Sew Fall Leaf Bowl Fillers

Are you looking for natural fall decorations, but you're not too excited about bringing bugs and dirt into your house? These fall leaf bowl fillers may be just the craft project for you. Yes, it does involve bringing in a real leaf or two to use as a pattern, but once your pattern is made, they can go back outside where they belong.

I used upholstery samples that had been discontinued at a home improvement store, and some scrap pieces I had leftover from previous upholstery jobs. This project can really be made with any fabric, so there is no need to limit yourself to the fabric I used.

Things You Will Need:

Leaf
Lightweight cardboard
Pencil
Scissors
Freezer paper
Fabric, small amount
Iron
Sewing machine
Straight pins
Ruler
Stuffing

Step 1
Place your leaf on a piece of lightweight cardboard and trace around it. If the edges of your "real" leaf have a lot of points and jagged edges, now is the time to smooth them out. The jagged edges are too fussy for sewing, not to mention that cutting them out will drive you insane. When you are happy with your traced leaf, cut it out to use as your pattern.

Step 2
Place the leaf pattern on the paper side of freezer paper. Note: The other side of freezer paper is a wax surface. Trace a leaf for each bowl filler on the freezer paper. Do not cut out the leaf shapes.

Step 3
Lay your fabric on your ironing surface with the right side facing up. Place the freezer paper on the fabric with the wax side down. Iron the paper to temporarily adhere the paper to the fabric. Again, do not cut out the leaves.

Step 4
Using the "real" leaf as a reference and a straight or decorative stitch on your sewing machine, sew the veins of the leaves right through the freezer paper. The color of the thread will depend on your fabric color and texture. The thread I used contrasted with the fabric, but when photographed, it seemed to blend in.

Step 5
Place a layer of fabric with the wrong side facing up. Lay the fabric with the freezer paper on top with the the freezer paper facing up. Pin the layers together.

Step 6
Sew on the traced outline of the leaves right through the freezer paper. Leave an opening of about 2 inches on one edge.

Step 7
Cut out each leaf 1/4 inch outside the stitched outline. The cut raw edge will show, so neatness counts. Peel off the freezer paper. The needle will have perforated the paper, making this a simple task.

Step 8
Fill each leaf with stuffing.

Step 9
Finish stitching the opening of each leaf closed.