How to keep autumn leaves vibrant. How to Preserve and Creatively Use Fall Leaves
The beauty of autumn foliage is fragile and short-lived. Today it pleases us with its special aroma and iridescent colors, and after a few days only a handful of dry wind remains from the yellow-crimson petals. However, if desired, tender leaves can be saved to be used later for various decorative purposes.
Let's try to figure out how to do it.
You will need:
- leaves,
- glycerol,
- paper towels,
- several large heavy books,
- wax paper,
- iron,
- newspapers.
1. Select leaves, giving preference to whole, flat, relatively fresh and undamaged specimens. Please note that dry and heavily twisted leaves do not absorb glycerin well, which we will use as a kind of preservative, which means that they are not suitable for long-term storage.
2. In a wide flat container, dilute the glycerin in water (ratio 1:2). Dip the leaves into the solution so that they fit freely and are completely covered with the liquid. It will take several days for the leaves to absorb the glycerin. If the process goes correctly, then after a while the leaves will be saturated with a moisturizing liquid, becoming elastic and soft.
3. Place the soaked leaves on paper towels and leave to dry for 1-3 hours.
4. When the leaves are dry, they should be placed under a press to remove any remaining moisture. To do this, you can use an iron or heavy books. If you want to dry the leaves with an iron, then they should be spread out between newspaper pages and gently smoothed out by setting the device on low temperature. The iron allows you to quickly prepare the leaves for further manipulations.
If you decide to use a book press, then the leaves should be placed on waxed paper so that they are closed on both sides, and put between volumes, leaving in this form for several days.
How to use?
Glycerin leaves can be used in various decorative purposes. They retain their shape and color for a long time, so they are suitable for all kinds of fakes on the autumn theme.
Collages for children's creativity.
Create funny animal collages and flora- an exciting activity that will appeal to creative kids.
You can turn ordinary leaves into outlandish animals in just a matter of minutes. All you need for such fakes is stationery glue, scissors, landscape paper and a little inspiration.
Collages can be supplemented with small handwritten strokes that will help to play with leafy elements in an interesting way.
Crowns and bracelets.
From glycerine leaves, you can make a crown for the autumn festival, which is held annually in kindergartens and schools. A spectacular headdress is assembled in the manner of a wreath or crafted using a cardboard base and double-sided tape.
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By the same principle, you can make an autumn bracelet that will perfectly complement the themed costume.
Another decoration option involves the creation of crowns depicting forest animals, which are perfect for fairy-tale performances.
Original masks can also be made from leaves by simply painting them with a black and white marker.
Bouquets.
Usually, autumn bouquets- these are simple compositions of colorful leaves that decorate the table setting or home interior.
However, there are more complex floristic techniques that allow you to make imitations from leaves. flower buds. Such bouquets are especially expressive and suitable for decorating identical ceremonies: and anniversaries.
Garlands.
By stringing the leaves on a thin thread, you will get a bright garland that will bring an autumn mood into the house.
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Looking for more sophisticated solutions? Apply glue to the leaves with a brush, generously sprinkle them with shiny glitter and fasten satin ribbons at the base to help strengthen the garland in the right place.
Stencils.
Leaves can be used as stencils to apply interesting drawing on fabric, paper or glass. There are two ways to make an autumn image. In the first case, the leaves are simply laid out on the surface, then paint is applied on top. When the coating is completely dry, the leaves should be carefully removed - unpainted areas will remain in their place.
Another method involves applying paint to the sheet itself, which is then used as a stencil. For such imprinting, you can use absolutely any paint (gouache, watercolor, acrylic, fabric paints), and the sheet itself should be painted on the side where the veins are located. It is better to press the stencil with a roller, but you can do without it by simply pressing on the sheet with your hand.
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In this way, you can decorate clothes, home textiles, dishes and other household items.
This year, my daughter and I very thoroughly, like squirrels, stocked up on autumn leaves, and all kinds of nuts, acorns, and cones. The older the child becomes, the more interesting it is to make crafts from all this material - the daughter does more and more herself, and often we just do something nearby, mother - her own, child - her own. It's very nice to spend time like this. I already mentioned on FB that we made stamps from autumn leaves and apples - so addicted to it! And this fall for the first time made "wax" leaves - preserved leaves in stearin and wax. I had never tried this before and simply dried the leaves - in the open air, in the sand, or soaked in glycerin. I love floristry and I'm good at it. Now mastered new technology which we both love. It is not complicated at all and gives a very effective result. Now not all the leaves have flown around yet, and you can also try to make wax autumn leaves which retain their shape and color for a long time.
