Looking for an easy fall craft that uses supplies you already have? These colorful tissue paper fall crafts for kids are perfect for celebrating the season with toddlers and preschoolers.
Tissue paper is one of my favorite materials to keep in our home daycare craft supplies. It is inexpensive, comes in plenty of bright colors, and can be torn, cut, crumpled, or layered to create all kinds of seasonal art.
These fall tissue paper crafts include apples, pumpkins, leaves, trees, wreaths, and colorful window decorations. Choose one for a quick afternoon activity or add several to your fall preschool lesson plans.
Why Tissue Paper Crafts Are Great for Young Children
Tissue paper crafts are easy to adapt for different ages and abilities. Toddlers can tear paper, crumple pieces, and press them onto sticky contact paper. Preschoolers can practice cutting, arranging colors, and using glue more independently.
Working with small pieces of tissue paper also gives children practice with:
- Fine motor control
- Hand-eye coordination
- Color recognition
- Creative decision-making
- Following simple directions
The results do not need to be perfect. Let children choose their colors and decide where each piece should go. The process is the most important part!
Supplies for Fall Tissue Paper Crafts
The exact supplies will vary by project, but it helps to have these basic materials available:
- Tissue paper in red, orange, yellow, brown, and green
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Child-safe scissors
- White school glue or glue sticks
- Clear contact paper
- Paper plates
- Paintbrushes for spreading glue
- Mason jars for the luminary crafts
- Battery-operated tea lights
Cut or tear some tissue paper before beginning if you are working with younger toddlers. Preschoolers may enjoy helping prepare the pieces themselves.
12 Easy Tissue Paper Fall Crafts for Kids
From colorful window decorations to textured apple and pumpkin art, these tissue paper fall crafts offer plenty of creative options for toddlers and preschoolers.
1. Tissue Paper Fall Wreath
Crumpled tissue paper gives this tissue paper fall wreath plenty of seasonal color and texture. Children glue brown paper “branches” and small pieces of tissue paper around a paper plate to create a cheerful fall decoration.
Crumpling the tissue paper is especially fun for toddlers and provides extra fine motor practice.
2. Stained-Glass Apple Craft
Decorate your windows for apple season with this stained-glass apple craft.
Children arrange red, yellow, and green tissue paper inside an apple-shaped frame made with clear contact paper. Because the paper sticks directly to the contact paper, this is also a great low-mess fall craft.
3. Mason Jar Fall Tree Luminaries
Our mason jar fall tree luminaries bring the beautiful colors of fall indoors.
Children layer red, orange, and yellow tissue paper on a glass jar before adding a construction-paper tree. Place a battery-operated tea light inside to create a warm fall glow.
Adult supervision is required when crafting with glass jars. Always use battery-operated lights when displaying children’s luminaries.
4. Scrunched Tissue Paper Fall Leaf
This scrunched tissue paper autumn leaf is a simple craft for toddlers and preschoolers.
Children scrunch small squares of tissue paper and glue them inside a large leaf shape. Use one fall color or provide several colors for children to mix together.
5. Tissue Paper Fall Tree Collage
Our tissue paper tree collages are an easy way to explore fall colors with young children.
Provide a simple tree trunk along with red, orange, yellow, and brown tissue paper. Children can tear or crumple the paper before gluing the pieces around the branches. Every finished tree will look different, making this a wonderful open-ended fall art activity.
6. Fall Leaf Suncatchers
Bring the colors of autumn indoors with these fall leaf suncatchers.
Children fill leaf-shaped frames with colorful tissue paper squares and seal them between pieces of clear contact paper. Hang the finished leaves in a sunny window to create a stained-glass effect. The free templates include several different leaf shapes, making this a fun addition to a preschool trees or leaves theme.
7. Tissue Paper Pumpkin Suncatcher
Use tissue paper, craft foam, and clear contact paper to make a colorful pumpkin suncatcher.
