Fall has taken a firm foothold in the south and the evidence is beautiful. Rusty reds, vibrant oranges and sunny yellows paint every hillside with the bright canvas of autumn. Now is the time for lazy walks in the woods, picnic weekends and those last few camping trips before the cold really sets in. Here is a fun thing to do this fall that the whole family can enjoy. Best of all, it is either free or extremely inexpensive.
Leaf Walks
Grab a couple of cloth shopping bags and head out into the woods. Whether in your own backyard or the local park, it doesn’t matter. What you are looking for is variety. Different colors, shapes, textures; make a game of it to see who can find the most that are different. Safety note: Be careful when you dig your hands around in leaves on the ground. Leaf litter provides warmth and shelter to many insects and other critters (including snakes) in the cooler months. You may want to wear a pair of garden gloves or only take leaves from the top most layers. These tend to be the driest and prettiest anyway.
Stained-glass-leaf-pictures
Once home turn your leaves into art with only some crayons and wax paper. Ask an adult for help with an iron. Use a pencil sharpener to create shavings from your crayons. The more colors you use the more varied your stain glass will be. Lay out a square of wax paper and place a few of your prettiest leaves on it. Sprinkle your crayon shavings on the paper and lay a second square of wax paper on top. Using an iron on medium heat, (no steam) press the sheets together. The shavings will melt into brilliant colors around the leaves and the wax will stick. After the paper cools you can hang up your art in the windows. You now have stained-glass-leaf-art!
Do you have ideas for fall crafts? Send me pictures and I will post them on my blog!
Tales from the field 
Hi Kristina! Stopping by your blog. Your fall craft reminded me of being a kid– this one’s a classic! Will have to do that with Steven Nolan. He’s old enough now, at least to watch… Best, Lisa