Rather than simply raking up all of your fall leaves and dumping them in the trash, or laying them on the curb where they can be turned into mulch by the people running your city, save them for decorative purposes. Fall leaves can be pressed and saved, and then turned into useful art. With a little creativity and some simple craft supplies, the leaves from a tree in your yard can be repurposed.
SEE ALSO:
- 15-Minute Fall Leaf Wreath
- Five Fall Pumpkin Crafts
- Leaf Embellished Candles for Fall
All that you need to create one of these leaf creatures is some paint (acrylics work well), a paint brush, some fall leaves, paper, and a little creativity. Once you’ve glued the leaf to a piece of cardstock or paper, go crazy with the paints in order to make some fun little creatures for your scrapbook or holiday decor. Imagine them as placeholders for informal Thanksgiving get togethers.
These leaves tell a story, simply by the way that they’re arranged. You can make leaf creatures or whole dioramas, depending on the type of story that you want to tell. The supplies for this project are simple: glue, paint or permanent markers, and cardstock or paper.
Using leaves as a stamp can bring about some interesting results, especially if you use multiple paint colors. Start with acrylic paints, since they are water soluble, and place several colors in a row in a shallow aluminum container or pie plate (just to make clean up that much easier.) Dip the leaf in the paint and then quickly press it onto a piece of cardstock. Voila! Once the paint dries, you’ll have a cool greeting card, or just about anything else. The sky’s the limit.
Although this is a bit messy, dipping leaves in wax preserves them well. It also provides another dimension to their colors, especially if you use clear or lightly tinted wax. Once they’ve dried, these wax leaves become a great addition to centerpieces, and can even be attached to seasonal wreaths for your front and side doors.
Cutting out parts of leaves with a paper cutter leaves you with colorful bits that can be added to a scrapbook, or glued onto a wreath in order to create an autumnal masterpiece. Once you’ve sprayed the leaves with a little fixative, they should stay in good shape for many years to come.
These leaf crafts can be done alone, or with a child. Yes, think of the fun that you kid(s) will have helping you reuse leafs in a creative manner. You’ll not only come up with some interesting masterpieces, but you’ll also create some lasting memories as well.