Oh, What You Can Do With a Leaf Pile

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The gorgeous array of red, orange and yellow leaves is my favorite part of fall. That is until they turn brown and start to litter my front yard. It won't happen for a while, but we all know they call it fall for a reason. Then comes the raking and the leaf blowing. I live in the woods, so when I talk about raking the front yard, it is no small task. The result is several ginormous (I could possibly be making up a new word here - work with me) piles of leaves.

My family's typical plan of action at this point is raking them all onto a huge tarp and hauling them down to our creek. Although this could be different from how you deal with your autumn litter, almost everyone will end up with a mountain of crunchy, dead leaves. Instead of just shoving them in the street for pick-up, or in a corner of your yard to be forgotten about, be proactive this season; do something fun with your leaf pile.

To help you out, here are a few suggestions:

As corny and traditional as this sounds, jump in it. Sure, you might have to re-rake a little bit once your done, but it's a fun way to have cheap fun with your kiddos. I don't have kids, and it's still fun for me and the friends that I force to jump in with me. Come on now, you can do it.

If you have a neighbor or friend that is just asking to be punked, a leaf pile makes it easy to pull a fast one on them. If you have a large puddle or muddy spot in your yard, place the leaf pile over it. If you don't a large tub of water will work just as well. Tell your "friend" that you're going to be nice and let them have first jumping honors because they're the guest, but then get ready to run. They might not find this prank as funny as you do.

This one is also pretty basic, but put your leaves in decorative bags. Pumpkin ones are great to add some Halloween decor to your house's exterior, and the funny faces on these bags are more fun than most.

Use the pile as a cushy reading spot. A good hammock is my favorite place to curl up with a good book, but why should this outdoor reading be reserved for summer? Take a couple of hours on a Saturday morning, make a leaf nest for yourself, and read a good book in the crisp fall air. Bundle up, and make sure you don't have any sticks in the pile, because that could get, well, a little uncomfortable.

A good money saving way to put your leaves to good use is to turn them into fertilizer. All you do is stuff as many of them as you can into a trashcan, weigh them down with bricks or something heavy, put a lid on it and wait a few weeks. It's much better than paying big bucks for some fancy smancy compost at a garden center.

This one is pretty random, but I've heard about it from a couple of people, so I'll pass it along anyway. Turn the leaves into a play fort for your children or grandchildren. You'll have to use a few big branches and sticks for an igloo-like frame, and throw the whole pile of leaves on top.

What do you do with your pile of fall's finest waste?