We are now in the midst of fall, and the leaves have turned into hues of red, orange and yellow. Fall has always been my favorite season because of its beautiful color palette and the nostalgia it brings. There are so many things that bring me back to memories of fall. The smell of freshly baked apples and cinnamon, the taste of apple cider, the feeling of a crisp fall breeze, and so many more little things. Being in the western part of Massachusetts, the foliage is extraordinarily beautiful. As I walk to class, I pass so many wonderful trees and I see the leaves falling gradually, signaling the changing of seasons. This brings me back to the nostalgia of fall. Seeing all of the leaves piling up on the ground makes me think of the leaves that I would jump into. Leaves would surround me in the air, and it was a magical feeling.
There are still so many other ways that we can capture the nostalgia of fall. I am personally a very crafty person, and I like to do different crafts for each season. There are a lot of crafts that you can do with autumn leaves. My favorite one is laying leaves flat under a piece of paper, and coloring over them with crayons. This allows you to transfer some of your favorite leaves that you see outside onto paper, making them last as a piece of artwork. The tiny details and crevices of the leaf become visible when doing this. You are able to see the unique patterns of each leaf, which I find fascinating.
Another one of my favorite activities is making collages. There are many fall colors and designs that you can utilize to create an autumnal collage. I like to cut pieces from magazines, and there are many fall issues of magazines that you can take from. Old magazines, newspapers, or anything of the sort that you have lying around could be used for a collage! I also really enjoy using ribbons on my collages. Many craft stores have ribbons in various fall colors and patterns! Tying bows or doing other things with the ribbons adds a three-dimensional aspect to the collages, which brings them more to life.
Pumpkins are a key part of autumn. I always enjoy going to the pumpkin patch and looking at the variety of shapes of pumpkins and gourds. Some of them have bumps, unique textures, and splotches of different colors like green or gray. Pumpkin crafts are also very fun! Pumpkin painting allows you to utilize your full creativity. You could paint an intricate masterpiece, or just something simple and cute. Pumpkin carving is a classic activity to do around Halloween, but you could carve a pumpkin with any sort of fall theme! After carving the pumpkin, I would bake the pumpkin seeds with my loved ones. Then, we would put a tealight inside of the pumpkin and see our creation come to life.
Fall baking is very nostalgic for me, as it reminds me of many traditions that I have. One of my favorite traditions is making apple pie. I remember peeling the skin off of the apples and then eating them, which I found to be very tasty. Besides baking with apples, baking with spices is very popular in the fall as well. My favorite spices, cinnamon and nutmeg, fill the kitchen with their aroma while baking. There are a lot of fun fall baking ideas that you can do! For apple treats, you can make apple pie, apple crisps, apple turnovers, apple cakes, and many other kinds of treats. Some of my favorite fall treats are spice cakes and snickerdoodle cookies. I really enjoy anything with cinnamon! Pumpkin treats are also a classic, especially at Thanksgiving dinner. Baking is one of my favorite activities, and around the holidays, I am able to bake for people I care about.
Decorating is something that brings me closer to the nostalgic feeling of fall. I put fall decorations in my dorm to embellish my space with small aspects of the autumn season. I put ghosts on my desk and dresser for Halloween, and I have little pumpkins on my bookshelf. I picked out two small pumpkins at the pumpkin patch that would fit in my dorm space. I find tiny pumpkins to be absolutely adorable! These small things help transition what can feel like a very confined space into a much more cozy space. I love being able to look over and see pumpkins, ghosts, and other details that remind me of the season. You can use fall crafts as decorations too!
I could think of many movies that I love to watch during the season. Around Halloween, I love to watch as many horror movies as I can, especially classics such as Scream and Halloween. I still enjoy horror movies year-round though! There are many new and independent horror films that I have not seen yet either. I highly recommend supporting independent films and filmmakers, and you could potentially find a new favorite film through supporting this art! Whether you want to watch a favorite classic or try something completely new, there are plenty of movies available that could give you a bit of a scare. I also love non-horror movies that bring me a fall feeling. I am a big fan of Tim Burton films, so Corpse Bride and Coraline are some of my favorites. Sitting under a blanket with a favorite fall treat and a movie is a great way to spend an evening.
There are many ways that we can experience the creative aspect of fall. Being a college student, it is often difficult to find time to do these little activities. I think that adding aspects of fall into my living space has helped me with this. If you have time to do just one of your favorite fall activities, I would recommend doing so. If you are in a place with foliage, go look at the trees and see what your creativity can bring you. When I think of fall, I think of coziness, nostalgia, and comfort. What makes you think of fall?