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Fall Leaf Art Project

Students create leaf rubbings with crayons and leaf printings with paint, exploring the differences as they go.

  • Grades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5, 6–8

How does one type of art compare to another? Using crayons and paint, students create side-by-side impressions of one of nature’s prettiest works of art: fall leaves.

What You Need:

  • White construction paper (one piece per student)

  • Marker

  • Crayons

  • Paint

  • Paintbrushes

  • Glue

 

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What You Do:

  1. Take students outside on a nature walk to collect leaves of various shapes, colors, and sizes.
  2. Have children fold a piece of white construction paper in half and then write across the top: “Rubbing vs. Printing.”
  3. On the “rubbing” side, have children place a leaf under the paper, then rub a crayon over the paper (and the leaf below it) to create an impression of the leaf.
  4. On the “printing” side, using the same leaf, students now create a print. First, they paint one side of the leaf with fall colors, then press it gently onto the paper, then lift slowly.
  5. Leaving space down the center of the page, have them continue the rubbings and printings until the paper is full.
  6. Have students glue the leaves down the center of the page. 

  • Subjects:
    Arts and Crafts, Autumn Themes
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