How to dry leaves. How I learned to keep autumn leaves beautiful for a long time What can be done from dried leaves

Beautiful leaves are the highlight of this season. Some fall foliage looks more beautiful than flowers in summer, because it is filled with vibrant, genuine colors. But in order to preserve this beauty, you will have to make an effort.

Foliage selection can be done with children, brothers, sisters, and then make a beautiful family bouquet. When looking for craft materials, follow these guidelines:

• choose flat, not twisted specimens without streaks or tubercles;
• collect foliage of different colors, do not get hung up on one tone, otherwise your autumn bouquet will be boring;
• dry wet leaves under pressure, otherwise they will not be preserved;
• leaflets that accumulate less moisture in themselves can be preserved with glycerin or silica gel.

How to keep autumn leaves for a long time

There are several ways to preserve seasonal beauty.

Pressing

Pressing the foliage is the easiest, but the result will not last as long as we would like. After it, the foliage often loses its shape, and then quickly dries out if not constantly under pressure. However, this is one of the most common ways to save autumn beauty. How to dry leaves under pressure:

1. Choose dry flat leaves.
2. Lay them between newspapers or waterproof waxed paper - a layer of wax will seal the cracks and make the leaves smooth.
3. Take a couple of heavy books, put paper in the middle. A large weight will not allow the herbarium to twist.
4. Place more heavy books or any other weight on top.
5. Leave the book in a cool, dry place. After a week, check the leaves - they should dry out, but if something went wrong, only rot will remain from beauty. If during this time nothing happened to the leaves, hold them under pressure for as long as possible.

After pressing, the foliage can be used to design a room or decorate furniture by placing the dried branches on interior items and then covering them with a transparent cloth. Such decor will make the apartment even more comfortable.

Application of silica gel

Silica gel is a white powder that is used to dry shoes. It resembles salt and can often be found in shoe boxes. Silica gel removes moisture, so it helps a lot when drying shoes. Powder can be purchased at any craft or hardware store.

Silica gel is a powerful thing, it will cope even with thick wreaths. Therefore, in order for the craft to be stored for a long time, the composition should be preserved in this way. The drying process by this method consists of several stages:

1. Choose moist elastic specimens.
2. Sprinkle a 3 cm layer of silica gel on the bottom of a thick microwaveable dish.
3. Lay the yellow leaves on top, leaving some free space.
4. Completely cover the material with another layer of powder.
5. Place the dish in the microwave at medium power, uncovered, for about 2 minutes.
6. Check the leaves periodically. When they are dry, take them out and let them cool.

The use of glycerin solution

Marinating in glycerin is one of the best methods for preserving herbarium. When using this liquid, the foliage remains flexible and soft for several years. So you can save not only leaves, but also whole small branches.

1. Make a one to two solution of glycerin with water, pour into a flat tray.
2. Fold everything into a glycerin composition, and then cover with another dish. Allow the herbarium to fully submerge in the solution.
3. Leave the leaves to soak in glycerin. Check every 2-3 days to keep them soft and bouncy.
4. After filling with glycerin, the herbarium must be removed and the remains wiped off.

After the glycerin solution, the foliage can also be used for wreaths or garlands. With their help, you can transform the interior of the table, make rings for napkins and dishes.

Those methods that we talked about above have one significant drawback - in the pursuit of storage time during drying, you can deprive the bouquet of the beauty that you were just trying to preserve. The probability of such an outcome is small, but still it is.

1. Choose fresh, damp maple leaves and place them between two paper towels.
2. Put this "sandwich" on a tray that can be heated in the microwave.
3. Put in the microwave and turn it on at medium power.
4. Check the herbarium every 30-60 seconds. With high humidity and thickness, this process will take longer.

If too long passes, the leaves can ignite and flare, so keep a close eye on them before they crumble and shrink. Only you can protect the leaves from drying out, and the house from a fire.

Autumn dresses the trees in golden and crimson clothes, covers the earth with carpets of incredible beauty. Orange, yellow, burgundy leaves, collected in bouquets, can enliven the interior in every home. They make great crafts. But how to keep this beauty?

The leaves collected in the park quickly lose their chic appearance, wrinkle, darken, crumble at the slightest touch. So after a few days you have to throw them away. And so I want them to stand in a vase all winter. But these masterpieces of nature can be saved if a simple technology is applied.

The easiest ways

I have always used three proven methods. With their help, you can save autumn leaves until spring. They are suitable for a herbarium, and for a bouquet, and for interesting crafts. Their bright autumn leaves can even create paintings and decorate the walls of the house with them. Here are the ways:

• dry the leaves in the book;
• use the microwave
• apply decoupage material.

Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages. Now I will tell you more about them.

Dry in the book

Even a child can use this method. He will need an old thick book and beautiful autumn leaves. They can be picked up from the ground or torn straight from the tree. It is important that they are free of any defects - holes, rotting areas, breaks.

It is better to take an old book that is no longer useful. The fact is that the sheet, in the process of drying, releases the juice it contains, which stains the pages. You can also use a stack of last year's newspapers. You just need to make sure that they do not change their position while the leaf dries. Otherwise, it may be deformed or crumble into small pieces. The sheet must be placed between the pages. It is important that it is well pressed down. If this is not done, it may rot.

If there are no unnecessary books in the house, take any. Only in this case, place paper towels or napkins on top and bottom of the leaflet. They will absorb the juice that stands out, and the pages of the book will remain clean. If you have several pieces of paper, arrange them so that there are at least 40 pages between them. Then they will not deform each other during the drying process. You have to wait 2-3 weeks.

This method is good for its simplicity. With it, you can dry any leaves that fit in the book. However, at the same time they become faded and not so beautiful. In addition, the leaves dried in the book are very fragile. They break easily from careless touch. You can use them for herbarium or creating applications. In a bouquet, they do not look very impressive.

in the microwave

This method is also very simple. It is good because the material for crafts can be obtained in a few minutes. The microwave helps out if in a kindergarten or at school they suddenly demand to urgently bring a herbarium.

Despite the seeming simplicity, it is not necessary to entrust the child with drying the leaves in this way. The fact is that the drying process should take only a couple of minutes. If the sheet is overexposed in the oven, it will turn black and wrinkle. It is difficult for a small child to count the right time, so it is advisable that an adult do this work.

Before sending the leaves in the microwave, they need to remove moisture (if any). Several leaves can be dried in the oven at the same time. So that they do not stick together, you do not need to place them next to each other. There should be a small distance between the sheets.

It is required to put them on a paper towel folded in two layers. Top with another layer of paper. Gently place this design in the microwave and turn on the device for 30 seconds. During this time, the leaf will not have time to become completely dry. Therefore, further it will be necessary to turn on the oven several times for 5 seconds. The maximum amount of time a sheet should spend in the microwave is only 3 minutes. If it is overexposed, it may even catch fire. That's why this work should be done by an adult.

If you really need, then the leaves prepared in this way can be used immediately. However, it is better to give them a little more time for the final drying. After microwaving, put them overnight in a dark place. It's even better if they dry out for a day or two.

If you notice that the sheets are becoming faded, immediately treat them on both sides with an acrylic spray.

Decoupage varnish

This method is a little more difficult than the previous two, but an older child can handle it too. For work you will need:

• beautiful leaves;
• sponge brush;
• decoupage varnish;
• unnecessary newspaper.

Do not take too dry leaves, because in the process they will twist in the corners and sides. A sponge brush and varnish can be purchased at a store that sells art supplies. Some masters use PVA glue instead of varnish, but the result is much worse.

It is desirable to start processing on the day the leaves are collected. The work process is very simple. It is necessary to carefully cover the leaves on one side with varnish and lay them out to dry. To do this, you can use not only a newspaper, but also any other paper, for example, pieces of wallpaper left after repair.

When the varnish is completely dry, you need to apply it on the other side of the leaves and lay them out on paper again. This technique allows you to completely preserve all the shades of autumn leaves and makes them more durable. Most of the time I save them this way. I like maple leaves. They are large, with carved edges, have a long petiole. I make amazingly beautiful bouquets of them that delight the eye all winter.

We use wax

Recently I learned that there are other ways to preserve the autumn beauty. One of them is the processing of leaves with wax. This method is also quite simple, but only adults should use it.

You need to prepare the following materials and items:

• leaflets;
• an old frying pan or saucepan that you no longer use for cooking;
• a candle;
• a sheet of waxed paper (you can also use clothespins).

It is better to take a white candle, because colored wax will slightly change the shades of the leaves you have collected. First you need to carefully sort them out, throw away all the torn and twisted ones. The rest needs to be wiped off if they are wet.

Next, you need to melt the wax. To speed up the process, the candle can be cut into pieces. Melt the wax not on fire, but on a water bath. When it becomes liquid, you need to take a leaf by the tip of the petiole and dip it in wax. It is recommended to do this 2-3 times to get a thicker layer.

