Autumn is in the air, and you can hardly look to the left or right without seeing an abundance of creative inspiration in the form of pumpkins, scarecrows, sunflowers, and foliage. Whether you prefer Halloween or Thanksgiving, they both provide plenty of inspiration for your next art project. Jack-o’-lanterns, witches, spiders, candy corn, and turkeys are just some of our favorites. We have something for every age and in every medium in our list below. So grab your favorite art supplies and get to work on some of these awesome fall art projects!
Fantastic Fun and Learning
1. Fall Tree Sticker Scene
We love this idea because it is no-mess and low-prep. Make a tree on some white paper, then let your students go to town decorating it with a bowl full of fun fall stickers!
We love this project since it teaches an art lesson on positive and negative spaces. Use painter’s tape to put a leaf template on some black card stock, then let your students smudge chalk pastel all around it. Finally, remove the tape and admire the finished project!
Older students will surely enjoy this pumpkin doodle project. Zentangles are not only fun, they offer stress-relieving qualities for busy high schoolers!
Be sure to have some pretty scrapbooking paper on hand so students have options to personalize their scarecrows. Once they’re finished, they can put on a puppet show for you!
This sunflower collage can work for students as young as preschool or as old as high school since the size of your scraps and the detail included are up to the artist.
As far as fall art projects go, this one can be done last-minute since all you need is some construction paper, a Sharpie, glue, and some scissors. Have students create as many unique trees as they want before gluing them in the layout of their choosing.
This turkey headband is the perfect craft to do before Thanksgiving break in November. While relatively easy, you may want to have an extra set of hands around to measure little heads.
Making a puppet from a paper bag is a rite of passage for any kid, so why not have your students try their hand at this adorable scarecrow? Sit back and watch the imaginative free play once their puppet friends are finished.
No list of fall art projects would be complete without some Halloween imagery. Rather than have your old magazines end up in a landfill, why not use them to create a fun jack-o’-lantern collage?
Surprisingly simple to create, we just love these spooky black cats. This project will work on young students’ dexterity since they will need to fold their paper accordion-style.
These apples look so tasty we just want to take a bite out of them! This is simultaneously an art lesson and a science experiment since students will be mixing their own puffy paint.
While not exactly scary, these sweet witches will be sure to delight your students. Although they are cute on their own, the light-up tea-light noses really put them over the edge!
So simple and yet so adorable, we can’t get enough of these fall gnomes. Cut out a hat from some fall-themed scrapbook paper, select a fake fall leaf for a beard, then staple a nose on to tie it all together.
Bring your students outside for a fall hike, have them collect leaves of all sizes and shapes, then let them create their own unique leaf person. Have some googly eyes and markers on hand so your students can get really creative.
These paper plate candy corns are the perfect art project to do during the month of October. Grab your scissors and orange and yellow paint and get to work!
While you’ll need to check for allergies before proceeding with this craft, the end result is just too precious. Once their masterpiece is complete, let your students enjoy the extra candy.
Painting pumpkins should be included in any list of fall art projects. Q-tips make for the perfect paintbrushes for small pumpkins since you can make small, precise designs. Be sure to use non-washable paints if you want to display them outside.
This project is perfect for working on motor skills since students will need to string the beads on their pipe cleaners and twist them into shape. An added bonus is they make for the cutest table decor during Thanksgiving dinner.
This is the perfect art project to break out when you need a time filler since it can be worked on and then put away for later. The finished product will be oh-so satisfying to look at!
Finger painting is as synonymous with preschool as apple trees are with fall. This handprint/fingerprint tree will surely end up on refrigerators everywhere.
Who says coffee filters are just for coffee and window washing? Use a stencil to create a spooky tree silhouette, paint a coffee filter, then put it all together for the perfect window decoration.
We love this spider project since it is really two crafts in one. Have your students start collecting empty toilet paper rolls in the weeks before you plan to do this art project.
You can use toilet paper and paper towel rolls for the base of these wind socks, or you can choose colored card stock folded into shape. You’ll also need some fall stickers and autumn-colored crepe paper to complete this pretty decoration.
Kids can use a funnel to fill orange balloons with rice. We especially love that it helps kids develop their gross motor skills. Finally, supply kids with Sharpies and let them decorate their pumpkin’s face.
Washi tape can be a little pricey, so stock up when it’s on sale. Have kids cut pumpkin shapes out of orange construction paper, and then let them decorate their pumpkins with orange and yellow washi tape. Finally, add a stem and some leaves.
We love a good recycling project that also doubles as a cute craft. Have your students scavenge at home for puzzles that are missing pieces. Then, gather all the puzzle pieces, paint them in fall colors, and let them dry. Finally, assemble them into a wreath and add a cute fall-themed bow.
As far as fall art projects go, this is one of the tastiest we’ve ever seen. Gather all different types of candy and a cardboard wreath base. Then, get gluing all your candy down before topping it off with a bow!
Some fall art projects, like this one, are best suited for older kids and teens since they are a bit more involved. Repurpose some old books by painting the pages and creating this high-end-looking pumpkin art!
Who doesn’t love a good macaroni art project? Have your students paint macaroni in fall colors. Then, while waiting for them to dry, have them create the base for their tree. Finally, glue those wonderfully fall-themed macaroni leaves on your tree or on the ground.
