Autumn is a season defined by paradoxes. On one hand, the leaves on the trees, the grass and all the beautiful and colorful colors start to slowly die which is quite sad but, on the other hand, there are so many wonderful projects you can do with those fallen leaves and so many other fun things to do at this time of the year that the change doesn’t seem so bad after all.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about fall is Halloween. Spooky, scary and fun are the main defining characteristics of this holiday but other can be added based on personal experiences. You can add a little bit of autumn flavor to your home and, at the same time, keep the Halloween spirit alive with a simple DIY project. Make spooky ghost leaves and use them to decorate the walls, mantel, table, etc. first, gather the leaves. Then clean them and paint them white. The final touch is drawing faces on them using a black marker.

Fall leaves can also be used in a lot of other interesting ways. For example, you can turn them into place cards. You’ll need fall leaves with stems, spray paint, twine and paper. Clean, flatten and dry the leaves and then paint them. Then make the paper tags and attach them to the leaves with twine. You can add some mini pumpkins as well for a bit more color.{found on brit}.

Painting leaves can actually be a lot of fun. You can gather a whole bunch of leaves that you find interesting and then paint them using different colors. You can even use tape to create patterns and eye-catching designs. After that, use twine to integrate them all in a beautiful banner which you can display on a wall or mantel.{found on imdrewscott}.

Similarly, you can paint a bunch of leaves and then attach them with thread or twine to a fallen branch. You’ll get a fall garland which you can display in your home. Be creative with the leaves and feel free to improvise. The project featured on Theweetestoccasion uses gold spray paint but, obviously, this isn’t the only option.

Another type of garland made with fall leaves is the one featured on Houseofjadeinteriorsblog. The leaves used there are actually artificial but you can recreate the project using real ones. You’ll need glitter and glue if you want the add some sparkle to your home décor.

Projects such as the one we found on Happinessishomemade would be wonderful for the kids. Let them gather the leaves themselves and allow them to paint them. If you don’t want to use real leaves, you can make paper ones although cutting them all with all the little details would be a lot more time-consuming.

Another lovely idea is to make a mobile using fall leaves and flowers. It would be a temporary one, of course. Start by selecting leaves that have interesting shapes and colors. Also, get a few colorful flowers as well. Hang them with twine from an embroidery hoop which you have previously wrapped in twine, ribbon or rope. {found on ajoyfulriot}

A different but just as interesting way of using fall leaves can be found on gardentherapy. Here you can find out how to decorate mason jars using leaves, burlap and twine in order to make some really beautiful votives for tea candles. {found on gardentherapy}.

Of course, the leaves can merely be a source inspiration. You don’t have to actually use leaves to bring the autumn charm and beauty into your home. Doradaily offers a nice idea in this sense. It shows how you can make a clay jewelry dish that’s shaped like a leaf. Use gold paint to give it that beautiful autumnal look.{found ondoradaily}.