There is something about decorating for Mabon that feels different from decorating for other holidays. You don’t need a purchase a box of decorations from the store. Autumn gives you plenty to work with… fallen leaves, acorns, pinecones, dried flowers, wheat, apples, gourds, branches, and all those little treasures that seem to appear everywhere once September arrives.
Mabon is a celebration of the autumn harvest and the balance between light and darkness. It’s also an excellent time of the year to pause and think about what you’ve gathered, accomplished, and learned throughout the current year so far.
Making your own decorations can bring those ideas into your home.
A wreath made with dried flowers and wheat can represent the harvest. A gratitude jar gives you somewhere to record the things you’re thankful for. Even a bowl of pinecones, acorns, and fallen leaves can become a Mabon altar decoration.
Don’t feel that you need to be crafty, or creative… Most of the projects below are inexpensive, forgiving, and easy to adapt to whatever materials you happen to have available.
So grab your scissors, some twine, and whatever you’ve collected from the autumn landscape, and let’s get crafting!
Planning Your Mabon Celebration?
If you’re getting ready to celebrate Mabon, our Mabon 2026 guide has everything you need to plan your celebration, including the date of Mabon, traditions, correspondences, rituals, and ideas for honoring the autumn equinox.
→ Explore our complete Mabon 2026 guide
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What Makes a Craft a Mabon Craft?
Mabon crafts tend to borrow from the colors, textures, and abundance of the autumn harvest.
Think along the lines of:
- Fallen leaves
- Acorns
- Pinecones
- Apples
- Gourds
- Corn
- Wheat and other grains
- Dried flowers
- Berries
- Twigs and branches
- Dried grasses
- Cinnamon
- Natural fibers
For color, the usual autumn palette works beautifully: rust, orange, burgundy, brown, cream, forest green, and deep purple.
There isn’t a specific list of crafts that you are absolutely required to make for Mabon… If an autumn decoration helps you connect with the season, the harvest, or your own practice, it can have a place in your celebration.
1. Make a Mabon Wreath
A grapevine wreath is a great starting point for a Mabon decoration because the natural branches already have an autumn feel. From there, you can keep it rustic and simple or pile on the dried flowers, wheat, leaves, and other harvest materials.
Supplies
- Grapevine wreath
- Dried flowers
- Wheat or dried grasses
- Autumn leaves
- Pinecones
- Acorns
- Dried berries
- Floral wire
- Natural twine
- Ribbon, if desired
- Scissors
How to make a Mabon wreath
Start by laying your materials around the wreath before attaching anything. This lets you play with the arrangement without having to undo your work later.
Place the larger pieces first, such as wheat bundles or dried flowers. Secure them with floral wire, then fill in the gaps with leaves, pinecones, acorns, berries, or smaller flowers.
A little twine or ribbon around the finished wreath is all you need to finish it off.
Hang your wreath on the front door, over a fireplace, or above your altar.
The circular shape also works nicely with the idea of seasonal cycles and the turning of the Wheel of the Year.
If you want to give the wreath a magical purpose, choose your materials with an intention in mind. You might make one centered around abundance and harvest, or another focused on protection as you move into the darker part of the year.
2. Create a Mabon Gratitude Jar
A gratitude jar is probably one of the simplest Mabon crafts on this list, but it can become something you’ll actually use long after the decorating is finished.
Supplies
- Glass jar
- Small pieces of paper
- Pen
- Twine or ribbon
- Dried flowers or leaves
- Optional charms or seasonal decorations
Decorate the jar however you like. A simple piece of twine and a few dried flowers can be enough.
Throughout the autumn season, write down things you’re grateful for and drop them into the jar.
They don’t have to be profound. Maybe your garden produced more than you expected. Maybe someone helped you when you needed it. Maybe you finally finished a project that had been hanging over your head for months.
At Mabon, sit down with your jar and read through some of the notes.
You could also make this part of a larger Mabon gratitude ritual.
3. Make an Autumn God’s Eye
A God’s Eye made with sticks and yarn is an inexpensive craft that works particularly well with an autumn color palette.
Choose rust, orange, burgundy, brown, cream, green, or purple yarn—or use whatever colors you already have in your craft supplies.
