As summer fades and the colors of autumn begin to bloom, it means the falling of leaves and the crisp breezes will return. This season we looked around for some fun things to do with all of the beautiful fall leaves!
For those wanting to craft with fresh and colorful fall leaves, preserving them is a good place to start. There are a few methods to achieve this:
- Leaf pressing in a book or flower press
- Coating leaves in Mod Podge, glycerin, or wax
- This method will keep the color a little bit longer than pressing.
Once you have preserved your leaves, there are a TON of things to do with them!
- Kids Crafts
- Bedazzle your leaves with some well placed homemade glitter glue along the veins, or stick on jewels!
- Make a fall sun catcher with a paper plate, sticky transparent contact paper in the middle, and then press your fall leaves onto it. Dress it up by coloring a design on to the outside part of your paper plate.
- Make a fun leaf family with some googly eyes markers, and construction paper arms, legs, or clothes!
- Home Decorations
- Use your leaves to create a fall wreath. Mix in a garland of artificial berries to add fullness and layers.
- Make a decorative leaf mobile with a thick branch, fishing wire (or burlap string for and added element) and preserved leaves.
- Decorate a large craft letter by using mounting spray to adhere your preserved leaves all around it. Makes for a beautifully rustic monogram decoration.
For those who are looking to use fall leaves in a more practical, beneficial sense, here are a couple of ideas:
- Composting
- This is a great way to clean up your yard, and benefit it later on! Mix in the dry brown leaves with your green garden waste for a good balance and easier decomposition.
- Insulation
- You can use fallen leaves to insulate tender plants or even for cold storage of vegetables. Circle them with wire fencing and stuff leaves all the way around. In the spring, rake them up and toss them in the compost.
- If you have a root cellar or storage basement, you can use dry leaves to layer your vegetable in, rather than saw dust or newspaper. They will easily last through winter.
Last month I was able to witness a really lovely incorporation of fall leaves as decor. I participated in a styled shoot, an event where all different types of creatives can come together and offer their skills and talents for mutual exposure and community connection. This shoot, in anticipation of the season, brought fall leaves and colors, literally to the table, in a subtle and tasteful way. (show photos after this section?)
I love all of the different things there are to do with leaves! From crafting with the little ones, investing in your garden and the earth, to fun decorations for your home, the list is endless. You can look up even more craft & decoration ideas on sites like Pinterest. So for this fall season, consider adding some of these beautiful autumnal details to your home or event, and even try your hand at cleaning up and helping out the environment.
*styled shoot photos by Danielle Debley – Danielle Marie Photography
*florals by Courtney Rees DiTrolio – Winsome Florals
*styling by Sherry Rees – Sherry Rees Petals
