Take a little one on a walk this time of year and you’ll come home with pockets full of acorns. They’re just the right size for small hands, and there always seem to be a hundred of them under the oak tree.
So here’s a way to turn that love of acorns into something with a little more to it. This craft makes a cheerful acorn that carries a sweet reminder, that the children are loved by Jesus.
Whether you’re a Sunday school teacher planning a fall lesson, a parent at the kitchen table, a grandparent, or a homeschool mama, this one is simple to put together and gives the little ones something they’ll want to keep.
a little about this craft
This is a smiling acorn craft. The children build a friendly acorn from paper pieces, give it a happy little face, and fan bright autumn leaves out behind it.
The words are what make it special. Across the cap it says nuts about Jesus, and a little tag off to the side reads loved by Jesus. That’s the whole heart of it. The children love Jesus, and even better, Jesus loves them, more than they can measure and longer than they can imagine.
That’s an old and steady promise.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” — Jeremiah 31:3
It’s a lovely thing to make while you talk about how God’s love doesn’t run out and doesn’t depend on us being good enough. If your little ones enjoy this, our other sweet jesus crafts carry the same kind of gentle truth.
what you’ll need
Here is everything you’ll want to gather before you start.
- the free nuts about Jesus acorn craft printable
- cardstock or regular printer paper
- crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- child-safe scissors
- a glue stick
- a bit of twine or string for the tag, if you’d like
The printable comes in two versions. First, there’s a full-color set, ready to cut out as soon as it prints, which is lovely when time is short. Then there’s a black-and-white set the little ones color themselves, and that coloring is half the fun. If you’d like a few more fun leaf crafts for kids to go alongside it, we have a whole pile of them.
how to make the nuts about Jesus acorn
Here’s how it comes together. It’s a simple one, and the pieces line up just the way you’d expect.
1. color the pieces
First, if you printed the black-and-white set, let the little ones color the acorn cap, the body, the leaves, and the tag however they like.
Warm browns for the acorn and bright reds, oranges, and yellows for the leaves make it feel like fall.
2. cut everything out
Then cut out all the pieces, the cap with its stem, the acorn body, the eyes and cheeks and smile, the leaves, and the little round tag.
Younger children can manage the big shapes while you take the small bits.
3. put the acorn together
Next, glue the nuts about Jesus cap onto the top of the acorn body, lining up the scalloped edge so the body peeks out below.
That’s your acorn, and already it’s looking friendly.
4. give it a happy face
Once the cap is set, add the two eyes, the pink cheeks, and the smile to the front of the acorn body.
This is the part the little ones love, since a happy face brings the whole thing to life.
5. fan the leaves out behind
From there, glue the maple leaves so they fan out behind the acorn, poking out on both sides and up top.
Space them out for a full, leafy look, and don’t worry about making it even. A little crooked is part of the charm.
6. add the loved by Jesus tag
Finally, tie or glue the loved by Jesus tag to the side of the acorn.
It’s a small piece, but it says the most, and it pairs beautifully with any of our simple bible verse crafts if you’d like to keep the lesson going.
simple ways to use this craft
This little acorn fits into more than one corner of your fall. Here are a few of the easiest ways to use it.
- in Sunday school or a co-op group, as the craft that goes with a lesson on God’s love
- at the kitchen table, as a cozy afternoon project when the weather turns cool
- at home or in a homeschool lesson, as a gentle way to talk about being loved by Jesus
- as a keepsake to hang up or give to a grandparent, tag and all
It sits nicely next to a cross crafts for kids project or a few cozy harvest crafts for kids when you’re filling a whole morning.
a gentle thought before you go
A paper acorn won’t teach a child they’re loved all on its own. But it gives them something to hold while you tell them the truth of it, that Jesus loves them with a love that started before they did and never runs out.
That’s a truth worth planting early. And a cheerful little acorn with their own coloring on it is a sweet way to help it stick.
If you make one with your little ones this fall, I’d love to hear how it went. Leave a comment below and tell me. It always makes my day to hear about your crafting.
With love,
Betty
Get the FREE Nuts About Jesus Acorn Craft
Don’t let your kids just hear that Jesus loves them—help them build a little acorn that says it out loud.
With this free acorn craft, kids color and cut the cap, the smiling nut, a handful of fall leaves, and a “Loved by Jesus” tag, then glue it all into a cheerful acorn that reads “Nuts about Jesus!”
frequently asked questions
what age is this craft best for?
It works well for ages three and up. The littlest ones can color and glue while you do the cutting, and older children can handle the whole thing on their own.
should I use cardstock or regular paper?
Either works. Regular printer paper is fine for a quick craft, but cardstock holds up better if you want the acorn to last as a keepsake, especially with the little tag hanging off the side.
what’s the main lesson behind this craft?
That we love Jesus, and that Jesus loves us first and always. The cap says nuts about Jesus and the tag says loved by Jesus, which makes it easy to talk about God’s everlasting love while little hands are busy.
do I need twine for the tag?
Not at all. A little bow of twine is a sweet touch, but you can just glue the tag right onto the side of the acorn and it looks lovely.
can I use this with a whole class or co-op group?
Yes, and it’s a nice one for a group. Print a set for each child, and let them share their finished acorns at the end. It makes for a sweet, encouraging moment together.
