How to Frame Fall Leaves

The appearance of multi-colored fall leaves is a sure sign that summer has ended. Oak and maple trees have leaves ranging from dark green, yellow, orange and crimson red. To use this diversity of colors, you can create wall art made of fall leaves. You will surely enjoy the spectacular colors in the comfort of your own home even after the leaves from trees have all disappeared.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Assorted fall leaves
• Newspaper
• Paper towel
• Books
• Wax paper
• Hot iron
• Towel
• Glycerin
• Silica gel
• Assorted frames
• Assorted mats
• Craft glue or glue gun

1. Collect assorted leaves with different shapes, colors and sizes. Pick up leaves that do not have signs of infestations or diseases. Avoid leaves with black spots and discoloration. Pick from the branch to ensure that they are still fresh. When choosing from the ground, make sure to choose leaves that are not stuck in the mud or underneath a big pile of leaves.

2. Dry the leaves by pressing them between newspapers or paper towels with their leaves flat not curled. Place books on top to add weight to flatten the leaves. You can also dry leaves by placing them between wax paper and covering them with a hand towel, then using a hot iron to press on top of the hand towel.

3. Preserve the leaves by using silica gel. Pour silica gel in a flat container and place the leaves there. The silica gel will absorb the wetness and help dry the leaves without losing the fall colors. You may prefer to dip the leaves in glycerin poured into a pan rather than using silica gel. The glycerin can give the leaves a shiny appearance.

4. Mount the leaves on a matted frame. Make sure to place the leaf at the center. Add a dab of craft glue to the back of the leaves (preferably the back of the stems). Let the glue dry.

5. Cover the mat with the glass frame and hang wherever you like.

6. Hang on the wall or place above the sofa table of mantle.

Tips & Warnings

• Use pressed glass frames to mount the dried fall leaves. Secure the sides using decorative tapes such as those gilded in gold, copper or silver/metallic colors.
• Display the frames in a series of odd or even numbers. They will have more impact if you have more frames on one wall.
• Be careful when collecting leaves, as there are poison oaks that can give you a bad rash and allergic reactions.

[ptb49er]

on 9/13/2008 What a creative idea!