I don’t traditionally take pictures of a detailed master class, but I can describe everything in words. Let there be just a lot of photos of the result.
So we need:
1. Fresh autumn leaves (ideally - maple leaves with petioles);
2. Natural wax or stearin candles (I have the most common white IKEA candles, you can use transparent candles or special sets for making candles. The final result depends on the type of wax - everything can be learned by experience.);
3. Baking paper or foil; (we will put leaves to dry on it);
4. A saucepan and a container for a water bath - better wide, so that your largest leaves can easily enter there;
5. A wooden board or dish, tray, baking sheet, where ready-made leaves will be temporarily stored and dried;
6. Stove, kitchen, free time and positive mood.
The process itself is:
1. Melt the wax or stearin in a water bath. (Amount - so that you can freely dip the leaf, about 1.5 -2 cm from the bottom of the container.) As soon as the wax has melted, reduce the heat to a minimum to maintain heat.
2. We spread baking paper or foil near the stove - the leaves will dry on it so that they do not stick to the surface. The distance from the plate to the foil should be minimal, ideally cover the edge of the plate with foil, otherwise it will then be necessary to scrape off drops of wax or paraffin for a long and dreary time.
3. We take the leaf by the petiole with our hands and quickly dip it into stearin (wax). Make sure that it is all - all dipped, but do not boil it in water for a long time - 6-10 seconds will be enough. Take it out and let the droplets of wax run right over the pan. To do this, first hold it for 6 seconds down with the tips, then, if it is dense, turn it a little to completely cut off all the drops and so that no accumulated wax remains on the tips. Then quickly place the sheet face up on the foil or baking paper. The sheet dries quickly - in about half a minute. After it, you can immediately transfer it to the same baking sheet or dish, where the leaves will finally dry out or wait in line for use in crafts. But after a minute - two leaves can already be used in the work. Foil or baking paper must be periodically cleaned of drops of wax, or put a new one so that the drops do not stick to the leaves. When you put the sheet to dry - a small droplet may remain on the tip and go beyond its aisles - after drying, this droplet can be easily removed manually with a knife or fingers, but in such a way as not to damage the entire coating of the sheet.
If a child participates in the process, then he must be at least 4.5-5 years old, and then he can dip the leaves into the wax himself, but only with a long petiole and after a thorough explanation by his mother how hot the wax is. As soon as the child is tired, let him become a spectator. But in general, this activity, although interesting, bewitching, but not for kids. My daughter made 6 leaves and then helped to sort the finished leaves.
As a result of processing, the leaves become very beautiful: they retain their shape and color. It is impossible to make them absolutely even, since nothing can be put on top when drying. So the natural curve will be preserved. But such a juicy shade cannot be achieved by simple drying. From white stearin, the leaves glisten slightly, as if frosted or candied, and yellow maple leaves becomes brighter, richer. It is not so easy to work with white stearin - when it hardens, it can show flaws in the work - accumulations of white on the hollows of the leaves. It is necessary to very carefully drive the stearin from the sheet - training to make precise movements. For stearin, you need to choose even leaves without dents. Good in stearin and variegated leaves with white spots. Stearin can be chipped from the leaves - if children's fingers pick it up. But he doesn't get off on his own. The leaves are quite fragile - like glass or frozen, but durable. It's a pity the photos do not convey those delightful sensations that arise when you hold this "wax" sheet in your hand and rustle it! After paraffin, we tried natural wax. With it, the leaves do not become hard, but remain soft and acquire an almost matte appearance. Of course, you should not bend them - the coating will lose beautiful view. All red leaves are very good under wax - for example, Maiden grapes. But yellow maple leaves are not as spectacular as in stearin, and are slightly curled. In general: depending on what you dip the leaves into, it turns out very different result. Since you don’t know what exactly will turn out, you feel like a little sorceress.
