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I love to decorate for Christmas as soon as Thanksgiving is over. Unfortunately, it is hard for me to string up Christmas lights when my lawn still looks like I am ready to host a harvest fest. If you’re in the same boat, keep reading to see my favorite way to clear a load of leaves in a hurry.
This method works best if you are taking your leaves to a burn pile or compost pile on your property, or loading them into a truck for hauling off somewhere else. It isn’t the best if you are putting the leaves into a bin.
All you need is a rake and a tarp. You don’t need a fancy leaf-removal tarp and you don’t even need to be fussy about the size. We use a larger tarp (you’ll see why in just a second…).
All you have to do is lay it out on your lawn and start raking. Don’t worry about getting the leaves into a pile. Just let ’em fly onto the tarp.
The reason we use a large tarp is that I can let the kiddos play in the leaves all they want as long as they keep the leaves on the tarp. Think of it as one large Lego play mat. I love that I can listen to the kiddos laugh and play without cringing at the thought of having to rake the same pile of leaves for a fifth time.
When you’re ready to haul off the leaves, just pick up all four corners and make a bundle. Then you just drag the leaf-filled tarp where you need it. If you’re lucky, you can even convince a little helper to hold a couple of corners.
Once you’ve dumped the leaves from your tarp, you can repeat the process until your lawn is leaf-free! Since you’ve saved your back from all the bending and stooping that goes along with stuffing leaf bags, you’ll be all set to haul your Christmas tree into the house when you are finally ready to decorate!
Are you still working on getting rid of the evidence of fall or are you well on your way to welcoming winter?