Preserving the beauty of autumn leaves. What to do with them? Wax autumn leaves

1. Autumn bouquet
The easiest way to preserve the colors of autumn is to make a bouquet of leaves. The key word is preserve, as untreated leaves will quickly wither. So that the leaves do not lose their appearance and remain plastic, after drying they are dipped in hot (but not boiling!) Wax. You can put the leaves in a vase with a glycerin solution for a couple of days. AT ode should be twice as much as glycerin.

2. Bouquet of dried flowers
For crafts from leaves on the theme of "autumn" dried flowers are perfect. This is perfect material to form winter bouquets. Plants do well in our climate and are easy to find. Properly dried plants (in a ventilated attic, bunches down) do not lose color and shape for years, they can be dyed, combined with leaves, ornamental grasses, herbs.

3. Garland of dry autumn leaves
If the processed leaves are planted on a thread, thin wire or fishing line, you get a decorative garland. She can decorate both the nursery and the living room. But so that all this crimson splendor is not lost in the interior, choose a wall with a neutral background: white or, for example, light gray.
In the garland itself, for balance, it is better to alternate yellow and red leaves. In order not to pierce the leaves, they can be attached to a thread using tiny clothespins.

4. Painted leaves
If the color of rowan or maple leaves seems too intrusive to you, or vice versa, the shade of the birch leaf is too dull, repaint them or color them. Suitable for this purpose acrylic paints and markers: plain or decoupage.

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5. Garland with additives
Crafts from autumn leaves can be diluted with other natural "ingredients". Short garlands can be made more voluminous and fragrant by alternating leaves with orange or lemon slices, cinnamon sticks. Citrus fruits must first be dried in the oven.

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7. Cloud of leaves
Dry leaves on hangers placed on different height create a very light, touching interior image. Especially when they will “tremble” a little and rustle from the breeze. A very simple and very elegant do-it-yourself leaf craft.

9. Hanging on a hook
Bouquets of narrow long branches can be hung upside down by making a ribbon mount. So they won't fall apart. And if you add a couple of cinnamon sticks to the composition, you get a great room flavor.

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11. Autumn lamp
If you put the same Christmas tree garland in a basket with cones and leaves, you get an author's lamp. Volume and lightness will give it transparent balls from twine. You can make them with your own hands. We wrap the inflated balloon twine and process it with glue (varnish). After 5-6 hours, the glue will dry, the balls can be pierced and carefully pulled out of the ball. We thread a garland thread through the balls, group, decorate.

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12. Garland for the railing
In the USA, with the help of leaves, houses are often decorated for various holidays and celebrations. They make solid garlands there, using large leaves of magnolia, boxwood, salal - as in the photo. Such a garland can be used to decorate, for example, a staircase railing for a wedding celebration. All guests will be photographed on such stairs!

14. Decorative wreath
Another tradition a bit alien to us is the decoration of doors with decorative wreaths. Initially, in the same America, wreaths were made for Christmas (they borrowed a European notion), then- and for Thanksgiving.And now they make a variety of themed wreaths. On the picture-leaf craft on the theme" autumn " . Tradition, of course, unusual, but beautiful. And if the idea of ​​decorating the house with a wreath from the outside seems excessive to you, then from the inside, natural decor will be quite appropriate. The easiest way to make an autumn wreath is to arrange the leaves on plywood or cardboard and secure with a hot glue gun.

15. Wreath of leaves and berries
A wreath with green leaves and red berries looks no worse than crimson. In the photo - a variant of eucalyptus and olive, but we can use other plants - for example, willow. Berries of viburnum, mountain ash and hawthorn, rose hips will fit into the ensemble. It is more convenient to fix such a design with a thin wire on a pair of metal circles.

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17. Ice wreath
A fun idea for crafting from autumn leaves with your own hands - an ice wreath with gifts of nature frozen inside. Such street decor can be done using an old car camera, plastic pipe with a round bend or two large cups (pots, basins) of different diameters.

20. Magic vessel
Autumn leaf crafts look especially good with backlighting. It emphasizes the amazing structure of the leaf, all the veins on the sheet plate. Take the usual glass jar and glue it with dried leaves using decoupage glue (for example, Mod Podge) that combines the properties of both glue and varnish. On top, apply another layer of this composition. You can make decoupage glue yourself by mixing 200 ml of PVA, 100 ml of water and 1.5 tablespoons of varnish on water based.

21. Autumn candlesticks
If you do not like "smooth" forms, you can paste over the jar with overlapping leaves. This will give the future candlestick three-dimensional view. The neck of the jar can be decorated with a ribbon with a cone or twine / raffia with a bunch of dried berries.

