Make colorful garlands with pressed leaves
Bring the forest to your home. Press leaves yourself, paint them and decorate your walls.
What you’ll need:
What you’ll need:
- Kitchen roll (or newspaper, blotting paper, toilet paper)
- 2 sheets of cardboard (A4 or larger)
- Some books as weights
- Paints (acrylic or gouache)
- A paintbrush
- String
- Glue (hot glue or all-purpose)
- Scissors
- Washi tape or drawing pins
From the forest:
- Leaves
How to do it
1. Go out to the forest and collect leaves from different trees.
1. Go out to the forest and collect leaves from different trees.
2. Press the leaves: take one of the sheets of cardboard and cover it with kitchen roll. Place your leaves between the layers of kitchen roll, making sure the leaves don’t touch each other.
2. Press the leaves: take one of the sheets of cardboard and cover it with kitchen roll. Place your leaves between the layers of kitchen roll, making sure the leaves don’t touch each other.
3. Cover the leaves with the other piece of cardboard and weigh it down with a few books. Allow the leaves to dry out for 1–4 weeks. How long depends on how much moisture is in the leaves.
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Tip: change the kitchen roll every couple of days if it gets damp, or the leaves will go moldy.
3. Cover the leaves with the other piece of cardboard and weigh it down with a few books. Allow the leaves to dry out for 1–4 weeks. How long depends on how much moisture is in the leaves.
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Tip: change the kitchen roll every couple of days if it gets damp, or the leaves will go moldy.
4. Paint the pressed leaves in whichever colors you like. You can paint patterns or even animals, such as a fox, on them – it'’s up to you. Allow the paint to dry completely.
4. Paint the pressed leaves in whichever colors you like. You can paint patterns or even animals, such as a fox, on them – it'’s up to you. Allow the paint to dry completely.
5. Lay out the leaves for your garland in the desired order on the table.
5. Lay out the leaves for your garland in the desired order on the table.
6. Turn the leaves over and position the string along the top of them.
6. Turn the leaves over and position the string along the top of them.
7. Stick the leaves securely to the string with hot glue and allow everything to set.
7. Stick the leaves securely to the string with hot glue and allow everything to set.
8. Hang your garland up.
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Tip: attach the garland to the wall with washi tape or drawing pins.
8. Hang your garland up.
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Tip: attach the garland to the wall with washi tape or drawing pins.
