Sometimes you just want an easy fall activity.
Nothing that needs a trip to the craft store. Nothing that takes half the afternoon to set up. Just something you can print, put on the table, and enjoy.
That’s exactly what this autumn leaf colouring page is for.
It’s filled with fall leaves, little acorns, berries, branches and other small details to colour. Kids can keep it simple and focus on the bigger leaves, while older kids and adults can spend more time on the smaller parts.
Grab some crayons, coloured pencils or markers and make it your own.
Download the Free Autumn Leaf Colouring Page
The printable is one black-and-white page made for 8.5 × 11-inch paper in portrait format.
Download the Free PDF
You can print it on regular printer paper, so there’s no need to buy anything special before you start.
If you’re using A4 paper instead, that’s fine too. Just choose Fit when printing so the whole design stays on the page.
And print one copy first.
It’s much nicer to catch a printer setting problem on one sheet than after printing six of them.
Now for the Fun Part: Colouring It
There really aren’t any rules here.
You can go with the usual fall colours — orange, red, yellow, brown and green — or completely ignore them.
Make a leaf pink.
Colour the berries teal.
Give an acorn a purple hat.
It’s a colouring page. You’re allowed.
If choosing colours is usually the part that has you staring at the page for ten minutes, make it easier on yourself.
Pick five or six colours and start there.
A really pretty fall mix could be:
- Burnt orange
- Mustard yellow
- Rust
- Deep red
- Olive green
- Warm brown
For something softer, try peach, dusty pink, terracotta, muted green and tan.
Or go darker with burgundy, plum, mustard, olive and deep brown.
You don’t have to plan the whole page before you begin either.
Start with one leaf.
That usually makes the next one much easier.
Use Whatever You Already Have
Coloured pencils are nice for the little details because they give you more control.
Crayons are great when you want something easy, especially for younger kids.
Markers give you brighter colours, but put an extra sheet of paper underneath if they tend to bleed through.
And if all you have is a half-used box of crayons with three mystery colours left inside?
Use those.
This is supposed to be an easy autumn activity, not the beginning of a new art-supply collection.
Want the Leaves to Look a Little More Interesting?
Try using two or three colours on the same leaf.
One of the easiest combinations is:
yellow → orange → red
Start with yellow, add some orange around the edges or veins, then use a little red in a few spots.
It doesn’t have to blend perfectly.
In fact, autumn leaves in real life rarely look perfectly blended either.
That’s part of what makes them pretty.
Make It a Family Activity
This printable works nicely when everyone colours the same page.
Print a few personal-use copies, put the colouring supplies in the middle of the table, and see how differently everyone does theirs.
One person might make a traditional orange and red fall page.
Someone else might use blue, pink and purple.
A younger child might colour three leaves and announce that they’re finished.
All acceptable outcomes.
You could even put on a movie, make something warm to drink and turn it into a relaxed fall evening at home.
Nothing fancy.
Just something fun to do together.
What Can You Do With It After?
You don’t actually have to do anything with it.
You are allowed to colour a page simply because colouring was enjoyable.
But if yours turns out especially cute, there are a few easy ways to keep using it.
Slip it into a frame and add it to a bookshelf or entryway for a little homemade fall decor.
Cut out a few of the coloured leaves and turn them into gift tags or bookmarks.
Hang the page on the fridge.
Let the kids put theirs in their rooms.
Or take the page outside and see if you can find real leaves with similar colours.
Look for a bright yellow leaf, a deep red one, an acorn, a two-coloured leaf or one with a completely different shape.
It turns a normal autumn walk into a tiny scavenger hunt without needing to organize a whole activity.
A Few Quick Questions
Can I print this on normal printer paper?
Yes. Regular printer paper is perfectly fine, especially for crayons and coloured pencils.
Can I use markers?
Absolutely. Just put another sheet underneath if your markers bleed through paper.
Can I print it on A4?
Yes. Choose A4 and use the Fit setting when you print.
Is it just for kids?
Nope.
There are bigger areas that are easy for kids and smaller details that older kids and adults can enjoy too.
What if my child doesn’t want to colour all the tiny details?
Then skip them.
Colour the big leaves. Pick three favourite colours. Ignore the tiny berries.
There is no prize for finishing every little space.
Do I need special colouring supplies?
No.
Start with whatever you already have at home.
Can I print more than one?
The printable is marked for personal use, so make sure any copies you print stay within the licence included with the download.
Ready to Colour?
Print your page.
Grab a few colours.
Choose one leaf and start there.
Maybe it keeps the kids busy at the kitchen table for a while.
Maybe you colour it yourself with a cup of coffee after everyone settles down.
Maybe it ends up framed for fall.
Or maybe you colour it, enjoy it, and move on with your day.
It doesn’t need to become a whole project.
Sometimes a simple little autumn activity is enough.
Download the Free Autumn Leaf Colouring Page
How to Colour a Leaf With Three Colours
You can give a leaf more depth without learning a complicated technique.
Choose:
- One light colour
- One middle colour
- One darker colour
For a classic fall leaf, try:
yellow → orange → red
The Easy Yellow-Orange-Red Method
- Colour most of the leaf lightly with yellow.
- Add orange near some edges and alongside a few veins.
- Add smaller areas of red where you want the deepest colour.
- Go back over the transitions lightly to soften the change between shades.
Keep your pressure light during the early layers.
Sarah Renae Clark’s coloured pencil blending guide also teaches beginners to build colour with light pressure and overlapping layers before using harder pressure near the end.
Start Lighter Than You Think
A pale yellow area is easy to darken.
A dark burgundy patch is much less interested in becoming pale yellow again.
Build colour gradually.
Print the page.
Pick a few colours.
Start with one leaf.
Download the Free PDF
Your autumn leaf colouring page might become twenty quiet minutes, an afternoon around the family table, a bookmark, a small framed piece for fall, or simply one page you enjoyed colouring.
That is already a good use of one sheet of paper.