Supplies
- Two straight sticks
- Autumn-colored yarn
- Scissors
- Natural twine
- Optional dried grasses or small natural decorations
Cross the two sticks and secure them together in the center.
Wrap the yarn around the sticks, working outward and alternating colors as you go. You can keep the pattern simple or experiment with different color combinations and thicknesses.
Hang your finished piece above your altar or somewhere else in your home.
God’s Eyes have different interpretations and traditions associated with them, so you don’t need to assign yours a particular meaning. If you want to incorporate it into your Mabon practice, you could make yours while focusing on balance, protection, gratitude, or clarity.
4. Create an Autumn Harvest Garland
An autumn garland can be as elaborate or as simple as you want.
For a natural-looking version, gather some dried leaves, pinecones, acorns, dried flowers, wheat, and other seasonal materials. Dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks are also nice additions.
Try combining:
- Dried leaves
- Pinecones
- Acorns
- Dried orange slices
- Cinnamon sticks
- Wheat
- Dried flowers
- Berries
- Twine
Tie the pieces onto a length of twine, leaving a little space between them.
Hang the finished garland over a fireplace, across a shelf, around a doorway, or behind your altar.
If you want to bring it out every autumn, use artificial leaves and berries instead!
5. Make a Mabon Harvest Basket
A basket of autumn produce is almost ridiculously easy to put together, and that’s part of its charm.
Find a natural basket and fill it with whatever looks good at the time. Apples, miniature pumpkins, gourds, corn, wheat, pinecones, acorns, and dried flowers all work.
Don’t feel that you need to buy everything specifically for the basket. If you have apples from the garden or a few interesting gourds from the farmers’ market, start there and build around them.
For a Mabon altar, use a smaller basket and choose smaller items so they don’t overwhelm the rest of your altar.
6. Make a DIY Besom or Witch’s Broom
If you’ve ever wanted a little witch’s broom for your altar, Mabon is a great excuse to make one.
A small besom only requires a branch, some dried grasses or straw, and a bit of twine.
Supplies
- Straight branch
- Dried grasses or straw
- Natural twine
- Scissors
- Ribbon or other decorations, if desired
Gather the dried grasses into a bundle and place them around the bottom of your branch.
Wrap the twine tightly around the bundle until everything is secure. Trim the ends if you want a neat, even shape.
Add ribbon, dried flowers, or other autumn decorations if you like.
Display your besom beside your altar, hang it on a wall, or place it near your front door.
Brooms are often associated with sweeping away unwanted energy, so you can also give your finished besom a simple personal intention around clearing, protection, or making room for something new.
7. Make a Fallen Leaf Garland
Autumn leaves make wonderful decorations, and they’re free if you have access to trees that are dropping them.
Collect a selection of leaves in different shapes and colors and allow them to dry completely.
Once they’re dry, attach them to twine using small clips, craft wire, or another method that works for you.
For a sturdier garland, press the leaves before attaching them.
A leaf garland looks great:
- Above an altar
- Around a doorway
- Along a fireplace
- Across a window
- Along a bookshelf
Don’t have colorful leaves where you live? Faux leaves work just fine and can be packed away for next year.
8. Create Pressed Leaf Art
If you’ve found a particularly beautiful autumn leaf, don’t let it disappear into the yard.
Press it and turn it into a little piece of seasonal artwork.
Place the leaf between sheets of paper and tuck it inside a heavy book. Leave it until the leaf is completely flat and dry.
Once pressed, you can frame it, use it in your Book of Shadows, turn it into a bookmark, or make a small autumn collage.
Several different leaves arranged in simple frames can also make inexpensive seasonal wall art.
9. Decorate With Pinecones
Pinecones don’t need much help to look like autumn decorations.
Fill a bowl with them. Add them to your Mabon wreath. Scatter a few around your altar. String them into a garland with twine.
You can paint them if you want something more colorful, but there’s something particularly nice about leaving them natural.
Try combining pinecones with acorns, dried leaves, and small gourds for an easy harvest display.
10. Make a Wheat or Corn Bundle
Dried wheat and other grains make a simple Mabon decoration that can work almost anywhere.