We put some of the finished leaves in a beautiful dish to decorate the dining room, and to touch them and admire them. And the other part made decorations on the windows: they tied the leaves with a thin black thread and attached them over window frame. These leaves have not lost theirs for two weeks now. appearance. Our garlands are good both in cloudy weather and in sunny. In the sun, of course, they shine incomparably - like a stained-glass window. And they slightly rustle from the breath of the breeze ... But in general, anything can be made from such "wax" leaves - a bouquet, a voluminous application, an autumn tree, a mobile, a garland - it all depends on our imagination. The technology itself is great. My daughter and I are very pleased and will continue to experiment with it next year.
material prepared for work.
Water bath. Irgi leaves are drying nearby. Only I can dip such tiny leaves in wax - it is dangerous for a child to do this. Nearby lies a knife with which I remove droplets of wax from the foil.
This photo and one below: - leaves in stearin.
This photo and one below: leaves in natural pure wax.
We liked the paraffin treatment more - because they made more of these leaves.
Leaves in stearin. The most spectacular and beautiful. Although many also like wax, similar to the touch of soft thin skin.
Those in stearin are like candied, or in hoarfrost. They are hard and brittle to the touch.
I made a wreath on the wall from the leaves treated with stearin. These are the leaves of the irgi.
For contrast, this is how maple leaves dry at home without any treatment. My daughter was impressed.
True, we really like this bouquet: it is stylish and beautiful. In general, every dried Maple Leaf, twisted becomes like a sculpture.
This is our composition on the window. Here you can see exactly how the leaves were tied - with a black thread for the petiole.
Our composition is made from leaves treated with stearin. It is good both in cloudy weather and in sunny weather.
It's on another window - in the nursery.
The shadows from the leaves on the window are especially good with the curtain drawn. And they sometimes "walk" around the room, depending on the time of day.
The child is delighted with our "eternal", magical leaves.
The time has come autumn preparations. This is not about canning tomatoes or cucumbers. Who in the family has children of preschool and younger age will understand what it is about. Ahead of the school year and the time of regular crafts.
We will prepare autumn leaves.
There are many ways: you can press the leaves (remember school herbariums?), save with wax paper, laminate, use silica gel, and even microwave dry.
In our opinion, best way preservation of leaves - with glycerin. Not the fastest, but the leaves remain soft to the touch, are stored for several years, and are suitable for crafts and for decorating rooms.
You will need:
- Glycerin (sold in any pharmacy, it is cheap)
- Containers or trays
- Autumn leaves
- Absorbent paper (napkins will do).
1. Select beautiful leaves. It is better that they are free of spots, bulges and not twisted. Put them in a plastic container.
2. Mix 1 part glycerin and 2 parts water by volume.
3. Pour the mixture over the leaves. To prevent the leaves from floating up, you can press them down with something, for example, put a smaller container on top.
4. Leave for 2-3 days. After that, check. If the leaves are still dry to the touch, leave for a couple more days. The leaves should feel soft and elastic to the touch.
Autumn crafts - no doubt, these words are very familiar to the mothers of schoolchildren. And that feeling is also familiar when a child, having come from school, says that dried leaves or handicrafts from them should be brought ... tomorrow. How to quickly dry the leaves so that they are ready as soon as possible? The most convenient and affordable way for everyone is with an iron.
Yes, yes, we will iron the leaves as if they were some kind of shirt. But, as in the case of fabric, you must carefully set the temperature so as not to spoil it. Too hot iron will cause the sheet to lose color.
Step 1. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth - you'll be surprised how much dirt accumulates on them. Especially on those taken from trees growing near roads. It is not necessary to wet the leaves, we do not recommend rubbing too hard either.
Step 2 Lay a blank sheet of paper on the ironing board, spread the leaves on it and cover them with another sheet of paper. Newspapers can also be used (they are often recommended in tips on how to quickly dry leaves), but letters and photos from newspapers can be imprinted on the leaves (checked).
Step 3 We make sure that there is no water in the iron (we will dry the leaves, not steam them) and set minimum temperature. If the iron doesn't seem hot enough, increase the temperature a little, but don't overdo it. It is better to iron the leaves for a longer time with a not very hot iron than to spoil them at maximum temperature in one fell swoop.
Step 4 We iron the leaves. Once ironed, remove top sheet paper and check the result. Turn the leaves over, cover with paper again and iron. We do this several times until the leaves become dry and brittle.
As you can see, drying the leaves with an iron is not so difficult. The main thing is not to make it too hot.
And in the end, we offer you examples of crafts from autumn leaves found on the Internet:
