You'll need about 2 1/2 yards of substantial cotton fabric (we used an old muslin tablecloth; canvas would work very well), poster board, a pencil and china marker, scissors, fabric dyes, spray bottles, a couple of turkey basters or empty squeeze-mustard bottles, Dritz Fray-Check (available at fabric shops), an iron, spray-starch.

If you're using new fabric, rinse or wash and dry it to remove any sizing. Using oak, maple, sycamore, or any other leaves as guides, draw patterns on 11 x 17 inch pieces of poster board. Cut out patterns.

Trace patterns onto fabric using china marker, reversing every other leaf for more variety. You should easily be able to get 2 rows of 6 leaves. Reserve leftover fabric for smaller leaves.

Cut out leaves.

Mix dyes according to manufacturer's directions. Choose reds, golds, oranges, and browns, with a green thrown in for good measure. Standard dye packages make a lot of dye, so remember you can save by mixing colors (red and yellow make orange, etc.)

Working outdoors or in the basement or garage, and on a table covered with a plastic sheet, spread a small section of scrap fabric. Test dye colors and get the feel of spraying and painting with the dyes. Experiment with different spray pressures, and with the effect one color has on another. Dry fabric accepts dye much differently than wet, too. Apply dyes to leaves as desired. If you don't get the exact effect the first try, rinse the leaf under running water to remove most of the dye. Hang over a rod or clothesline to dry. Second and third dye applications over what you've already done can have nice effects.

Once leaves are dry, iron flat and apply Dritz to edges according to package instructions. This will keep the edges from fraying. Spray with starch and iron again.