3 AUTUMN NATURE CRAFT + ACTIVITIES

Autumn is my favourite time of year for slow nature craft and activities. The energy in nature is slowing down but still thrumming with activity as nature comes out of summer survival mode. Flowers have a last bloom before winter, fruit is ripe and ready to harvest and some plants even have a burst of growth with the rainfall.

In this post I want to share some of my favourite Autumn mindfulness nature crafts and activities that allow me to slow down, be present and observe the world around me.

Mushrooming

Autumn is mushrooming season. You can find them poking out of fallen pine leaves following the drop in temperatures and the rainfall.

Saffron Milk Cap are bright orange with gills, have an earthy fruity flavour and dry well for storage.

Slippery Jacks are a bit slimy but taste good when cooked well.

The benefits of of mushrooming aren’t only the basket of highly nutritious fungi or the fun of foraging food from nature. You also walk away feeling calmer and more balanced. Mushrooming involves walking slowly and gently through pine scented forests, being present and observing your surroundings closely. It involves getting your hands into the soil and savouring the taste of fresh mushrooms. If you go with a group it mean not only connecting to nature but spending time connecting to your own mycelium of people.

The best time to mushroom is 2-5 days after steady rain from April - July in pine forests. There are two main places near Sydney Belanglo and Penrose State Forests in the Southern Highlan and Oberon- Lithgow Region.

You will need:

A basket (for good air flow)

A knife for a clean cut and to preserve the mushroom mycelium

Appropriate clothing and footwear

If you are new to mushrooming, always go with an experienced fungi forager or on a guided tour until you are confident in identifying your mushrooms. Mushrooms can be TOXIC if incorrectly identified. If in doubt, throw it out.

Luckily, there are fantastic tours by Diego Bonetto in the Southern Highlands and Lithgow areas and Wild Mushroom Hunts via Moss House also in the Lithgow area.

Clay Leaf Print

Any activity that involves a walk outdoors, connecting to nature and moving slowly are great ways to relieve stress, slow down a busy mind and restore your nervous system. When you are shaping with clay you have to be in the present moment and this allows your task-orientated brain to switch off for a while. As you observe the detail in the leaf, the sensation of the clay and your body shaping it, you allow yourself to find balance again.

What you will need:

Air dry clay or oven bake clay

Leaves

Paint (acrylic)

A knife

A bowl (optional)

Brass candle holder (optional) available on Amazon here.

Instructions:

• Collect a few fresh leaves you with to press into the clay.

• Roll out or use your hands to press out the clay into a a roughly 1cm thick lat disk that will fit your leaf.

• Place you leaf onto the surface and gently press down with a rolling pin (or similar) to create a deep impression on the clay.

• Now you can either cut out the shape of the leaf or you can keep the shape of the clay disk. Gently rub all edges so that they aren’t sharp once dry

• Gently lift the leaf of starting at the stem.

• Option 1: If you wish to make a candle holder you can now press the brass candle holder into the clay then lift and shape the sides as you wish.

  Option 2: If you wish to make bowl, gently lift your clay and place it into a bowl.

• Allow your air dry clay to dry for 24-48hrs (or follow instructions for oven bake clay). I gently rubbed the surfaces if i noticed crcks as it was drying to maintain a smooth surface.

• Paint as desired

Enjoy your clay leaf print as a candle holder through the darker seasons of the year or as a bowl to collected seasonal items from nature.

Pressed Leaves

One of my very favourite crafts in autumn is to collect all kinds of leaves and flowers on my daily walks and press them to use in winter lanterns, festive cards, books marks and all other manner of crafty things.

All you need is:

Scissors or secateurs or a knife

A basket or bag

A big book or a flower press(can be found online)

• As you go on your walks through nature, pick a few leaves (taking care not to harm any plants) and flowers that stand out to you. Flowers that have thick juicy petals will be harder to press and will stick to the pages of your book.

• To make this a mindful activity, try to go slowly, noticing the different leaf shapes and textures. Notice the flower colours, scents and touch in your hands.

• Place these collected items gently within the pages of a large book or in a flower press. The plants may leave marks so choose your book accordingly.

• Allow to dry for 2-4 weeks then gently lift them off the pages and use them in so many crafty ways.