Hang the finished pumpkins in a sunny window or use them to decorate a classroom, playroom, or home daycare. Orange tissue paper creates a traditional pumpkin, but children could also experiment with yellow, green, or multicolored pumpkins.
8. Tissue Paper and Button Apple Tree
This apple tree craft combines tissue paper with buttons to create a textured fall picture.
Children add crumpled green tissue paper to the tree and use buttons as colorful apples. If you are working with children who still put small objects in their mouths, replace the buttons with red tissue-paper balls.
9. Fall Tree Handprint Craft
Turn a child’s hand and arm outline into the trunk and branches of a fall tree handprint craft. Children crumple colorful tissue paper and glue it around the branches as autumn leaves.
The hand outline makes each tree personal, while crumpling the paper gives toddlers and preschoolers fine motor practice. T
10. Tissue Paper Pumpkin Craft
This tissue paper pumpkin is an easy seasonal project for a fall or pumpkin theme.
Small pieces of orange tissue paper add plenty of texture to the pumpkin and make it stand out on the page. Children can add a green stem, leaves, or a jack-o’-lantern face to personalize their pumpkins.
11. Acorn Suncatcher Craft
Celebrate one of children’s favorite fall nature finds with this tissue paper acorn suncatcher.
Children fill an acorn-shaped frame with different shades of brown tissue paper and seal the pieces between clear contact paper. The craft includes a free acorn template and does not require liquid glue, making it a relatively low-mess fall activity.
12. Jack-O’-Lantern Night-Light Jars
These jack-o’-lantern night-light jars are a fun way to transition from general fall crafts to Halloween activities.
Orange tissue paper gives each jar its pumpkin color, while black paper creates the jack-o’-lantern face. Add a battery-operated tea light for a glowing Halloween decoration.
Tips for Making Tissue Paper Crafts With Toddlers and Preschoolers
A little preparation can make tissue paper crafts easier when you are working with a group of young children.
- Place glue in a shallow container and let children apply it with a paintbrush.
- Provide larger tissue paper pieces for toddlers and smaller pieces for preschoolers.
- Use a tray to contain loose pieces of tissue paper.
- Prepare paper frames or outlines before inviting toddlers to the activity.
- Let children tear the tissue paper when possible.
- Keep a damp washcloth nearby for sticky fingers.
- Display the crafts at children’s eye level so they can enjoy their work.
Do not worry if a child covers only part of the shape or uses unexpected colors. Young children benefit most when seasonal crafts leave room for their own ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of glue works best with tissue paper?
White school glue works well for most tissue paper crafts. You can spread a thin layer with a paintbrush to help prevent large puddles of glue. A glue stick may work for simple paper collages, while clear contact paper eliminates the need for glue when making suncatchers.
Can toddlers make tissue paper crafts?
Yes! Tearing, crumpling, and pressing tissue paper are toddler-friendly actions. Prepare the base of the craft ahead of time, provide larger pieces, and supervise children closely around scissors, glass jars, and small decorations.
What colors should I use for fall tissue paper crafts?
Traditional fall colors include red, orange, yellow, brown, and green. You can also include gold, burgundy, or cream. There is no need to limit children to traditional colors if they want to create something different.
How can I make these crafts less messy?
Use trays or shallow baskets for the tissue paper, cover the work surface, and offer glue in small containers. Contact-paper suncatchers are an especially good choice when you need a low-mess activity.
More Fall Activities for Kids
Continue your fall theme with these hands-on activities:
- Mason Jar Fall Tree Luminaries
- Leaf Painting and Preservation
- Pumpkin Pie Playdough
- Fall Color-Mixing Ice Activity
- Fall Sensory Bin Ideas
Which of these tissue paper fall crafts will your children make first?
Looking for more crafts and activities? Check out our index for 100+ kids’ activities! Find activities by theme, materials, skills, age, and much more!
Post originally published September 2015; Updated September 2026
Same here. I always received lot of tissue paper! What a great list!! Thank you for sharing it with us #pintorials