Q: “My kids love to collect things. With Autumn right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to make something with a Fall theme to hold their treasures. Any suggestions?”

A: Collecting is definitely a favorite past time for children. There are so many things to collect and they come in all shapes and sizes. Here are several ideas for housing all those fun things that your children have found.

Egg Cartons

Plastic or cardboard egg cartons are perfect for holding small items, such as rocks, pebbles, small shells, or coins. Your child can decorate his holder with simple poster paint.

Shoe Boxes

Another wonderful container is the shoe box. While their collection will not be visible through the box, it’s a perfect place to keep their treasures hidden! We’ve put together this fun Fall Treasure Box that your kids can make with construction paper, glue and a paint brush. Kids can slide this box under their bed, store on a shelf, or on top of their dresser.

 Three Ring Binder

For delicate items such as pressed flowers or leaves, children can glue their items to card stock or construction paper, then make holes with a three hole punch and keep in a three ring binder. Alternatively, plastic zipper gallon storage bags will protect the treasure and can also be punched and inserted. Binders also work great for trading card collections. You can purchase trading card pocket holders at discount department stores and they are already punched for you.

Glass Jars

Jars are a wonderful way to display your child’s collection, keeping their age and maturity in mind. Glass jars can break, so be sure to store them in a safe and out of reach place, or alternatively, use plastic jars. These are perfect for displaying large collections of rocks and shells.

If your child’s items are too big, perhaps they have a Frisbee collection, consider setting up a shelf or nook dedicated for just those items. They’ll be proud to display them and will want to show all their friends!

Get more great Fall craft ideas!

Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in sunny Nevada with a houseful of kids, dogs and cats. They enjoy traveling in the RV, swimming, and riding their four wheelers.