Next, the leaf can be placed on wax paper or hung by the petiole on a rope using a clothespin. Paper should be taken exactly waxed, because wax can stick to any other. This method allows you to perfectly preserve all the shades of the autumn leaf.

Using wax paper

In this case, we do not need a candle. This method is not very difficult, but requires attention. Need to prepare:

• beautiful leaves;
• scissors;
• iron;
• two sheets of waxed paper of any color.

Leaves brought from the street should be carefully examined and wiped if there is moisture on them. After this preparation, place them between two sheets of wax paper and iron them.

The heat will melt the wax on the paper and stick to your leaves. The steam function cannot be turned on. Keep a hot iron on a piece of paper should be no more than 3-5 minutes on one side and the same on the other.

After ironing for 5 minutes, try the sheet. If it is still not completely dry, repeat the procedure again. When the wax on the leaf hardens, you need to take scissors and carefully cut off all the excess.

We use glycerin

This method seemed to me the longest, but it helps to save not only individual leaves, but also entire branches. Of course, you do not need to break the tree. Often twigs remain after autumn pruning. Sometimes they themselves fall from the trees. The leaves on the branch should hold on very tightly.

Need to prepare:

• glycerin - 530 ml;
• water - 2 liters;
• leaflets;
• a hammer;
• dishwashing liquid (it should be odorless and colorless);
• deep container.

Glycerin must be diluted with water, add a few drops of detergent to the solution. Some masters advise to put twigs in water for several hours. However, you can do without it.

Their edges must be beaten off with a hammer so that the liquid can easily reach the leaves. Now you need to immerse the branch in the solution for a period of 3 to 5 days. During this time, the leaves should be saturated with glycerin. After 5 days, the twig can be removed from the solution, allowed to dry and used for further creativity. This method not only preserves the color of the leaves, but also makes them more saturated, bright, beautiful.

Choose the method you like and create with pleasure.

The leaves are often dried to decorate crafts or to preserve herbs in cooking. There are many ways to dry leaves, so take the time to work through them and find the one that works best for your purposes. Fortunately, the resources of most ways are easy to get from the comfort of your home.

Steps

Drying leaves for crafts

Air dry the leaves if they are not supposed to be flat. Place the leaves in a shallow container or tie in a bunch. Expose in the sun for a few days and check if they are dry. Sunlight will dry out the leaves, but the edges may curl. Such leaves cannot be used for crafts, but they are great for dried flower arrangements.

• Not leave the leaves in direct sunlight if you want to retain the full richness of the greenery of a natural leaf. Direct sunlight will lead to a loss of color and a decrease in the brightness of vibrant colors.
• Air currents from a window or from exposure to a hair dryer will dry the leaves faster.

1. Smooth out the leaves and dry in a slow but simple way. Spread one large or several small leaves between two paper towels so that the leaves do not overlap. Open a large book, like an encyclopedia, and insert paper towels with leaves between the pages. Close the book and lay flat somewhere out of sight. Place other books or place a heavy object on top. Once a week, check to see if the leaves are dry and change the paper towels if they are damp.

   Use a flower press instead of quick drying. You can purchase a large flower press and place leaves in it, or you can make your own out of plywood and cardboard. It will cost more and require more materials than the book method, but air circulation can speed up the drying process and only take a few days.

   • Spread the leaves between two paper towels. Place paper towels between two sheets of blotting paper or several additional sheets of paper towels. Place all these layers in a flower press, close it and tighten. Check every few days to change wet towels until the leaves are dry.

2. Dry a large, thick sheet in the microwave. Place a thick sheet between two layers of paper towels on a plate in the microwave. Place a plate and a small cup of water inside and turn on for 30 seconds. If the sheet is not yet dry, turn on again for 10 seconds and so on, checking the sheet between turns.

   • Attention Note: The leaf can easily catch fire in the microwave, so only use this method on large, thick leaves. A cup of water helps prevent fires because some of the microwave energy is used to heat the water.

3. Press the fresh leaves with an iron to preserve the color. This method is best for fresh leaves that have not yet discolored or begun to dry out, although you should pat them dry with a towel if they are damp. Lay one sheet between two layers of wax paper, and place a towel on top of the wax paper. Heat the iron and run it over the towel, applying pressure for 2-5 minutes or until the side is dry. Flip the wax paper layers over, cover again with a towel and iron again.

   You can save the texture of large evergreen leaves with water and glycerin. The leaves will turn brown, but their structure and elasticity will remain for a long time. This method is especially well suited for wide evergreen leaves, such as magnolia leaves. Mix one part glycerin and two parts water in a shallow bowl, and dip the leaves into this container so that they are completely covered with liquid. The leaves can be used after about 4 days, or leave them in the solution for a few weeks to keep forever.