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22. Green candlesticks
In summer, dry leaves may not be at hand. Eco-style express lamps can also be made with fresh herbs. A jar of water from the inside is lined with any wide green leaf, and a tablet candle is lowered into the water.

24. Romantic herbarium
The first thing that comes to mind when you think what to do with the leaves with your own hands is a herbarium. Dried flowers and leaves will be appropriate in almost all interiors.
Recall that you need to collect plants for a classic herbarium in dry weather, when the dew dries. There are many drying options: using a press, iron, oven, silica gel. In summer, you can even dry the plants outdoors. Express drying allows you to create volumetric herbariums- those where the leaves and flowers retain their natural shape.

26. Leaf paintings
For such a craft, or rather, for two, you will need two empty frames with glass, a piece of non-woven fabric with adhesive base, iron and, of course, leaves: dry or fresh, green.
And you get two pictures - as in the photo. The one on the right is leaves ironed between layers of interlining. The one on the left is the leaves sandwiched between layers of glass (one belongs to the same frame, the second is borrowed from the frame on the right).
The beauty is that such a craft is easy to do with your own hands, and that it is easy to update it.

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29. Window decor
And this application of dry leaves is specially made for the window. "Stuffing" is placed between two sheets of transparent paper, cut out in the shape of a circle. Holes are made along the edges for fastening to a metal ring. It is not necessary to lay out a symmetrical pattern - as in the photo. Making crafts from leaves with your own hands - the process is painstaking, but creative. Perhaps you will get something in the style of famous« vegetable portraits» ?

33. Living bas-relief
A panel in the shape of a recognizable object is another version of do-it-yourself leaf crafts. The image - in this case, pumpkins - is carved from thick cardboard. It was perforated with a nail and a hammer. Branches with leaves are fixed on the canvas with a thin wire.

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The beauty of autumn leaves can be enjoyed not only in autumn. Some drying methods may result in leaf loss or discolouration. However, there are numerous ways that help keep the color and shape for a long time. After reading this article, you will learn how to dry autumn leaves so that they please you in the cold season, when the trees on the street are bare and unsightly.

Steps

Decoupage

Select bright leaves. Collect freshly fallen, bright and rather soft leaves. The leaves may be slightly dry, but not to the point where they break or curl on the sides. Choose whole leaves. Avoid torn or slightly damaged leaves.

Cover the leaves with adhesive on both sides. For decoupage, a white adhesive is used, which becomes invisible when dried. You can buy an adhesive in a store that sells goods for creativity and needlework. Use a sponge brush to apply adhesive. Lay the leaves out to dry on a sheet of newspaper.

• In most cases, decoupage should be done the same day the leaves were picked. If you delay this activity, the leaves will dry out, turn brown and brittle.
• If the leaves are very damp, or if you have picked them directly from the tree without waiting for them to fall, they should be dried for a few days. To do this, put the leaves inside a large book.

1. Wait until the adhesive is completely dry. It should not stick to your fingers. On the leaves, it should also become completely transparent.

   Repeat on the other side. Flip the leaves over and apply glue to them. When the second side is dry, the leaves are ready to use. This method allows you to keep the color and shape of the leaves for a long period of time.

   Use of paraffin wax

   1. Take fresh leaves. Collect freshly fallen bright leaves. Coating with paraffin wax will give the leaves a beautiful shine. Dry each sheet by wiping it with a paper towel before moving on to the next step.

      Melt the paraffin wax in disposable tableware. 450 g of paraffin wax should be melted in a disposable dish, heating it over low heat.

      • To melt paraffin wax faster, cut it into large pieces and spread them evenly across the bottom of a disposable dish.
      • If you don't have a disposable container to melt paraffin wax, grab a cake pan that you don't plan on using for cooking anymore. Wax can ruin the mold, so don't use the utensils you're cooking in.

   2. Remove the melted wax from the stove. Be very careful as the melted wax is very hot. Place it carefully on your desktop. Be careful not to overturn the wax container. This is especially important to consider if you have pets or children in your home.

      Dip each leaf into the melted wax. Hold the leaf by the handle and dip it in the wax a few times. Make sure that both sides of the sheet are completely covered with wax. Do not bring your fingers close to hot wax, so as not to burn yourself. Repeat the above steps for the rest of the leaves.

      Lay the leaves out to dry. Lay each waxed sheet on waxed paper and leave in this position until the wax hardens. Let the leaves dry for several hours in a draught-free room. After the leaves have dried, they should special efforts take off the paper. Thanks to this method, the shape and color of the leaves are preserved for a very long time.

      • To be on the safe side, line your worktop with newspaper before laying down some wax paper. Thanks to this, the wax will not fall on the worktable. If the wax gets on the table, it will be very difficult to remove.

