Each season inspires us to decorate our stores, homes, and yards. Unique to fall are the colors of oranges, yellows, reds and browns. Pumpkins, gourds, leaves, corn stalks and Indian corn, and scarecrows represent this season. Fall is a perfect occasion to bring in nature and a harvest time theme with a little imagination and creativity. Here are some super simple crafts you can make to liven up your décor.

First go outside (in your own backyard or take a walk) and hunt for leaves. Each year the tradition of finding the biggest, reddest, or multicolored leaves is my treasure hunt. I collect handfuls of jewels, colored leaves, and bring them in to sprinkle on tables and scatter around a bowl of apples on the dining table. If you love looking and enjoying each leaf that falls, explore some different ways to immerse yourself in this season's offerings!

Use leaves as the base to create your own art.

The real leaf: Glue leaves to a cardboard ring to make a wreath. Make a mask base out of cardboard and glue leaves to it. It will look like a Mardi Gras costume! Press or wax leaves to use as a table décor or tuck in fall arrangements. Use a real leaf to make wall art. Search online for videos that show do-it-yourself projects using leaves.

Stencils: Don't hesitate to try a stencil. Pick a leaf, big or small, and trace it on acetate or heavy paper. Using a razor blade, small scissors, or X-Acto knife, cut out the shape. You now have a great stencil to use to make custom placemats, or paint on canvas or fabric, collage pictures or even walls and windows. The leaf you cut out can be the pattern for other projects.

Patterns: The leaf is your pattern. Place them on paper and trace around them. When you have a final shape, cut it out. You have the shape of the leaf. Now you can paint it, color the cutout with pencil or crayon, or even use glue and dust with glitter. Try making a name tag, a place card, glue it to a stick and poke them in a potted plant. You can punch a hole in the leaf, string it with thread or ribbon. Do this with five to ten leaves and tie them on a pretty branch−you have just created a mobile. Or you can hang them from a chandelier. Another project is to use the pattern or real leaf, trace it on a sticky vinyl, cut it out, adhere it to a Mason jar. Spray paint the jar and let it dry. Then peel off the leaf pattern, drop in a votive candle, and tie a ribbon or raffia around the top of the jar. What a perfect gift or addition to a fall tablescape.

Rubbings: This is a fun project to do at any age. Place the leaf under a paper and use colored pencil, pencil, crayons, or pastels and rub over the leaf. Try different kinds and textures of paper. Now you have a perfect image of the leaf you collected. Make placemats, art work, greeting cards, wrapping paper, or a table runner. When doing this activity with children, you can talk about the parts of the leaf: The stalk (the part that attaches the leaf to the tree), the blade (the flat part of the leaf and changes from green to fall colors), and the veins (they carry food and water to the tree). You can point out that edges of the leaves are either serrated or smooth. All of these features help identify what kind of leaf it is.

Let me share this year's project that I did. I made a "sunflower" wreath to celebrate fall. All you need is a wire wreath frame, about two dozen field corn ears in the husk, pine cones, and wire. Husk the corn trying to keep the stem on the husks. Arrange the husk like they were on the corn. Then wire the cluster onto the frame. When wreath is packed, begin wiring the pine cones until you cover the center. I will display this until Thanksgiving. The only cost was the wire form!

Just an encouraging note to my readers: look to nature, bring beautiful fall leaves, acorns, seed pods, and grasses indoors. Make something for yourself, a gift for a neighbor, and a child so you continue autumn traditions. Happy crafting.