Leaf Spirits!

I've been dreaming of these little leaf spirits all week!  I wanted to come up with a sweet little craft that was simple, enchanting and that evoked the magic of Autumn.  Bring forth the leaf spirits.  As I was making these, Ruby says to me, "I think I've seen these falling from the trees before."  

I just think they capture the magic of this season...I know I've always been captivated by this time of year and can't help but feel the "magic" in the air as the trees change colour and the leaves shower down from the canopy overhead!

To make some leaf spirits of your own you will need:

wool felt in Autumn colours (red, orange, yellow, brown)

wool roving (in matching colours)

pipe cleaners

small wooden beads, (mine are 3/4 inch)

glue gun

acorn cap, (optional)

thread for hanging

To start...trace a leaf shape onto your felt, cut 2 of these shapes.  I cut off the stem bit and shaped it like a "u" to make a neckline.

Take your pipecleaner...about 5 inches or so long, and fold it in half.  Using hot glue, glue it down to the backside of one of your leaves. 

Using more hot glue, glue your bead onto the top of the pipecleaner and then glue the leaves together...sandwiching the pipecleaner in between.

Glue on some roving for hair and top with an acorn cap!  I tied my string to the top of the acorn cap so I could hang these lovely leaf spirits up to be enjoyed!

And there you have it...some lovely little leaf spirits.  I'm sure if you let your imagination lead you, you could come up with some delightful stories about these "spirits" and the adventures they have.  Here's a little story to get you started called The Anxious Leaf.  It's one story that captures how a leaf may "feel" when it's time to fall from the tree.  And here's another little gem of a story from Reg Down called The Life of a Leaf which follows a leaf on its journey.  I hope these offer some inspiration!

In the "spirit" of Autumn!

xo maureen