Make an Autumn leaf bowl

Here's a great idea to make use of autumn leaves.  We've used maple leaves here because of their pretty shape but you can use any coloured leaves you can find, even a mixture of leaves if you prefer, or you can use artificial leaves from a cheap store or craft shop.  You'll need to have the little ones in aprons if they're going to be brushing on the Mod Podge.

​Materials:
Supple autumn leaves picked straight from the tree is best or an artifical leaf garland,
Mod Podge (matte finish),
Foam Brush, Balloon, Scissors, Mixing bowl
Tip: try to find thin, paper-like leaves for your garland. The thinner the leaves, the better they will mold to the shape of your balloon. Also, avoid any plastic-coated leaves.

1. Begin by snipping the leaves off the strand of garland. Leave about 1/8" at the base.

2. Carefully rip the entire plastic stem (and all the veins!) off of the faux leaves . This will help the leaves mold to the shape of the balloon.
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3. Blow up your balloon to the size you want your bowl.  We stuck ours inside a mixing bowl to keep it in place

​4. With your mod podge in a cup near by, gently apply a thin layer on top of your balloon, starting in the middle and working your way out.
 

5. Lay a leaf on top of the wet mod podge and smooth with your fingers or foam brush. Once it's stuck in place, apply another thin layer of mod podge on top of that leaf. 
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6. Repeat until you have covered the balloon to the depth of your planned bowl.  Fill in any empty spaces with smaller leaves.


















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7. When you reach about a quarter of the way down the balloon, add one or two extra leaves to the bottom of the bowl for additional weight and support. Allow to dry at least an hour.
 
8. When the mod podge is dry, carefully pop your balloon with a pin at the tied end, slowly letting the air out. Don't be alarmed if the leaves shrink down when the balloon deflates, it will return to its original shape after a minute or so. You may find that some of the mod podge will stick to the edges of your leaves, but you can just pick or cut it off.