   • This method works by replacing water in the leaves with glycerin, which, unlike water, does not evaporate.
   • If the leaves float, cover them with a paper plate or other object that you don't mind getting wet to keep the weight of the leaves below the surface of the liquid.
   • If the liquid level is below the level of the leaves, add more water and glycerin.

4. Pour one liter of water into a saucepan. You can use a smaller saucepan if there are few leaves. In this case, proportionally reduce the amount of other ingredients listed below, or just use all of them in half size.

   Put on gloves. The mixture you will be preparing can be hazardous to the skin, so wear latex or rubber gloves before mixing with other ingredients. After finishing work, do not forget to wash all tools with detergent under running water; do this without taking off your gloves.

   Add some baking soda or soda ash. These chemicals can be found at grocery stores or drugstores. Whichever one you use, 2 tablespoons (or 30 grams) will be enough. Any of these chemicals will slowly pulp the leaf until only the stem and veins remain.

Dried leaves are sometimes an indispensable component of crafts or a memory in the form of a herbarium. A variety of sam0delka.ru are made from them, and they can also be used in the interior. Some of them can be used as flavoring for tea. There are several ways to dry leaves.

dry leaves for crafts

1. If you need voluminous leaves, for example, for a bouquet, they need to be laid out in the sun one at a time or combined into bunches. In this case, the edges of the leaves may curl slightly. If you want to achieve a rich color, you should avoid direct sunlight. To speed up the process, you can use warm air from a hair dryer.
2. Leaves, previously covered with paper towels, are placed between the sheets of the book. Wet leaves should first be rid of moisture by blotting with a towel. It is important that there must be a distance of at least three mm between the leaves, otherwise the weight will be insufficient. The dried plant book should be checked every week.
3. There is a special device - a flower press. The leaves placed in it, due to the free passage of air, dry quickly. You can either buy it or make your own. The leaves are separated with paper towels and placed under the press. As towels get wet, they need to be changed.
4. Large leaves dry well in the microwave. To do this, a cup of water is placed in it and the leaf itself, wrapped in paper towels, on a plate. You need to dry for 10 seconds, each time checking the condition of the plant.
5. The brightness of fresh leaves can be preserved by drying them with an iron. Each sheet is wrapped in waxed paper and covered with a towel on top. Each side is ironed for about two minutes.
6. A solution of water and glycerin will help keep the texture of the leaves, but will give them a brown color. The leaf is placed in this solution for several days. After holding it for a couple of weeks, the sheet will remain forever.

Leaves for tea

1. Fresh herbs must be thoroughly washed and dried on a towel.
2. Microwave drying is suitable for instant results. The leaves are placed between paper towels and dried for 30 seconds. This method will not work with juicy greens.
3. Plants with hard leaves dry well. Hanging in small bunches in a dark room. All moisture will have time to evaporate from them. Before drying, small greens are best placed in a paper bag with a prepared hole.
4. Fleshy leaves must be dried quickly, as they tend to become moldy. To do this, in the microwave, paper towels and leaves are placed sequentially in several layers. Plants should not touch each other.
5. Dry leaves keep well in airtight containers. They can be crushed first. They are great as a condiment or addition to tea.

leaf skeleton

1. You need to choose leaves with pronounced veins.
2. Pour water into a saucepan. For safety, gloves must be used, and at the end, rinse all tools with running water.
3. Edible salt added to water will gradually soften the leaf, leaving a veined stem. It can be replaced with soda ash. It will take 30 grams.
4. Leaves are placed in the finished solution.
5. You can simmer the leaves over low heat or bring to a boil first, and then lower the temperature.
6. The leaves should be simmered until they completely disintegrate. As water evaporates, it must be added.
7. Finished leaves are carefully placed in a container of cold water. They should not touch each other.
8. The pulp is carefully removed from the leaf with a stiff brush. If necessary, it can be washed with running water.
9. Wash all dishes well with soapy water.
10. The resulting leaf skeleton can be dried in any way possible (spread out on paper towels, between the pages of books or under pressure).

Dried leaves are easy to use. And the use of simple methods will turn a boring activity into an exciting pastime.

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 will 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.

Step 2 Lay a clean 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 the 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 longer with a not very hot iron than to spoil them at maximum temperature in one fell swoop.

Step 4 We iron the leaves. After ironing once, remove the top sheet of 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: