As cooler weather hits we begin to do more activities indoors, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t bring the outdoors with us for our in-home activities! Here are a few things you can do while you spend those shorter autumn days inside using things you might have lying around your house—and we mean *around* your house. All you have to do to make these quick and easy fall crafts is to round up a bunch of those fallen leaves you can find in your lawn and around your neighborhood. These crafts can be made without any special tools or skills so they are fun for the whole family!
Leaf Lanterns
For this project you will need any glass bowl, jar or votive holder you have on hand (a pasta sauce jar will work well here), some matte finish glue and some flattened, dried leaves you’ve found outside. The first thing you will need to do is wash your glass jar or bowl throughly and wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to make sure there is no trace of oil or grease which will make it difficult for the leaves to stick. Making sure that the leaves lie as flat as possible, use a small sponge brush to add a thin layer of glue to the outside of the glass or jar. When the glue begins to dry and becomes just a bit sticky, carefully press a leaf onto the glue. Once all the edges are stuck to the glass or jar, you can begin the process again with as many leaves as you want until the glass or jar is covered in leaves. When all the leaves are dry, you can carefully place a votive candle or other small candle and voila! A beautiful leaf lantern to usher in the fall.
Leaf Punchouts
This is a super simple project for a blustery fall day. If you have any paper punchers in any shape, you can just punch out shapes from your dried leaves and paste them on any project you have in mind. Bookmarks, collages, wall art—your imagination is the limit!
Leaf Autumn Banner
For this project you will need cardstock, acrylic or tempera paint in assorted colors, a foam paintbrush, a rolling pin, a hole punch, twine and, of course, fall leaves. For this project, you will want to find softer, more flexible leaves. Since you will be using the leaves as a kind of “natural” stamp, you don’t need to find dried leaves or even ones that have turned color for fall. This project involves either using a foam paint brush to dab paint onto your leaf or dipping your leaf directly into paint you’ve poured into a paint tray. Here, you can choose to paint it all one color or to mix colors to make a more marbled effect. Sandwich your leaf covered lightly in paint in between two sheets of cardstock and gently (but firmly) roll over your project with a rolling pin. Carefully remove the top piece of cardstock and peel the leaf off the stock to reveal your new beautiful print. To create a festive fall leaf banner, punch a hole in the top corners of your prints and string them together with your twine. Hang on a banister, mantle piece or anywhere else you want to show off your beautiful leaf creation.
If you’re finding more than just enough leaves in your yard to make afternoon crafts with and you’re worried about cleaning it all up, especially from your roof and gutters, call Ned Stevens today to schedule an appointment with a gutter cleaning specialist!
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