The falling leaves are perfect to make leaf rubbings

The prettiest thing about fall, arguably, is the changing of the leaves. As it gets cooler outside, the leaves on Iowa's deciduous trees — including our elm, oak and maple trees — turn red, yellow, gold and brown.

Those leaves eventually fall, blanketing sidewalks and yards. Did you know trees technically push their leaves off their branches? Trees actively get rid of their leaves, according to experts at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis, as they get ready for winter.

Unlike evergreen trees, deciduous trees need to drop their leaves in the fall to survive winter and make room to grow new leaves in the spring.

One easy thing to make with all those discarded leaves is a leaf rubbing. Here's how.

How to make leaf rubbings

What you need:

• A few leaves

• Crayons

• Two sheets of paper

1. Arrange your leaves upside-down (so the veiny side of them are up) on a sheet of paper. Then put a second piece of paper on top, sandwiching the leaves in between.

2. Pick out your crayon colors and prepare the crayons. Rubbing is easier if you remove the paper around a crayon, but if you can't do that just hold the edge of the crayon lightly across the paper and start rubbing.

3. The amount of pressure you use to color will determine how your leaf rubbing looks, so experiment! This is your masterpiece, so use as many leaves as you want and in whatever colors you want!

Comments: molly.duffy@thegazette.com