Fall’s Last Fling

The breathtaking autumn foliage that continues to fall all around us this season should not go to waste! Why not make the most of the fallen leaves with some family art projects? We’ve gathered some seasonally-inspired ideas–some remembered from childhood, others gathered from the web and art experts–to get you started.

Stained Glass Leaves. Pick out your prettiest leaves and get out your ironing board; you can hang onto fall (in your window!) by turning your leaf collection into “stained glass.” Just take two equal-sized sheets of wax paper and arrange your leaves between them, then cover with an old cloth and iron until the wax melts. Hang your creation in a window and your colorful leaves will shine long after they’ve left the trees.

A Leaf Collage By ArtMuse//ArtXplorers. Collect a nice variety of beautiful leaves with your children. They should be in good condition and clean. Take a large heavy book or  catalogue and insert various leaves in between the pages. Place another book on top and let the leaves dry between the pages for at least a week. Take out the dry, flat leaves and use  them to create a collage on a large piece of paper. Kids can draw in between the leaves, paint the leaves, add feathers or stickers or even laminate the page when they are done to preserve the page and the leaves. This picture can be used to decorate a book or a perhaps a holiday  card. Parents can reduce it on the copy machine and use it as a greeting card.

Leaves As Stamps. Put down some newspapers first, because this project is on the messy side. Leaves make great stamps if you coat them in a light layer of paint, so grab your favorite colors of paint and a big piece of paper, then channel your inner artist and stamp away! Try using cardboard or cloth for a neat textured effect. Decorate the house with your autumn designs or turn them into postcards to let loved ones know how thankful you are for them.

A Unique Idea From Hi Art! Fred Tomaselli is a contemporary artist who has combined real leaves with painted leaves for a beautiful and fun effect. You will need construction paper, ink-jet transparencies, glitter, paint, magna-tac and pressed leaves. Press your leaves between two pieces of printer paper and put them flat inside a big heavy book. In a few days, when the leaves are ready, glue them down into a gorgeous leaf design on a sheet of construction paper. Make it more beautiful with paint. A little glitter is always a welcome addition! Print out a couple of great leaf designs onto your transparency and then glue it over your first leaf design–almost like a see-through cake. Now paint a little leafy design on the top layer and voila: a beautiful piece of art!

Gobble, Gobble Hands. Hand turkeys are a kid favorite when it comes to Thanksgiving decorations, but why not mix things up this year and add some foliage? It’s not too late to find some stunning shades of red, orange and yellow on the ground, perfect for colorful turkey feathers. Add a construction paper beak and a cute little face, and you have a beautiful leaf turkey. Trace out some hand turkeys to be his friends, and use extra leaves to decorate the outdoorsy scene.

Leaves Of Art From Kids At Art. Children can collect leaves and do rubbings of them with pencil. This means placing a piece of paper over the leaf and “rubbing” with a pencil over it until the impression of the leaf comes out on the paper. They can do a few on a page and then paint over them with watercolor paint. They can also collage the actual leaves onto the page. Or, kiddos can collect leaves and twigs and paint them and then glue them onto paper.

Trees Inside. Decorate your own tree as the seasons change with this tip from Homeschooling-Ideas.com. Go hunting for a stick that is shaped like a tree, or try “planting” several sticks in a pot. Add colorful leaves to deck your tree out for fall by using ones that you have collected off of the ground or by making leaves yourself out of tissue or construction paper. For a really colorful tree, do both!

Leaf Farm By The Art Farm in the City. Use your imagination and a little bit of creativity to craft your very own “leaf farm!” Go on a nature walkto collect fallen leaves. Try to find leaves in all shapes and colors. When you return home use the leaves to create “drawings.” For example, start bygluing a leaf on a piece of paper. Use the leaf as the body of a horse, and just add the head, legs and tail. You can also try creating an entire animal with just leaves or maybe even add some googly eyes and scrap fabric to create a farmer! Assistant Camp Director Christina Fotoglou used a leaf from an American Elm, one of the most common trees throughout Central Park.