   Use of glycerin

   1. Choose fresh leaves or a small twig with leaves. If you want to dry a whole twig of autumn leaves, this method is the way to go. Choose a twig with leaves that are firmly attached to it.

      • This method may slightly change the color of the leaves. Yellows will become more saturated, reds and oranges will become more vibrant.
      • If possible, look for already fallen branches instead of plucking them from trees. Remember that such actions can harm the tree.
      • Do not take branches with diseased or frost-bitten leaves. This method will not bring desired result if the leaves were caught by frost.

   2. Cut off the end of each branch. Beat the end of each branch with a hammer so that the fresh tree is visible. This should be done so that the branch absorbs glycerin better. Otherwise, it will not reach the leaves.

      • If you want to dry only the leaves, without the twig, you can skip this step.

   3. Dilute the glycerin solution. It can be purchased at the store. To prepare the solution, mix in large capacity 530 ml liquid vegetable glycerin with 2 liters of water.

      • Glycerin is a natural substance derived from plants. This leaf storage process is environmentally friendly.
      • If you want to dry the leafy twigs, add four to five drops of dishwashing liquid. This makes it easier for the glycerin to penetrate the wood. For nai best result Use dishwashing liquid that is colorless and odorless. Alternatively, a liquid surfactant, available from a hardware store, can be used.

   4. Place the twigs with leaves in the solution for three to five days. The twigs and leaves will need to soak up the glycerin for three to five days. Place the container with the solution and twigs in a dark place.

      Remove the twigs and leaves from the solution. The color of the leaves will become brighter. In addition, they will become more elastic. You can use the whole twig or individual leaves to make various fakes.

   Using the microwave

   Place fresh leaves between two paper towels. This is good way dry leaves for fakes. However, be prepared for the fact that the color of the leaves may become duller. Place fresh leaves on a two-layer paper towel. Cover them with a single-layer towel on top.

   • Use freshly fallen leaves that still bend well. Do not take leaves with curled ends, torn or stained.
   • For best results, leave a small space between the leaves so they don't stick together.

   1. Dry the leaves in microwave oven. Place the leaves in the microwave and heat them for 30 seconds. Then continue heating for 5 seconds.

      • Autumn leaves usually need to be heated for 30 to 180 seconds before they become completely dry.
      • Be very careful when you put the leaves in the microwave. If you leave them in the microwave for a long time, they may catch fire.
      • If the leaves look burnt, chances are you overcooked them in the microwave. If the leaves are curling around the edges, they probably haven't been in the microwave long enough.

   2. Leave the leaves overnight. Place the leaves in a dark, draft-free place and leave them for at least a night and a maximum of 2 days. If you notice that the leaves begin to fade, they urgently need to be processed.

      Treat the leaves with acrylic spray. Leaves need to be processed on both sides. Wait for the leaves to dry. After that, they can be used to make fakes.

   Use of the book

   Place the leaves between two sheets of paper. Unfortunately, using this method, you will not be able to preserve the color of the leaves. Place the leaves between two sheets of thick printing paper.

   • Use thick paper for printing, not thin tracing paper. Otherwise, the leaves may leave stains.
   • Lay out the leaves in one layer. Do not stack leaves on top of each other, otherwise they may stick together.
   • Choose leaves that are in good condition. They should be freshly fallen and damp. The cuttings should not be dry or twisted.

   1. Place a heavy book on paper. To on the book and on working surface no stains left, place paper towels or toilet paper between a sheet of paper and a book. They absorb moisture from the leaves.

      You can also dry the leaves right in the book, but in this case you should use only old book, which will not be a pity, as stains may remain. Place the leaves between the pages of the book. For best results, place each sheet at least 20 pages apart.

      • Use the telephone directory if you have one.
      • Place a heavy object on top of the book. This will keep the leaves flat and dry. You can use other books, bricks, or any other heavy object.

   2. Check the condition of the leaves after a week. They must be dry. If they are still not dry, continue drying for a few days.

   Use of wax paper

   Choose fresh leaves. Use moist, bright and freshly fallen leaves. After the procedure, the leaves will become shiny.

   1. Dry the leaves. Place dry leaves between two paper towels. Arrange the leaves in a single layer so that there is free space between them. Iron paper towels on each side. Iron each side for 3-5 minutes.

      • Drying the leaves ahead of time will help them retain their color and quality after covering the leaves with wax paper.
      • Do not use the steam function on the iron when drying leaves. The steam will return moisture to the leaves. Use the dry ironing function.
      • Feel the leaves after ironing them for 3 to 5 minutes. If the sheet is still not dry enough, iron it for a few more minutes on each side.

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 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. 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:

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.

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.

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.

In this way, you can decorate clothes, home textiles, dishes and other household items.

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 academic year and time for 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.