Fun Fall Leaf Wreath Tutorial with Real Leaves

How to Make a Fall Leaf Door Wreath DIY 

Learn how to make a real fall leaf wreath for your door. Get out today, and take your kids on a hike to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. It's great exercise and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy your children. Collect the brightest, healthiest leaves to make this together. Once preserved, it makes a perfect gift for Grandma or even a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. Scroll down to learn how to preserve the glorious fall-foliage, color and all.  Enjoy!

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Learn how to preserve a leaf wreath. 

To make this leafy wreath you must hurry; the colors fade fast!

How to make a fall leaf wreath with real leaves.

So easy to make.

The fall wreath craft turned out incredibly colorful and beautiful.

How to Make a Fall Wreath from Leaves

Fall Wreath SUPPLIES:

Paper Plates
Tacky Glue or Hot Glue Gun
Lots of colorful Leaves from your yard
(you can buy fabric leaves at Jo Ann's.)
Raffia Ribbon or Colorful Fabric Ribbon.
Glitter, if you want to make it sparkle.

Poke a hole in the center of a paper plate,

cut the center out, leaving only an outer ring.

Glue the leaves around the plate

in a colorful arrangement.

Voila a super easy, cute craft project.

We hung these leaf wreaths above the fireplace

but they would look great on the front door!

My kids enjoyed collecting the leaves in various shapes and sizes. We found very tiny ones and gigantic ones that made the search lots of fun. This project was so easy, with fantastic results. My 2 year old's wreath is beautiful, and she did it all by herself! I know the leaves will turn brown soon, but it was a great bonding experience. If you want to make a wreath that will last thru the season, buy a bag of fabric leaves at Jo Ann's Fabric. They work just as well and last forever! We had limited money and spent $8 at the dollar tree. We have tons of supplies left over and made 3 separate projects! The girls had a wonderful time today! Sam loved using the hot glue and Amanda loved using tacky glue while smearing it all over the plates. We spent nearly two hours working on various projects and nobody's attention wavered. This is a fun one! Unfortunately 4 hours later and Amanda's are starting to wilt and turn brown. I don't know if it was the tacky glue, the fact that she kept 'painting' them with water, or that she just liked to use the brown ones. Anyway, I will keep you posted on that - it is our side project: The science of leaf disintegration in the house. Will they turn brown more quickly or more slowly?

Recommended Reading:

More Kid's Seasonal Craft Ideas

The Toddler's Busy Book: 365 Creative Games and Activities to Keep Your 1 1/2- to 3-Year-Old Busy

Easy Crafts for Halloween and Fall - Crafts for Kids and Adults

Persimmon Recipes, Wine, Patience, and History: How to Make it!

Persimmons? You Need a Recipe for Persimmon Wine. 

Every year, the Persimmon Tree looks dead or dormant. If you blink, you'll miss the beautiful blooms.Bountiful, orange-salmon fruits appear beckoning, but don't take the bait too soon.The pucker power is shocking causing the mouth to pucker and the tongue to tingle. Looking for Persimmon Recipes? What can you do with Persimmons? Here are things to make at home with Persimmons. Enjoy!



Indiana Persimmons: Persimmon Recipes.

It is said that harvest can be made after the first frost. One might want to wait for a frost or two to allow the fruit to ripen to a passionate, purply-orange. Keep an eye on the fruit. Don't pick them all at once, just like people, persimmons mature at various ages. Harvesting the perfect persimmon is an art. Rotten persimmons are not pleasant. One year, I picked a cupful at a time and froze them until I had enough for a batch.

Persimmon Jam.

Indiana Persimmon Pudding.

Persimmon Pie.

A batch of what? That is the perplexing problem with persimmons. A lot goes a little way. Perhaps a simple pudding, chutney, or jam for one. Maybe you'd like a cobbler or a pie?

The internet is abundant with recipes and instructions for picking and preparing the perfect persimmon. All Recipes has an amazing selection of persimmon recipes. My advice stir up a big helping of patience before starting. Removing the seed is a chore.

Native Americans made many predictions based on the persimmon tree. Once you've removed a seed cut it open to predict the weather. If you see a fork inside expect a mild winter.   

When all is said an done expect to end up with a putrid appearing unpalatable mess. Now, you are ready to prepare a persimmon recipe.

Click the link "The Patient Persimmon" above for everything you never wanted to know about Persimmons.

This year, I am thinking of trying this recipe. At least after all of the work, I can relax with a nice glass of wine in a year or two. After the tedious collecting and preparing of 3 lbs. of persimmon pulp, it might take more than one glass of wine to restore sanity.

PERSIMMON WINE

3 lbs ripe persimmons

2 1/2 lbs finely granulated sugar

1 tbl sp acid blend

1/2 tsp pectic enzyme

7 pts water

1 crushed Campden tablet

1/2 tsp yeast nutrient

1 packet Montrachet, Pasteur Red or Champagne yeast

Make Persimmon Wine at home.

Wash the persimmons, cut into quarters and mash the seeds out with your hands. Mash the pulp well, put into primary, and add half the sugar, the acid blend, yeast nutrient and crushed Campden tablet. Add water to total one gallon. Stir well to dissolve sugar, cover, and set aside. After 12 hours add pectic enzyme and recover. After another 12 hours, add yeast. Ferment 5-7 days, stirring daily. Strain through nylon sieve. Do not be concerned if a lot of fine pulp gets through; it will precipitate out. Add remaining sugar, stir very well, then transfer to secondary while leaving about three inches headroom. Fit air lock and set aside. Rack every 30 days until wine clears and no additional lees are laid down (4-6 months). Stabilize only if you feel the need to sweeten the wine before bottling. This wine should age in the bottle a year.

[Adapted recipe from Dorothy Alatorre's Home Wines of North America]

Recommended Reading:


Grandma Mary's Persimmon Compendium: My Grandmother's Persimmon Recipes *

Bringing Wine Home: Book Two *

Make Cinnamon Doughnuts at Home