Forage for natural decorations
Explore outdoors to collect leaves, pinecones, acorns, and flowers with adult permission; clean and arrange them into seasonal decorations like garlands, wreaths, or nature displays.
Step-by-step guide to forage for natural decorations
How to make natural Christmas decorations with David Domoney
Step 1
Ask an adult for permission to explore outside and tell them where you will go.
Step 2
Gather your basket or bag scissors soft cloth string craft glue cardboard or wreath frame and tape.
Step 3
Put on weather-appropriate clothes and closed-toe shoes.
Step 4
Walk with your adult to a safe outdoor area like a park yard or garden.
Step 5
Pick up fallen leaves pinecones acorns and flowers from the ground and place them in your basket.
Step 6
Shake each item gently over the basket to remove loose dirt or tiny bugs.
Step 7
Use your soft cloth to wipe any stubborn dirt off the items.
Step 8
Sort the clean items into groups by type color or size on a table or tray.
Step 9
Choose the project you want to make a garland a wreath or a nature display.
Step 10
Prepare the base for your choice by cutting a length of string making a cardboard ring or setting out a tray.
Step 11
Attach your natural items to the base by tying threading or gluing them in a pattern until it looks full.
Step 12
Let any glue dry completely and put away your tools and extra materials.
Step 13
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a basket, craft glue, or a wreath frame?
Use a reusable tote or paper bag instead of a basket, a glue stick or double-sided tape if craft glue is missing, and cut a cardboard ring from a cereal box to replace a wreath frame.
My leaves and pinecones keep falling off the string or cardboard—how do I fix that?
Wrap string tightly around stems and knot after each item, anchor pieces with small strips of tape or a dab of craft glue where items overlap, and press glued areas firmly until completely dry per the instructions.
How can I adapt this activity for a toddler or a teenager?
For toddlers, focus on supervised collecting, gentle shaking over the basket and sorting on a tray with tape or pre-cut cardboard rings so they can stick items without scissors or hot glue, while teenagers can cut string with scissors, design complex patterns, and use a wreath frame or hot glue with adult permission for heavier pieces.
How can we extend or personalize our finished garland, wreath, or nature display?
Press and preserve colorful leaves between cardboard in a heavy book before attaching, add paint or ribbons to pinecones, label items with collection location and date, and photograph the result to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to forage for natural decorations
STEM in Early Learning: Exploring the Natural Environment with Young Children*
4 Videos
STEM in Early Learning: Exploring the Natural Environment with Young Children*
HOW TO DECORATE WITH NATURAL ELEMENTS FOR FALL/ORGANIC FALL DECORATING IDEAS/AUTUMN DECOR HAUL
Outdoor Play and Learning: Loose Parts
Playgrounds to Outdoor Learning Environments
Facts about nature crafts for kids
♻️ Natural decorations (leaves, cones, twigs) are biodegradable and can reduce plastic waste when you choose them over store-bought fake décor.
🌰 Acorns are the nuts of oak trees, packed with fats and carbs, and they’re a favorite food for squirrels, deer, and many birds.
🍂 Many trees change leaf colors in autumn because chlorophyll fades and other pigments like carotenoids and anthocyanins show through.
🌲 Pine cones are protective seed cases — some types stay closed for years and only open after heat from a fire (this is called serotiny).
🌼 Pressing and drying flowers is an easy way to preserve their shapes and colors — botanists make herbarium collections this way.
How do we forage and make seasonal decorations from leaves, pinecones, acorns, and flowers?
What materials do I need for a nature-foraging decoration activity?
What ages is this foraging and decorating activity suitable for?
What safety tips should I follow when foraging for natural decorations?
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