorns make interesting jewelry pieces. Hang one from a chain as a necklace, adorn a bracelet with several, or create acorn earrings. Before making the jewelry, gently remove the cap and reattach it using super glue, so the cap doesn't separate from the nut while wearing. Drill a fine hole just below the cap, through the nut, to secure a wire for hanging.

References

• International Society of Altered Book Artists
• AHC Arts & Crafts: Acorn Crafts for Kids