These beautiful leaf mason jar lanterns are the perfect nature craft for autumn - and they're so easy to make! Autumn gives us the most wonderful nature treasure to craft with, and leaves are definitely one of the most plentiful and readily available materials to use in nature crafts at this time of year. Head out for a nature walk and collect some autumn leaves, then when you get home you can use them to make a gorgeous leaf lantern. ...
How to make leaf mould – easy, free garden fertiliser!
With autumn getting into full swing, more leaves are falling from the trees each day. This is good news for family walks - who doesn’t love stomping through a big pile of crispy leaves? It’s also good news for gardeners, as fallen autumn leaves give us the perfect opportunity to make leaf mould. What is leaf mould good for? Leaf mould (or leaf mold if you're in the US) is basically rotted-down leaves. It’s low in nutrients, but ...
Fun autumn crafts to do with your family
Collaborative post The autumn season, known to many as fall, is on it's way after what can only be described as an out-of-the-ordinary spring and summer. As well as being a great time of year to get outdoors and enjoy the changing of the seasons, the arrival of autumn means we can celebrate that 2020 is that bit closer to being over. But you're still going to need some inspiration for keeping the family busy over the next few months! When ...
Taking the RSPB Wild Challenge: trees, leaves and seeds
Have you been getting outdoors and enjoying nature this autumn? We’ve been trying to make the most of the mild weather, and enjoying all that nature has to offer at this time of year. If you read the blog regularly you’ll know that we’re partnering with RSPB on lots of fun nature projects, and this month we’ve been trying out another of their Wild Challenge activities. RSPB Wild Challenge is all about helping wildlife and connecting with ...
Nature Craft: making leaf prints
Isn't autumn just wonderful for crafting inspiration? We've done so many lovely craft activities already this season, and these simple leaf prints are perfect for combining nature play with an art activity to create a homemade masterpiece. This is just one of the fun nature projects in my book, 'A Year of Nature Craft and Play' (co-authored with Becky Goddard-Hill). There’s an activity for every week of the year and it includes fun ...
10. The 10 minute gardener: late Autumn gardening jobs
Welcome to the latest 10 minute gardener, looking at quick autumn gardening jobs you can fit into a busy schedule. We’re heading towards the quietest time on the gardening calendar, when light is limited, most plants are dormant and the weather isn’t exactly tempting us outside. We’re not quite there yet though; there are still some garden jobs that you can do now to help protect your garden over winter and bring it to life ...
Clay craft: making clay pressings from nature
A couple of weeks ago, we spent a fantastic afternoon exploring nature at our local nature reserve, Skylarks in Nottingham. Skylarks is part of the Wildlife Trusts, and it's a great place to take the kids for a good old outdoor romp. Last year we made journey sticks there, which has become one of our absolute favourite nature crafts. On this particular visit Skylarks was holding an open day, with lots of hands-on activities, ...