Fall is officially here and that means the trees will be filled with brown, yellow, and red leaves. Although the leaves look beautiful in the trees they look less than beautiful scattered throughout your lawn. Luckily, there are beneficial things that you can do with your leaves (after you jump in the big pile).

1. Mulch: Use leaves to make mulch. Rake the leaves into a pile and spread them across and around your garden. This gives the garden more depth. The leaves also eventually break down and provide your garden with natural protection and nutrients, helping it stay healthy through the cold winter months.

2. Insulation: You may have not realized it, but fallen leaves are a great source of insulation. Pack the leaves into garbage bags and then place the bags around an exposed exterior, such as a crawlspace or basement window. The leaves provide natural insulation which may help decrease your heating bills this season.

3. Craft: There are countless crafts that you can do with leaves. Spend the day working on arts and crafts projects with your family. Make a decorative pillow by placing the leaves in ink then pressing them on the outside of a pillow. Spray paint the leaves and use them as name cards for a dinner party or make a festive fall wreath for your door. You can also make art for around your home. Make a collage or a rubbing then frame it and hang it up. The possibilities are endless!

There is no need to throw away all the fallen leaves in your yard. Get creative and upcycle them. Your garden, your home, and your family will thank you!