The most defining feature of autumn is the abundance of colorful leaves that fall to the ground. These leaves can be used to create all sorts of things, including art, decorations, and other crafts. If you are looking for something fun to do during the fall season, try one of these foliage-based art projects.
Leaf Wind Chime
If you want to start on a simple project, you can try making a wind chime with colorful fall leaves. The wind tends to pick up a lot during the fall, so a wind chime is a great decoration to have on your front porch.
To make this, you need to collect leaves that still have their stems and press them down. To do this, place the leaves between two pieces of waxed paper, then place them inside a heavy book that you do not plan on using in the future. After the leaves completely flatten, grab an 18-inch hoop and tie eight pieces of waxed string to it in even intervals. Next, tie a pinecone to each piece of string to weigh each one down, since this will make attaching the leaves easier. Finally, knot the string around the stem of each leaf, and use a hook to set the wind chime into place.
Create a Candle Holder
Another fun thing you can make with fall foliage is a candle holder. All you need to make this are some leaves (real or fake), a foam brush, some Mod Podge, and a small decorative jar. Use the foam brush to coat the leaves with the Mod Podge, and stick them around the jar. Let the jar dry for a couple of days, and your candle holder should be good to go.
If you like decorating your house with candles, this is a great project to try during the fall.
Leaf Wall Art
During the fall, many people like to frame pressed leaves so they can hang them on the wall as decorations. When you go outside to gather leaves, try to look for healthy ones that have not been eaten by insects. After you gather the leaves, you can press them down by placing them inside an old book and weighing it down. Following this, you need set them off to the side so they can dry.
Next, find frames that tightly fit the leaves so they don’t slide around. If you want your leaves to be extra secure, you can use paper or foam to cut out a backing for the picture frame to hold the leaves in place. Framing these colorful leaves is a great way to decorate your home for the fall.
Leaf Garland
One final decoration you can make for your house with fall foliage is a garland for your fireplace or for outside. To make this, you need a stick, floral tape, floral wire, scissors, wire cutters, and some leaves and branches from outside. Try to find branches that still have small leaves attached to them because these will be needed to construct the garland.
Connect all the leafy branches you have to create a base, and keep adding more until you get a good length for your garland. The stick will be used as the centerpiece, and you can attach the regular leaves to it using the tape. If some of the tape is still showing, use other items, like pine cones, to cover it up. After this, use the floral wire to attach the centerpiece to the garland you created. Once all of the pieces are attached, you can place hooks around to hang the garland in a good location.
If you are planning to decorate for Thanksgiving, this is a great project to work on.
Need a place to store your leaf art and any other projects you have? You can use this art rack from Safco!
Inspiration from:
hgtv.com (garland)
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