Leaf Project

Now that it is fall and the leaves have started  changing colors, here is a great idea in preserving the beautiful colors of the season.  Collect colorful leaves and press them like you would fresh flowers.  We put the leaves between two paper towels and then placed them between two huge, heavy phone books.  After a couple of weeks, the leaves will be dry but will have maintained their bright, beautiful colors.  Using a simple mat and frame, you can create a beautiful piece of artwork.  Dab a little glue on the back of the leaves and adhere them to a piece of a paper that fits in the frame and mat.

Place the paper in the frame and there you have it.  My sister in law made this one for me.  She penciled in the words "Minnesota Autumn 2002" in the bottom left corner.  

This would be great way to make a keepsake of a fall vacation or remember a beloved tree.  This year, I am going to try to collect leaves from each kind of tree we have on our property up north.  I think it would make a great conversation piece for our little screen house or a one of a kind gift for my husband.  I can't wait to start traipsing through the woods!

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."  -Stanley Horowitz