Fall is finally upon us! And with it, the much-anticipated colorful autumn foliage as deciduous trees begin shedding their leaves. These striking bursts of color inspire our imaginations each year, making them the perfect subjects for a fun kids’ craft! Using just a few everyday supplies, you can celebrate the season with your students by capturing the natural beauty of fall leaves with this autumn tree craft.

Not only will your students end up with pretty fall decorations to hang on the window afterward, but they’ll also get to develop their fine motor skills and creativity along the way. Students will be amazed to watch their designs change as water spreads the ink, creating a cool stained-glass effect as light filters through the translucent material.

How to Make Autumn Trees

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

What you’ll need:

• • Coffee filters
  • Washable markers
    
  • Construction paper
  • Tray or Paper towels
  • Double-sided tape
  • Spray bottle
    
  • Water
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Step 2: Color the Coffee Filters

Using washable markers, color cool patterns on a few coffee filters in fall colors like red, orange, yellow, green, and brown.

Step 3: Spray the Coffee Filters

After filling your spray bottle with water, spray the coffee filters until the colors bleed, being careful not to soak them too much.

Step 4: Set Filters Aside to Dry

Set your coffee filters aside to dry on a tray or paper towel to prevent the ink from staining your work surface.

Step 5: Draw and Cut Out a Tree with Branches

As your filters dry, draw the outline of a tree with branches on construction paper and cut it out with scissors.

Step 6: Glue the Tree to a Dried Coffee Filter

Once the filters are dry, spread glue on the back of the tree outline and stick it to the coffee filter.

Step 7: Display Your Tree on a Window

Use double-sided tape to display your finished autumn tree craft on a window!

Over the weeks, students can observe how the trees outside the window change, comparing the leaves to the colors they chose to decorate their autumn trees. This coffee filter craft is an inexpensive, easy-to-prep project that gives students a fun opportunity to explore their creativity and pay closer attention to how seasons change the world around them.

Let Students Explore Their Artistic Side at the STEAM Museum!

Mobile Ed knows how important art can be in shaping students’ creativity and critical thinking. That’s why our STEAM Museum includes not only science, technology, engineering, and math, but art as well! This portable science museum features twelve hands-on exhibits designed to inspire future innovators and artists by allowing students to build, experiment, create art, and discover how things work. From virtual reality to robotics to 3-D printing, our STEAM Museum is the perfect hands-on experience to capture imagination and fuel creativity. This interactive assembly comes straight to your school, providing students with a hands-on, immersive learning experience that just happens to be a whole lot of fun, too!

Ready to let your students explore their artistic side? Bring the STEAM Museum to your school by clicking the button below or contacting our team here.

Project inspired by: Happy Toddler Playtime