Free Kids Craft Projects - Fall Leafs
Placemat
Author: Rachel Paxton
Contact Author: rachel@creativehomemaking.com
with questions regarding this project.
Word Count: 400 Words
Publishing Guidelines: May be freely published w/bylines
Web Address: http://www.crafty-moms.com
More reprints: http://www.creativehomemaking.com/reprints.shtml
Making placemats from fall leaves is a fun activity for kids of all ages.
Even toddlers will have fun collecting
leaves and creating their own placemat.
For this craft you will need:
Roll of contact paper; Fall leaves; Scissors.
This activity is very inexpensive. The only item you will have to buy is
the contact paper, and you can pick this up
for about $5 a roll. One roll will make many placemats.
Have your kids go out in the yard and collect some fall leaves. Have them look
for a variety of colors and shapes. If
the leaves are dry you can use them right away. If they are wet,let them set on
a piece of newspaper to dry before you start the craft project.
Before you sit the kids down cut some pieces of contact paper into the shape of
placemats. I used the width of the
contact paper for the width of the placemat so I would only have to make one cut
for each placemat. You will need two pieces of contact paper for each
placemat. You can make the placemats any size you choose.
After the contact paper is ready, sit your kids down at a table and have them
spread out the leaves in the center of
the table. Give them a piece of contact paper with the backing paper
removed. Let them arrange their leaves on the sticky side of the
paper.
After they are happy with the arrangement of their leaves,
take another piece of contact paper and carefully lay it on top of the leaves so
that the sticky sides of both pieces of contact paper are together. Carefully
use your hands to smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles. You won't be able to get
them all out, but don't worry, a few wrinkles will not be noticeable when you
are done.
When you are finished you can use the scissors to trim around the edges to make
sure they are all even and straight.
This is an easy project that can be completed in about an hour. Remember the
younger the child, the shorter their attention span, so if you are making very
many you may end up finishing them yourself!
My toddler boys spent about 15 minutes on theirs and they had a great time.
Don't forget to proudly display your fall leaf placemats on your Thanksgiving
table!
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom
of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more
family memory-making activities, visit Crafty
Moms
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