Creative Ways to Use Fall Foliage

Fallen leaves might look like yard work, but they’re also full of potential — for creativity, connection, and care for the environment. Before you reach for the rake, consider giving your leaves a second life.

Here are some inspiring ways to make the most of autumn’s leftovers, including a few creative ideas from our team.

Feed Your Garden, Not the Landfill

Shredded leaves make excellent mulch. Run over raked leaves with a lawn mower, then spread them around garden beds, shrubs, or trees to help soil retain moisture and stay insulated through the winter. You’ll cut down on weeds come spring and give your plants a nutrient-rich boost as the leaves naturally break down.

Want to go a step further? Pile up your leaves in a shady corner to make leaf mold—a crumbly, dark compost that gardeners call “black gold.” It takes a year or so to form, but the result can be worth the wait.

Leave Some for the Wild Things

A thin layer of leaves under trees or in your garden beds provides essential habitat for insects, butterflies, and other small creatures that overwinter here in Vermont. By letting some leaves stay put, you’re helping sustain biodiversity right in your backyard.

Get Creative

Our employees have found some wonderful, eco-friendly ways to use fall leaves beyond the compost pile:

• Natural dyeing and leaf prints – “Leaves are rich in tannins, which make them perfect for natural dyeing,” shares Communications Strategist Laura M. “I love using sumac to pre-treat fabric, and maple leaves with iron water to create leaf-print clothing. Leaves also make beautiful imprints in pottery — though they sometimes fade in the glazing process.”
• Eco-friendly gift wrap – Laura also recommends using pressed leaves to dress up presents. “I like wrapping gifts in old paper bags or fabric scraps and adding dried leaves for a little flair.” She’ll even use leaves as bookmarks, cake decorations, and for timeless crayon rubbings.
• Leafy placemats – “As a kid, I made placemats with carefully chosen maple leaves,” says Senior Systems Engineer Jeff K. “I glued them to poster board, then sealed them between two sheets of clear vinyl. I thought of that memory recently while walking the Kancamagus Trail, shuffling through all those colors on my way to the river.”
• Faux stained glass – “When my kids were little, we made faux stained glass by placing bright leaves between two sheets of waxed paper and ironing them together,” offers Robotic Process Automation Engineer Katie W. “Just be sure to put a towel on top first!”
• Winter insulation – Katie also recalls helping her grandpa bag leaves and stack them around the trailer and barn for extra insulation during winter. “It’s such a simple thing, but it’s stuck with me all these years,” she shares.

Try seeing leaves as a resource for your soil, your creativity, your wellness, and even your memories, instead of a mess to clean up. Whether you’re composting, crafting, or just crunching through them on a walk, those fallen leaves are full of possibility.