Just about a week ago I had the chance to travel up to Connecticut and though I am now a Florida girl through and through I got to enjoy a tiny bit of my very favorite season in the New England I grew up in… its absolutely gorgeous autumn. While I didn’t catch it at its peak, I got see the beginning of the leaves turn. If you haven’t experienced a New England fall, you should put it on your bucket list. People travel from all over world to New England during this time for “leaf peeping”, taking time to enjoy and photograph the foliage. It is breath taking!
It brings Emily Dickenson’s autumn poem to mind…
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I’ll put a trinket on.
Knowing my time was limited, I even set out in the rain to look for leaves. After my short visit, I couldn’t come back home to my little ones empty handed! I went leaf peeping myself and brought back a gift better than any gift shop could offer. The girls could not have been happier. With a bag of leaves at hand we got right to brainstorming ideas for what we could do with our new New England leaf collection. Here is a simple fall craft that is fun, fast, and kid friendly. The best part of all, is that you can gather leaves right from your very own back yard or neighborhood for this easy craft. No trip necessary, although if you can, just go!
Directions for Fall Leaves Decoupage on a Pumpkin:
1. Pick your favorite pumpkin from the patch!
2. Prep some Mod Podge® all in one glue or make your own by watering down some Elmer’s school glue (that’s what we used this time around).
3. Grab your favorite leaves from your walk. Try to include a good variety of different leaves and colors.
4. For best results, pick leaves that have recently fallen and are not too dry. Use glue on both the front and back and lay them out as you wish to make a beautiful design.
5. If needed, cut the edges slightly to help the leaves wrap around the pumpkin nicely.
Girls preparing for their pumpkin decorating!
Note: When we started doing this I was doubtful it would turn out all right. We used paint brushes to spread on the glue unto the leaves. The girls did not seem to mind getting glue on their hands as they held down the leaves. They kept saying, “This is so much fun!” Here are a few pics as they worked and one as the leaves were drying. It is also a good idea to let it dry a bit and then apply a bit more glue to keep down as needed. Several days later, the leaves are still in place and there are no worries of them “falling” off.
Lil’ S hard at work gluing on the leaves.
A large brush was perfect for applying the leaves.
Lit’ S holds the leaves in place and tries to blow them dry to help the process along.
Our project drying, the leaves stayed down better than anticipated.
We have a few more pumpkins to decorate and would like to try a few different ways without carving. What are some of your favorite ways to decorate your fall pumpkins? Please share with us below or keep those emails and pictures coming at bernice@diapursity.com. I love to hear from you! Your ideas are wonderful!