Making fall crafts is a beautiful way to invite autumn into your home. Especially so when you live in an assisted care facility like Dellwood Gardens in St. Paul, Minnesota—where everything is taken care of for you so you can have more time to enjoy the things you love! Here are some fun crafts for you to decorate your space with, or maybe gift to your family this autumn.

Orange Yarn Pumpkin

You will need a skein of orange yarn, a 12-inch balloon, a bottle of glue, brown and green pipe cleaners, and a plastic fork.

1. Start by blowing up the balloon until it is about half full.
2. Cut 21 pieces of orange yarn, making each one about 1 yard long.
3. Tie one piece of yarn to the top of the balloon and hang the balloon up.
4. Pour the glue into a small bowl and dunk one piece of yarn into the glue.
5. Run the yarn through two tines on the fork to remove any excess glue.
6. Wrap the yarn around the balloon. Make sure to press the ends down well.
7. Repeat for all 21 pieces and wait until the glue dries.
8. Gently press down on the balloon and make a tiny hole to pop it.
9. Pull out the balloon.
10. Twist the brown pipe cleaner to make a stem and add it to the yarn.
11. Twist the green pipe cleaner to make some leaves and add to the stem.

Pumpkin Planter

Start with some quick-setting concrete mix and a store-bought jack-o-lantern bucket. Choose a bucket where you can easily see the indents for the eyes and mouth on the inside. You will also need a cup that easily fits inside the pumpkin and a utility knife.

1. Remove the handle from the bucket.
2. Mix up the concrete following the manufacturer’s directions.
3. Pour the concrete into the pumpkin. Stop 0.5 inches from the top.
4. Take your cup and insert it into the middle of the pumpkin.
5. Let it dry completely.
6. Use the utility knife to remove the plastic pumpkin.
7. Fill the cup with a pretty fall flower arrangement.

Paperback Book Pumpkin

You will need a book, a sharp pair of scissors, orange spray paint, glue, a stick for the stem and some pretty ribbon. You will also need a piece of paper and a pen to make your template.

1. Draw a symmetrical pumpkin on the paper and cut it out. The pattern should be a little smaller than the book.
2. Take the pattern and trace it onto every fifth or sixth page of the book.
3. Cut through all the pages of the book.
4. Glue the front and back covers together. Allow it to dry.
5. Spray paint the book orange. Be sure not to use too much paint, or it will break down the pages. You can leave the inner pages white if you desire.
6. Force the stem into the middle of the book. If needed, you can use glue to keep it there.
7. Tie the ribbon to the stem.

At Dellwood Gardens, we love providing for all our residents’ needs, from daily activities to fun hobbies! To learn more, contact our Marketing Director, Lindsay Schmidt, at lschmidt@dellwoodgardens.com, or call 651.444.5716.