As autumn rolls around, with pumpkins popping up in shop windows, conkers on the pavements, and Halloween on the horizon, it feels like the perfect time to slow down, pull out the glue sticks, and make some decorations together. Bonus: You don’t need to spend a fortune in the shops to get your house looking seasonal.

Painted Pumpkins (Skip the Carving Tools)

Carving is fun, but let’s be honest, it’s messy, takes forever, and somehow mum or dad ends up doing all the work while the kids wander off after five minutes. As a change, grab a few pumpkins from the shop and some acrylic paint.

The kids can cover them in polka dots, stripes, or scary faces. Add googly eyes, stickers, or even bits of tin foil for robot pumpkins. They last longer than carved ones, and you won’t be scraping pumpkin innards off the counter.

Leafy Friends

Go for an autumn walk and collect colourful leaves - red, orange, yellow, and even the crinkly brown ones. Back home, get some paper, glue, and pens, and let the kids turn the leaves into animals, people, or “leaf monsters.”

Suddenly, a stroll around the park feels like a treasure hunt. Your little one might find “the perfect dragon wings” or “the best monster hair.” It’s free fun, and you’ll come home with both rosy cheeks and free craft supplies!

Paper Plate Pumpkins and Bats

Paper plates are an absolute lifesaver for kids’ crafts.

For Halloween there are loads of things you can use them for: paint them orange for pumpkins; fold them into wings for bats; cut out spooky masks. If scissors are involved, I like to do the tricky cutting in advance and let the kids focus on the fun decorating part.

Once finished, pop them up in the window or string them across the fireplace—instant homemade Halloween garland, and the children beam every time someone notices their handiwork.

Toilet Roll Tube Creatures

Don’t bin those empty loo rolls—save them for crafting!

With a bit of paper, glue, and imagination, they can become black cats, ghosts, or little Frankensteins. Add a battery tea light inside, and suddenly you’ve got glowing Halloween characters. They’re surprisingly effective, and the kids love seeing their creations light up.

And, of course, not everything has to be Halloween-y, let your children's imagination run wild and create their own character or favourite animal!

Conker Spiders

You’ll need some conkers (which means another walk to the park, win!), a few pipe cleaners, and a dab of glue. Stick some pipe cleaners to a conker for legs, bend them to look spidery, and stick on a couple of googly eyes.

They’re brilliant for scattering around the mantelpiece or popping on the windowsill. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's just an an old wive's tale but some say conkers deter real spiders in the home!

Keeping It Fun and Stress-Free

Remember, as with any crafts, it's not about perfect results—it’s about the time you spend together. My motto: if it keeps them busy for twenty minutes and no one cries, it’s a success.

So if your toddler decides their pumpkin must be entirely brown, or your older child insists on rainbow ghosts—just roll with it. Those quirks are what you’ll remember in years to come (and they make for cracking photos too).

Don’t Forget the Photos

As a photographer, I can’t help but remind you: snap the process, not just the finished product. Some of the loveliest pictures are the messy-haired, paint-smudged moments, the pride in their eyes when they hold up a wobbly spider or the concentration face while they paint.

Crafting gives you decorations and memories, which feels like a pretty good deal to me.