Spend your autumn evenings with an easy craft

The nights are getting longer, and the days are getting colder, and although the sun has been shining steadily through the autumn days, soon the rain and snow will come. With the change in weather comes the change in our activities – switching our long days spent at the river to cozy evenings nestled at home with a cup of tea.

Netflix is a fantastic companion most of the time, but occasionally our hearts call for something a little more satisfying. Sometimes our fingers itch to bury themselves in new crafts and projects and all we can do is follow their lead.

Projects and crafts can be a tricky thing – especially when they are so easy to start and can be so difficult to find the motivation to finish. Luckily, there is one art activity that I know can keep you busy for an afternoon or two with no long-term investment needed – Autumn Leaf Art.

Things You’ll Need:

• A canvas of any size. I purchased mine at the closest dollar store.

• Two or more paints of any colour of your choosing.

• As many paintbrushes as you want, preferably both wide.

• Dried (or fresh) leaves/plants/flowers/etc.

• A cup of your favourite tea and a mellow Spotify playlist.

• The coziest spot you can find.

To be honest with you, autumn leaf art can start at any time of the year. I just finally take the time in autumn to complete it. Drinking tea and doing arts and crafts when it’s cold outside sounds so much better than when it’s warm.

Typically, I will collect flowers over the summer and dry them in books, only to peel my books open come October to see what has survived.

But if collecting plants throughout the year isn’t your forte, that is totally okay. All you must do for this simple project is go for a nice walk through your neighbourhood or the closest park. Collect a couple handfuls of leaves and branches and bring them home with you. You can collect dried leaves off the ground or pick a couple of bright yellow ones from the trees – either will do.

Once you are home, lay your bundle of goods out beside your workstation. Next, take the canvas and paint it with the lighter of the two colours you have chosen. Paint a couple of layers if possible so that you have a rich layer of paint.

After it dries, place your plants in whatever order you decide on the canvas. There are two ways you can do this next part. You can paint over the leaves with the second colour, pulling them up once the layer is dry. Another way is to use a clear coat to paint over the leaves, gluing them in place. Use a couple coats to ensure the leaves don’t fall once the painting is hung.

In either case, you will have a wonderful painting that embodies the colours and feelings of autumn.