Gather a small bundle and tie it with twine or ribbon.
Put it in a vase, lay it across your altar, use it as part of a centerpiece, or tuck it into a harvest basket.
You can also combine wheat with dried grasses and flowers for a fuller arrangement.
Since grains are such a recognizable part of the harvest, they make an especially fitting addition to a Mabon display.
11. Make a Dried Orange and Cinnamon Garland
Dried oranges and cinnamon sticks bring together two things that practically scream autumn: warm color and a wonderful smell.
Supplies
- Oranges
- Cinnamon sticks
- Twine
- Scissors
- Optional dried flowers or autumn leaves
Slice the oranges thinly and dry them completely in a low oven or food dehydrator.
Once they’re dry, thread the orange slices and cinnamon sticks onto twine.
Add dried flowers, leaves, or small pinecones if you’d like.
Hang the garland in your kitchen, dining room, entryway, or altar space.
12. Create a Nature-Based Mabon Altar
You don’t have to buy a whole new collection of decorations every time the Wheel of the Year turns.
Take a walk outside and see what autumn has already provided.
Fallen leaves, acorns, pinecones, small branches, dried flowers, herbs, apples, gourds, and stones can all become part of a seasonal altar.
Add your usual candles, crystals, tarot or oracle cards, and other altar tools around them.
If you’re using food or plants as offerings, choose things that are appropriate for your own practice and remember to remove anything that will spoil.
Looking for more altar inspiration? See our guide to Mabon altar ideas and decorations.
13. Create an Autumn Candle Holder
A plain glass jar can easily become a seasonal candle holder.
Wrap the outside with twine or decorate it with nonflammable materials, then place a candle inside.
You can also arrange candle holders alongside pumpkins, pinecones, acorns, and other autumn decorations to create a simple Mabon centerpiece.
Just be careful with dried botanicals.
Leaves, wheat, flowers, grasses, paper, and other dried materials are highly flammable. Keep them well away from an open flame. If you’re creating a display with lots of dried natural materials, flameless LED candles are a much safer option.
14. Make an Acorn or Pinecone Charm
For a tiny craft with almost no supplies required, make a little acorn or pinecone charm.
Tie one with natural twine and add a small ribbon, bead, dried flower, or charm if you want to dress it up.
You can hang several from a branch, add them to a garland, or place one on your altar.
You can also give the object your own meaning. Perhaps the acorn represents growth or potential, while the pinecone represents protection or resilience.
There’s plenty of room for personal symbolism in seasonal crafting.
15. Create a Mabon Nature Bowl
When in doubt, put autumn in a bowl.
Seriously.
Find a bowl you like and fill it with whatever seasonal treasures you have on hand.
Try some of these:
- Apples
- Acorns
- Pinecones
- Fallen leaves
- Wheat
- Mini pumpkins
- Gourds
- Dried flowers
- Seasonal herbs
- Crystals
Arrange the pieces so you have a mix of colors, textures, and shapes.
A nature bowl works on a dining table or coffee table, but it also makes an easy Mabon altar decoration.
And because you can replace things as the season changes, it doesn’t have to stay exactly the same for the entire autumn.
Mabon Craft Supplies to Keep on Hand
You really don’t need a dedicated craft room to make most of these projects.
A small collection of basic supplies will cover a surprising number of seasonal crafts:
- Natural twine
- Floral wire
- Craft scissors
- Grapevine wreaths
- Dried flowers
- Wheat or dried grasses
- Seasonal ribbon
- Glass jars
- Natural baskets
- Yarn
- Wooden sticks
- Craft glue
- Small bowls
- Flameless candles
Keep the supplies together and you’ll be ready when inspiration strikes.
Natural materials are worth saving, too. Pinecones, interesting branches, dried flowers, and seed pods can be stored and brought out again for future seasonal projects.
Natural Materials to Collect for Mabon Crafts
Autumn is practically a craft supply store if you know where to look.
Depending on where you live, keep an eye out for naturally fallen:
- Leaves
- Acorns
- Pinecones
- Small branches
- Seed pods
- Dried grasses
- Bark
- Stones
Collect responsibly and only where you’re permitted to do so. Don’t strip living plants or disturb wildlife habitats, and avoid collecting anything from protected areas.
