secondhandmodeler wrote: I was hoping to simulate dead leaves under trees.
In Lou Sassi's book on basic scenery he advocates the use of dead leaves to simulate dead leaves. Feeds them to a blender and chops them up.
Found a blender at a yard sale for five bucks. I think the "appropriations committee" could authorize that kind of expendature.
Yep. Throw it in an old blender and squirt in some craft paint. Mix it around and lay it out on some newspaper to dry. Crumble it up in your hands when dry or put it back in the blender.
Since it's already colored it will come out darker than the craft paint you use. So try a shade or two lighter than the color you want to end up with. You can buy white seat cushion foam and make your own too. I make all my own.