Fall Leaf Crafts: How to Make Polymer Clay Leaves

Learn how to make gorgeous fall leaf crafts with marbled polyform clay.

Marbled autumn clay leaves make gorgeous DIY fall home decor that can be used as ornaments on bare branches or made into other fall leaf crafts such as wreaths, garlands, thankful trees, and gratitude mobiles. They also make a fun leaf gift tag for a fall birthday!

Like these gorgeous marbled autumn leaves, Fall leaf crafts are fun for both kids and adults to make. If your kids like to bake cookies, they will love making marbled polyform clay autumn leaves. Try this fall leaf craft idea with your children at home or in the classroom this autumn. You may also enjoy this list of Fall Crafts and Activities for Kids.

Related: Fall Books for Kids: Autumn Stories Children LOVE!

Fall leaf Craft Idea: Marbled Clay Fall Leaves

A few years ago, my daughter and I made marbled clay handprint ring bowls into gifts for her grandparents. As we were making them, we thought marbled polymer clay would also make a beautiful fall leaf craft idea, so we made some marbled clay fall leaves using the same process.

We are so glad we did–marbled polyform clay make a beautiful fall leaf craft project for kids and adults! Learn how to make leaves out of clay with this simple step-by-step leaf project tutorial below.

Polyform clay autumn leaves look lovely hanging on bare branches. Learn two ways to transform fall leaves into gratitude leaves that look amazing on a thankful tree or gratitude mobile. Click the links for all the DIY details!

Scroll down for the craft materials and step-by-step instructions to learn how to make fall leaves out of clay.

Related: Fall Leaves Watercolor Resist Art

Fall Leaf Craft Project Materials

• Polymer clay
• Rolling pin or acrylic clay roller
• Glass cutting mat
• Leaf cookie cutters (or try THESE, THESE, or THESE)
• Oven bake clay bond and glaze pack (optional)

Related: Windy Fall Leaves Sensory Bottle

How to Make Marbled Polymer Clay Fall Leaves: Step by Step Directions

Children will love making these gorgeous clay fall leaf crafts for kids. First, learn how to make polymer clay leaves with the step-by-step tutorial written below. Then, scroll down to look at how to make fall leaf crafts in the step-by-step photo tutorial posted below the written directions.

Make autumn leaf crafts with your children at home or in the classroom. Once finished, you can use these fall leaf craft ideas in lots of fun ways. For example, marbled clay autumn leaves make beautiful ornaments to hang on bare branches and thankful trees, and they also look fantastic when made into fall wreaths and leaf garlands.

Related: The Best Fall Art Projects for Kids

Step 1 – Select at least 2-4 colors of polyform clay and roll them into snakes

• Make different sized polyform clay snakes (thin vs thick) to vary the marbled clay effect.
• Use a variety of colors to make beautiful marbled clay autumn leaf crafts.

Step 2 – Twist several polyform clay snakes of different colors together

Grab a few snakes of polyform clay in different colors and twist them up together.

Step 3 – Roll the twisted marbled clay into a ball and use a rolling pin to flatten it

• Next, roll the twisted marbled clay into a ball and use a clay roller or a rolling pin to flatten it.
• Want more swirls? Roll the ball of clay into a snake once again, fold it in half, twist it up tight, roll it back into a ball, and use a rolling pin to flatten it a second time.

Step 4 – Cut autumn leaves with a fall leaf cookie cutter

• Use fall leaf cookie cutters to make autumn leaves.
• If you don’t have autumn leaf cookie cutters, you can trace real fall leaves with an Exacto knife as an alternative.

Note: We used a precision glass cutting mat for rolling out and cutting our autumn leaves. Some colors of polyform clay can stain skin and work surfaces. This glass mat will protect your work surface from both stains and cuts.

Step 5 – Reuse scraps to make more fall leaf crafts

• Roll the polyform clay scraps into a snake and reuse them make more autumn leaf crafts.
• Add more clay and mix new polyform clay snakes with the leftover scraps to make more fall leaves.
• Repeat as needed.

Step 6 – Bake polyform clay autumn leaf crafts according to manufacturer’s directions

• Place marbled clay fall leaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake the fall leaves according to the clay manufacturer’s directions.
• We cooked our fall leaf crafts for 15-20 minutes @275 degrees.
• Allow clay fall leaves to cool completely.

Step 7 – Seal and protect polyform clay fall leaves (optional)

• Use oven-bake clay bond and glaze to seal and protect polyform clay autumn leaves if desired. This step is optional — the leaves pictured do not have a glaze applied.

Step 8 – Use fall leaf crafts to make more fall leaf projects (optional)

Use the ideas below to make more autumn leaf crafts. Try any of the fun DIY fall home decor ideas listed below!

• Hang marbled clay fall leaves on bare branches.
• Stamp fall leaves, or, use a white or gold fine tip paint pen to write words of gratitude on them, and then hang them on a thankful tree.
• Use fall leaf crafts to make an autumn leaf wreath or fall leaf garland.
• Or, make a gratitude mobile with your autumn leaves!

Related: Clay Gratitude Leaves Thanksgiving Craft

How to Make Marbled Clay Autumn Leaves: Step by Step Photo Tutorial

The photo tutorial posted below shows how to make clay leaves with marbled polyform clay. Making leaves out of polymer clay is a fun leaf craft idea for kids and adults!

Related: Nature Crafts and Nature Activities That Use Natural Materials

DIY Marbled Clay Autumn Leaves: Fall Leaf Crafts for Kids, Teens, and Adults!

Making marbled autumn leaves is a fun project for the whole family. Turn them into gratitude leaves for your thankful tree, wreath, garland, or gratitude mobile for even more fun. Clay fall leaves also make a fun gift tag for a fall birthday.

Creating fall leaves is a great way to spend some time connecting with the kids. If your kids like to bake cookies, they will love making marbled clay autumn leaves! Speaking of cookies, this easy sugar cookie recipe is a hit at our house. And, they are super easy to make as a kindness project over the holiday season.

And, don’t forget to have a look at our fall bucket list filled with fun activities for the best autumn EVER!

Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE.

More Fall Leaf Arts and Crafts

• How to Preserve Fall Leaves
• Fall Leaves Watercolor Resist Art
• Best Fall Nature Crafts
• How to Make a Thankful Tree with Real Fall Leaves
• Fall Leaf Sewing Project for Kids
• Turkey Leaf Lanterns Thanksgiving Craft
• Best Fall Art Projects for Kids
• Watercolor and Fall Leaves Art
• Leaf Baby Book Inspired Fall Leaf Crafts

If You Like Crafting with Fall Leaves, You May Also Like These Fun Fall Activities:

• 10 Ways to have fun Outside with Fall Leaves
• Fall Bucket List of Fun Fall Activities for Kids
• Rainy Day Activities: 20 Fun Things to do on a Rainy Day
• Get Lost in a Corn Maze
• Visit a Pumpkin Patch
• Apple Orchard Field Trip Ideas
• Thanksgiving Traditions: Fun Things to do on Thanksgiving