As the summer months come to an end and the mornings and nights begin to get cooler it is only normal to begin thinking about Autumn – and of course the leaves it will bring for you to rake off of your lawn. Below are a couple of ideas (other than composting) to deal with Fall leaves creatively:
Leaf Rubbing
If you have children, it is always great to get them involved and encourage creativity and family time. Leaf rubbing is a fun and easy exercise that the whole family can partake in. It is simple to do and kids of all ages can enjoy it.
Click here for directions on how to make Leaf Rubbings.
This activity is great for family time. It can also be used as an opportunity to explain to your children why the leaves turn colour in the Fall.
Tip:
Frame the pictures afterward for instant Fall decor! If you want to do this and keep to the fall colour scheme, take out only the crayons/pencil crayons that fit those colours for the kids to use (red, orange, brown, etc).
Thanksgiving/Autumn Centrepiece
Rather than buying a centrepiece for your holiday meals and dinner parties, collect the fall leaves and make your own. There are a vast variety of creative things that you could do with this, getting as elaborate as making a turkey.
Click here for some simple examples of a Thanksgiving/Autumn centrepiece.
This activity can take anywhere from a few minutes to hours, depending on how creative you would like to get. Some use the leaves as simple flourishes and others go crazy with the hot glue gun. Either way, the Fall centrepiece is a beautiful way to bring Fall decor into the house and use the fallen leaves creatively.
Scarecrow
Scarecrows are not only useful for keeping the crows away from your harvest, but for giving the yard a truly Fall look. This is another activity that the kids would enjoy taking part in.
Click here for some directions on how to make a scarecrow (replace “Fiberfill, newspapers, rags, or straw for stuffing” with leaves – they work just as well)
Try having the kids go through Dad’s old clothes to dress the scarecrow (or a thrift store) to pick out the cloths and think of a name to help them get involved.