Green & Gold Painted Oak Leaf Wreath Craft
The oak leaf is curvaceous and long which makes it an ideal resource for many artists and crafters. They use this leaf in art projects because it is reminiscent of traditional Americana. Simple creative uses include wreaths made with painted gold and green leaves, or with rich fall-colored oak leaves spritzed with gold and green paint. Some artists have used oak leaves to make paintings, using the outline or impression of the leaf. Crafts and art projects made with oak leaves can look expensive, however they are easy to make and some make fun family projects, allowing parents to create an awareness of nature in children. Does this Spark an idea?
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Fully Painted
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In some oak wreath leaf projects the leaves are painted before being placed on the wreath. This gives the leaves full paint coverage. Accent this type of wreath with seasonal gold ornaments, gourds or pine cones. Wire the leaves into the wreath leaving few empty spots where the straw or wire wreath base can show through. This type of wreath usually hangs on outer front doors during the fall season, because of the fall and winter colors.
Gold Spattered
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There are green and gold painted oak leaf wreath projects where you take book-pressed green oak tree leaves and wire them into the straw, Styrofoam, or wire wreath, leaving no empty spaces where the wreath can be seen. Lightly mist the leaves with gold and green spray paint. This type of wreath can be used throughout the year because the gold is a light covering, to give the leaves a goldish tinge, and the green spatter gives the leaves an evergreen look. Add other dried arrangements, flowers, ornaments or ribbon to your wreath.
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Leaf Outline
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Make a painting of an oak leaf wreath by using pressed oak leaves placed in a circular manner on a large piece of heavy watercolor paper. Use poster boards rolled in a loose circular manner, tape and newspaper to mask off the areas you don't want to paint. Then lightly spatter with gold spray paint. When you remove the leaves you have an outline of the leaf form which you can lightly paint with green watercolor paints.
Leaf Impressions
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Make oak leaf wreath impressions by painting the leaves on the underside in alternating green and gold. Then while the leaves are still wet press them into a nice art paper in a wreath-like formation. This leaves the paint impression on the paper. When your painting dries, have it framed and place it in any room of the house.
Children's Wreaths
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Involve children in green and gold painted oak wreath crafts. This gives you a great family activity and gets the children involved with nature projects. Make placemats or picture window art. Press and spray paint a few maple leaves in green and gold, then cut a piece of colored craft paper or poster board to the size of a placemat. Allow the children to place the painted leaves in a wreath shape on the paper. Slip in a piece of laminate under the craft paper and another over. Place in a laminate machine to laminate together. If you don't have access to a laminating machine, you can use contact paper.
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References
- Photo Credit oak leaf image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
