How to Make Crafts with Autumn Leaves
With the arrival of autumn, leaves turn color as if touched by Nature's paintbrush. You can appropriate Mother Nature's art and make some art of your own.
Up next in Fun Fall Ideas (9 videos)
Celebrate autumn with the great ideas in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- Autumn leaves
- Old book
- Acrylic spray
- Craft glue
- Paper
- Drawing supplies
- Wax paper
- Crayons and a sharpener
- Iron
- Newspaper
Steps
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Step 1
Gather leaves
Collect autumn leaves in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.
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Wash the leaves gently and allow them to dry.
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Step 2
Press the leaves
Press the leaves between the pages of an old book for a day, and remove them when they are flat.
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Spray the leaves with an acrylic sealant on both sides to protect them.
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Step 3
Make a booklet of leaves
Make a book of leaves by selecting your favorites and gluing them to pieces of paper. Label each leaf, and write an annotation about how and where you found it. Then assemble the papers into a booklet.
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Step 4
Make a picture
Use the leaves to construct a picture. Draw a picture outline on a sheet of paper, and then fill it in with leaves. When you are done, glue the leaves to the sheet of paper.
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Be sure to have plenty of small leaves on hand to help with fine detail.
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Step 5
Make a stained glass window
Make a stained glass window. Lay some of your pressed leaves on a sheet of wax paper. Place crayon shavings on the paper beside the leaves, and then cover it with a second sheet of wax paper. Iron the wax paper sandwich at low heat between sheets of newspaper and hang your craft in a window. Display your leaf crafts through every season.
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The single red maple leaf flag became Canada's official national flag in 1965.
