A Fall Bouquet

One of the most enjoyable activities of the past long week-end for me was raking leaves in the backyard. It might sound strange, but somehow I always knew I would enjoy it, and was happy to be proven right. In between making mounds of leaves, I stopped to gather a few of them for some DIY projects that came to mind. Since most of the trees in our backyard are maple trees, I found a beautiful array of yellow, red and brown mixed together in unique ways in each leaf. I immediately thought that they would make for a lovely fall-themed bouquet.

I picked out a small white vase to hold them, and the contrast with the rich colours of the leaves proved to be stunning. I made sure that the vase was narrower at the top, in order to hold together all the leaf stems the way I wanted it to. As for the leaves, I think that the more diverse they are - both in colour and in size - the better.

For the first few leaves, I made sure to hold them with one hand so that they stay put where I want them to be. Once the vase was filled enough to keep the leaves in place, I started to add more from above, both in the middle and on the sides, until I was happy with how full the bouquet looked.

Be warned that the bouquet will not stay looking "fresh" for a long time - I made mine in the evening and by morning, it resembled more the second picture - but long enough to make for a perfect table accent while hosting a few friends over for a fall-themed celebration, or to add a touch of colour to a room on a dark fall day. That being said, I think that the "dried-out" version looks just as good, and is maybe even more in keeping with the season. 

A few recommendations:

• Make sure to have the leaves face both the edge and the middle of the vase, so that their beautiful colours can be seen from all sides.
• Don't overthink it! It will look more natural the more random it is.