Pumpkin Art Project with Texture Leaf Crayon Rubbings -

A drawing of a pumpkin with a jack-o'-lantern face and leaf rubbings, next to two fall-themed children's books, "We're Going on a Leaf Hunt" and "Full of Fall.

If you’re looking for a fun and easy end-of-October art project, this is one I always love to do with my first graders. Begin by reading a book about leaves or pumpkins! Here are some of my favorites (Amazon Affiliate links used, thanks for supporting my blog.)

Five children's books about fall and leaves are arranged on a white background, featuring colorful autumn-themed covers with leaves and illustrations.

Three children's books about pumpkins are displayed side by side on a white background, perfect for inspiring a Pumpkin Art Project or exploring creative techniques like Texture Leaf and Crayon Rubbings.

Pumpkin Art Project for Kids

Here are some of the finished examples! We start by drawing the pumpkin, then outlining in Sharpie and coloring in the pumpkin with crayons. Afterwards, we color the background in with leaf rubbings. We use two art class periods to finish these. (40 minutes each class period, but most kids finish early)

Four children's drawings of jack-o'-lanterns showcase various facial expressions, each set against a colorful, texture leaf background—a delightful pumpkin art project inspired by crayon rubbings.

Four colorful crayon drawings of pumpkins with different facial expressions, displayed against backgrounds decorated with leaf patterns using crayon rubbings. A delightful pumpkin art project that highlights playful texture leaf details.

Steps to Draw Your Pumpkin Art

Start by drawing your pumpkin with a pencil. Use Sharpie marker to outline the pumpkin and it’s details. Feel free to add a face to make it a jack-o-lantern.

A drawing of a pumpkin with a smiling face on white paper is surrounded by four orange crayons on a wooden surface—perfect for a Pumpkin Art Project using crayon rubbings for added creative texture.

Use crayons to color in your pumpkin. I like to introduce them to the idea of not just using one color to color an object in, but to experiment with using different shades of orange or closely related colors to makes the colors richer and more interesting.

Two images: on the left, a jack-o'-lantern drawing with crayons, leaves, and visible texture leaf details; on the right, a hand colors the pumpkin with an orange crayon, showcasing a fun pumpkin art project.

When it is colored, then place leaves under your picture. Hold a peeled crayon on its side and rub on top of the paper. The texture of the leaf will show through as a crayon rubbing!