Dear Melina: I am SO glad that someone asked this question, otherwise I would have just had to write about it anyway! I don’t know if I was just more observant this year or what, but it seems to be that this is one of the most GORGEOUS years for fall color that I can remember. More than once on my way to the office I was a traffic hazard as I kept getting distracted by a brilliant orange tree here, a green and peach froth over there, and a deep burgundy jewel across the street.

I too, have been gathering this year, annoying anyone who happened to be walking anywhere with me by not being able to take more than a few steps without “oohing and aahing” and stopping to pick up some colorful treasure. I ALWAYS carry a goodie bag with me these days because you just never know what you are going to come across.

Everyone probably remembers pressing leaves when they were kids, but somehow it is even more satisfying now. The differences in shape, color, texture is nothing short of miraculous. Although I own several fancier flower presses, by method of choice is still old phone books. The paper seems to have just the right amount of absorbency to quickly dry and press the foliage, as long as you are certain to remove any excess moisture before pressing. Also, phone books can take a LOT of leaves.

Ok, so you have gathered and pressed your leaves, now what? If you are going to store them for any length of time I have found the clear page protectors to be perfect. I try to divide the leaves up by type, color, size, etc. so that when I am ready to use them I can se what I have quickly and easily. You can put LOADS of leaves into one protector, and, unlike storing them in a box, it will keep them flat,

The projects you can do with your treasure trove are only limited by your own imagination. Last week I decided I wanted to make a bowl out of some of my stash. I covered a wooden bowl of an appropriate size with aluminum foil, and working with the form upside down, I used liquid laminate and started at the bottom of the bowl. I laminated the leaves to each other, slowly cascading them down the bowl’s sides. I allowed the entire thing to dry overnight, then did the same with a second layer of leaves on the inside. The colors are stunning and the piece is actually usable, but very fragile. I would recommend building up a permanent paper form first if I were to do this particular project again.

If you have leaves that are less than perfect in their coloration, but still have a great shape, you can use them in the same way that you would use a rubber stamp. We have used this technique on everything from creating our own giftwrap to designing a “harvest” tablecloth out of rough burlap. Use liberal amounts of acrylic paints (yes, you can use more than one color at a time on the same leaf) on the backside of the leaf, then press firmly down on your surface to be decorated. Depending on the amount of paint on the leaf you will get wonderful detailing of veins, stems, etc. If you blend your paints on the back of the leaf you can also create a watercolor effect.

Use your leaves in collage and/or montage work. Natural materials always have been a favorite medium to add to other artwork. If you have one particularly fabulous leaf, or perhaps three to five that are a “study” of color, shape, size, etc. you can use them AS the artwork. All that you will need to do is to mount them on a piece of handmade paper and add an appropriate frame.

Really sturdy, leathery leaves can be used as tie-on’s for gift packages, or how fabulous would it be to have each person’s name stenciled on individual, LARGE’ yellow maple leaves that rest on each guest’s plate at the upcoming Thanksgiving feast!

A final word about using Autumn’s colors. Because we are surrounded each year with this bounty we tend to take it for granted. Not so for those who live in climates not conducive to this annual spectacle. Last week we were entertaining a friend who flew in from Los Angeles. She had been sitting next to an interior designer on the plane and they were exchanging pleasantries when my friend asked if she was also coming up to visit friends or relatives. “Oh no,” the designer replied. “I am flying up to gather fall leaves”. When our friend asked what, on earth, she was doing that for, and what she planned on doing with them, she replied that she “was going to wallpaper with them.” So, there you go!