DIY centerpiece: Falling Leaves

Apples and colorful falling leaves are the hallmarks of autumn (see my Apple Orchard post here).  Here's a simple DIY centerpiece idea that would look beautiful at any fall occasion!

This is what you will need:

6-foot bamboo garden stakes (1 per centerpiece, you can get them at Home Depot)
bushel baskets or natural color baskets (I was lucky to find mine at the dollar store!)
a bag of autumn leaves (also from the dollar store, or from the silk florals section at your local craft store)
heavy duty clear packing tape
jute twine (for a rustic look, but you can use any kind you like)
needle and thread
newspaper (to fill up the basket, if needed)
brown crepe paper
apples (I used about 6 per basket, but you can use more)

And these are the steps:
Cut the bamboo stakes in half so that you have 2 equals lengths.
Securely tape them to either side of the basket - they should be resting on the bottom of the basket. Move the basket around a bit to make sure they hold up well!
If you are not going to be filling the entire basket with apples, fill the bottom of the basket with newspaper first and then tuck in a layer of brown crepe paper to cover.

For the leaf garland, pass a needle and thread through the bottom of each leaf and tie onto the jute twine.  I used 10 leaves per garland.

To finish, tie the garland onto the stakes, fill the basket with apples, and scatter a few leaves over them for a natural look.