Leaf Stamps and Stencils

Fall is here!  Pumpkin treats, sweaters, boots, football, candy corns, and colorful drives through the canyon make this season my favorite.  My dear cousin Jeannine found this cute idea for fall decorations so we decided to try it out.

We used acrylic paints, and whatever we had on hand to paint with.  I think foam brushes worked the best.  We painted the leaves and then pressed them onto the paper like stamps.  Isn't Jeannine's black paper with the bright leaves so stunning?!

We also tried using the leaves as stencils.  We used a glue stick to keep the leaves down, and then painted over the top. The only problem was that when we peeled the leaf away, it left glue stick marks in the shape of the leaf's veins.  I doubt that would be as much of an issue if you used white paper, and it actually looks kind of cool.  

Then we put the picture in a cute mat (which we also painted), added some buttons and embellishments...

(Jeannine has a lot of buttons)

mmmm... candy corn....

... and ta-dah! Cute fall decor.  This would make a great activity for kids. My 2-year-old loved collecting the leaves, although the painting and stamping part was a little over her head. It was a pretty messy project, but overall a great success!  Happy Fall, y'all!