There’s a stretch of fall when the little ones can’t walk past a pile of leaves without stopping. They crunch through them, gather the prettiest ones, and bring them to you by the fistful.
This craft gives all those leaves somewhere to go. The children glue them around a paper plate to make a wreath, with a “Fall for Jesus” circle in the middle and a little heart tag that reads “He never leaves.”
That’s the sweet part of it. The leaves fall and the seasons change, but the reminder in the center stays the same. Jesus is always with us.
a little about this craft
Children make a fall wreath out of a paper plate, gluing colorful leaves all the way around the rim so they point outward. In the center goes a cream circle that reads “Fall for Jesus,” and a small kraft heart tag hangs off the side that reads “He never leaves.”
The whole thing plays on the word leaves, which the little ones will catch and love. The leaves fall, but Jesus never does.
That reminder is the same promise Jesus gives in Matthew 28:20.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)
That’s the heart of it. Seasons come and go, things change, but he stays. He never leaves.
what you’ll need
There’s nothing fancy here, and you probably have most of it already.
- The free printable (you’ll find it near the end of this post)
- A paper plate for the wreath base
- Cardstock or regular paper for the printable pieces
- Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
- Scissors
- A glue stick
- A short length of twine for the heart tag, and a bit more for hanging
The printable comes in two versions, one already colored and one in black and white. If you’re short on time or working with the littlest ones, print the color set and go straight to cutting. The black and white set gives them more to do, since the coloring becomes part of the afternoon.
Since this one uses a paper plate, you might like these other easy paper plate crafts for kids for another quiet afternoon, or our Jesus Picked Me pumpkin paper plate craft, which uses a plate the same way.
how to make the fall for jesus paper plate wreath craft
The steps are simple enough for a child to follow with a little help.
1. print and color the pieces
Print the leaf pages along with the “Fall for Jesus” circle and the “He never leaves” heart. If you’re using the black and white version, let the little ones color the leaves in reds, golds, browns, and oranges.
Mine tend to reach for the same two or three colors every time, and that’s just fine.
2. cut everything out
Cut out the twelve leaves, the center circle, and the heart tag. That’s a good bit of cutting, so it helps to cut the leaves ahead of time for younger children while they work on the coloring.
A few of these fun leaf crafts for kids are worth a look if your little ones love a leaf project.
3. glue the leaves around the plate
Turn the paper plate over so the back faces up. Then glue the leaves around the rim, pointing outward, working your way all the way around like the numbers on a clock. Layer the colors and let them overlap a little, since a wreath looks fuller when the leaves aren’t spaced too evenly.
Let the little ones place these themselves. A wreath with a few leaves glued on crooked is part of the charm.
4. add the center and the tag
Glue the “Fall for Jesus” circle in the middle of the plate, covering the inner ends of the leaves. Then tie or glue the “He never leaves” heart tag near the bottom edge, off to one side.
This is a good moment to talk about what the words mean, that the leaves fall every autumn, but Jesus stays with us right through every season.
5. display it
Prop the wreath on a little easel, or tape a loop of twine to the back so it’s ready to hang. It looks sweet on a door, a wall, or a classroom bulletin board all season long.
Stand back and let them see it finished. Then read the words out loud together one more time before you hang it up.
simple ways to use this craft
One of the nice things about this craft is how many places it fits.
- In Sunday school or children’s church, as a hands-on way to talk about God always being with us
- At home or in your homeschool, as a quiet fall afternoon with a gentle truth folded in
- On a door or wall, where a child can see the reminder every day
- As a fall decoration for the classroom or a bulletin board
If you’d like more crafts that carry a bit of scripture, these sweet Jesus crafts for kids pair nicely with it. And for more of the season, take a look at these cute pumpkin crafts for kids.
a gentle thought before you go
Fall is a season of things letting go. The leaves change and drop, the days get shorter, and even the little ones can feel that something is shifting.
A paper plate wreath won’t explain all of that. But it gives a child something to make with their hands, and a set of words to hang where they’ll see them, and a reason to hear you say it out loud. The leaves fall, but Jesus never leaves.
If you make this one at home, in a classroom, or with a little group, I’d love to hear how it went. Leave a comment below and tell me how your wreaths turned out.
With love,
Betty
Get the FREE Fall For Jesus Wreath Craft
Don’t let fall go by without your kids knowing one steady truth—Jesus never leaves.
With this free Fall for Jesus wreath, kids color and cut a ring of maple leaves, then glue them around a paper plate with a “He never leaves” heart at the center—ready to hang on a wall or door.
frequently asked questions
what age is this craft best for?
It works well for children around three and up. It’s mostly cutting and gluing with no tricky folding, so it suits little hands nicely. For the youngest ones, cut the leaves ahead of time and let them color, glue, and arrange.
do I need a paper plate, or can I use something else?
A paper plate makes the sturdiest wreath, but a ring cut from cardstock or a paper bowl works too. Anything round that holds the leaves in a circle will do the job.
how many leaves do I need?
The printable includes twelve, which fills out the wreath nicely. If you’d like a fuller look, print a second leaf page and layer them a little more thickly around the rim.
what if my child can’t cut the leaves?
That’s perfectly okay. Cut the leaves, the circle, and the heart ahead of time, and let them handle the coloring, gluing, and arranging. Those are the parts little ones enjoy most anyway.
can I use this for a Sunday school class or co-op group?
Yes, and it’s a lovely one for a group. Print as many as you need, cut the leaves ahead of time so everyone can keep up, and let each child make their own to take home. It’s a sweet reminder that God is always with them.