Make sure anything you’re saving for crafts is completely dry before putting it into storage.
Mabon Craft Ideas for Your Altar
Several of these projects work particularly well on a Mabon altar.
| Craft | Where to use it |
|---|---|
| Mabon wreath | Wall or altar backdrop |
| Gratitude jar | Altar |
| God’s Eye | Wall or altar |
| Harvest basket | Table or altar |
| Besom | Beside the altar or doorway |
| Nature bowl | Altar or centerpiece |
| Wheat bundle | Altar or table |
| Leaf garland | Wall or altar |
| Dried orange garland | Kitchen or altar |
| Pressed leaves | Wall or Book of Shadows |
You can combine a few of these without making your altar feel crowded.
Try a nature bowl in the center, a small wheat bundle on one side, your gratitude jar on the other, and a leaf garland or God’s Eye behind everything.
Adding Intention to Your Mabon Crafts
If you’re making these decorations as part of your witchcraft practice, you can work your intentions into the crafting process itself.
There’s no complicated ritual required.
Before you start, decide what you want the finished piece to represent.
Gratitude: Make a gratitude jar and add to it throughout the season.
Abundance: Create a harvest basket filled with fruit, grains, herbs, or other symbols of plenty.
Balance: Use paired objects or symmetrical arrangements in your altar decorations.
Protection: Add a personal protective symbol, herb, or charm to a wreath or besom.
Release: Write something you’re ready to leave behind on a fallen leaf and incorporate the act of letting go into your seasonal practice.
You can also simply craft for the pleasure of it. Not everything on your altar needs to have a complicated magical purpose.
Sometimes a pinecone is just a pinecone… and that’s perfectly fine.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mabon Crafts
What crafts can you do for Mabon?
Mabon crafts can include autumn wreaths, gratitude jars, harvest baskets, besoms, leaf garlands, God’s Eyes, dried orange garlands, wheat bundles, nature bowls, and handmade altar decorations.
What decorations are used for Mabon?
Common Mabon decorations include autumn leaves, apples, pumpkins, gourds, wheat, corn, acorns, pinecones, dried flowers, herbs, candles, crystals, baskets, and seasonal wreaths.
How do you make a Mabon wreath?
Start with a grapevine wreath and attach dried flowers, wheat, leaves, pinecones, acorns, berries, and other autumn materials using floral wire. Finish it with twine or ribbon if desired.
What colors are associated with Mabon?
Mabon decorations commonly use autumn colors such as orange, rust, red, brown, green, burgundy, cream, and deep purple.
What can I put on a Mabon altar?
Try seasonal fruits, grains, herbs, flowers, leaves, acorns, pinecones, gourds, candles, crystals, tarot or oracle cards, and handmade decorations.
How do you make a Mabon broom?
Make a simple decorative besom by attaching dried grasses or straw to a straight branch with natural twine. You can leave it rustic or decorate the handle with ribbon, dried flowers, or other seasonal materials.
Celebrate Mabon With Your Own Handmade Decorations
You don’t need a house full of seasonal decorations to make your home feel like autumn.
A few fallen leaves in a bowl, a bundle of wheat tied with twine, a handmade wreath on the door, or a little gratitude jar on your altar can be enough.
The best part is that many of these projects can be made from things you already have—or things you can find outside.
So put on some music, make yourself something warm to drink, gather up your autumn treasures, and spend an afternoon making something with your hands.
And when you’re finished, take a moment to look around at what you’ve created.
That’s part of the magic of Mabon, too: noticing what you’ve gathered and taking the time to appreciate it.
More Mabon Celebration Ideas
Ready to work on your seasonal altar next? Explore our guide to Mabon altar ideas, or continue your Mabon preparations with our guides to Mabon rituals and Mabon recipes.
Planning your entire Mabon celebration? Our Mabon 2026 guide brings together the date, traditions, correspondences, rituals, and other ways to celebrate the autumn equinox.
🍂Continue your Autumn Spiritual Journey
- Mabon 2026: Meaning, Rituals & Ways to Celebrate
- How to Make a Mabon Altar: Ideas, Decorations & Correspondences
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