Nature postcards & bracelets: easy kids’ nature craft

Nature postcards and nature bracelets are simple outdoor crafts for children made using card, double-sided sticky tape, and fallen natural treasures collected on a walk.

There’s something magical about turning a walk into a creative mission. With just a strip of card and some double-sided sticky tape in your pocket, children can transform the fallen leaves, petals, feathers, and seeds they discover into a beautiful piece of wearable or displayable nature art. These two simple nature crafts – nature postcards and nature bracelets – are perfect for children aged 3 and up, sparking curiosity outdoors and giving little hands something purposeful to do while you explore together.

Nature postcards & nature bracelets: at a glance

Fun outdoor activities for children: how to make nature postcards and bracelets

Nature postcards and nature bracelets are a brilliant way to turn any outdoor adventure into a hands-on creative activity. Children can sharpen their nature-spotting skills while collecting and arranging tiny treasures from the world around them. As an added bonus, they get to bring their one-of-a-kind nature artwork home.

Whether you’re strolling through a local park, exploring woodland, pottering in the garden, or beachcombing by the sea, all you need is a little nature within reach to get started.

You will need

This activity is suitable for children aged 3 and up. Younger children will enjoy collecting treasures and pressing them onto the card with a little help; older children can take the lead from start to finish.

You’ll find everything you need at home – no specialist craft supplies required.

• A piece of card – a small rectangle for a postcard, or a long thin strip for a bracelet
• Double-sided sticky tape
• Scissors
• Fallen nature treasures

How to make a nature postcard & nature bracelet

Always respect nature

Always collect responsibly: only pick up things that have already fallen naturally to the ground, such as leaves, feathers, petals, and seeds. Never pull anything from a living plant or tree, and be mindful of leaving the natural environment as you found it.

For more guidance on enjoying nature responsibly with children, the Wildlife Trusts have some brilliant resources for families.

Ways to take this activity further

• Give your postcard or bracelet a theme to focus your search. You might hunt for everything in a single colour – all the yellows and oranges of autumn, for example – collect only one type of treasure such as leaves, or challenge yourselves to find things that sum up a phrase like ‘signs of autumn’ – think conkers, red leaves, seedpods, and cobwebs.
• Once you’re home, think about what to do with your creation. A postcard can be pinned to a noticeboard, framed and hung on the wall, or popped through a friend’s letterbox with a handwritten note on the back. A bracelet makes a surprisingly good bookmark, too, just snip it open and slide it between your pages.
• Use your postcard or bracelet as a storytelling prompt. Can you describe each piece you collected to someone who wasn’t there, such as a sibling, a grandparent, or a friend Where did you find it? What does it remind you of? What else was around you at the time?
• These activities work beautifully whatever the season. In spring you might collect blossom petals and fresh green leaves; summer could bring feathers, dried grasses, and wildflower heads; autumn offers conkers, acorns, and richly coloured leaves; and even winter has its treasures in bare twigs, dried seedheads, and frost-touched bark.
• Before you head out, it’s worth watching this short video from Wildlife Watch on how to spot spring flowers. It might give you some ideas for what to look out for:

Frequently asked questions

Nature postcards and nature bracelets are one of those rare activities that feel like pure play but quietly do so much more, encouraging children to slow down, look closely, and really notice the world around them.

We’d love to see what you and your children make! Share your nature postcards and bracelets over on our Nature crafts and play Facebook page, or tag us on Instagram – we always enjoy seeing your adventures in nature.

More nature activities for kids

For more easy nature crafts for 3 year olds and up, take a look at these fun activities:

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