Preserve leaves in glycerine or assemble leaf and flower garlands to wear to the fall festival. Here are a half dozen fall leaf art ideas.
For parents and teachers searching for unusual leaf artwork projects here are a dozen craft ideas to get your classroom buzzing with fall fun. Some you may have tried and some you haven't thought of.
Leaf and Flower Garlands
The leaves for this project must be fresh picked and worked while they are still supple. (Use silk flowers and leaves if you have children with allergies. Choose one or two stems with several blooms and leaves each per student.) Detach the stems from the leaves saving the whole stem. These stems will serve as your pins. Lap one leaf over another with the side of the leaf up-all leaves pointed the same direction. Now pin the leaves by running a stem pin from the underside of a leaf out, catching the tip of the preceding leaf and then over the center spine of the leaf into the leaf. When your garland is long enough to fit around your head ,add some flower blooms by sticking them into the stems on the outside. Boys might prefer to decorate their garlands with pine needles.
Leaf Silhouettes
Choose whole leaves with complete edges. Hold the leaf firmly over a sheet of art paper. Use an ink pad and a small sponge brush to touch the leaf all around its outer edges moving the brush or sponge in an outward line from the leaf. Hold for a few second while the ink dries partially and then gently lift the leaf.
Leaf Preserved with Glycerine
This method will preserve branches of foliage for winter bouquets. maple. oak, and beech leaves work best but others can be used. gather the leaves early in the morning. Remove the torn or damaged leaves. Lay each stem across a wooden cutting board and use a mallet to hammer the lower two inches of each stem to split and crush it. In a large glass jar combine one part glycerine with 2 parts water (about three inches deep). Place the branches in the jar so that the broken stems will absorb the glycerine. When the leaves look glossy they have fully absorbed the glycerine. This should take from four days to two weeks.
Press Leaves Until Dry and Flat
Use them to decorate the sides and tops of wooden or heavy cardboard boxes. Attach the leaves in interesting designs unto the boxes with craft glue. Allow the glue to dry and then coat the box with shellac or clear vanish.
Leaf Dolls
Each child should choose a leaf for the body of his doll. Cut a strip of cardboard about six inches by one inch, fold it in half and glue this to the back of each leaf to make the doll stand up. Use twigs for legs and arms, small leaves for hands, Buttons or circles of cardboard for the feet. Cut children's faces from magazines and glue to the leaf for face and use another small leaf as the hat.
Leaf Prints
Combine a small amount of powdered starch with a an equal amount of water. Add tempera paint to achieve the color wanted. Brush this mixture unto paper covering an area bigger than the leaf. Place the leaf vein side down on the paint. lay a piece of newspaper over the leaf and gently rub it down with your fingers. Carefully lift the leaf and lay it down unto your art paper. Put a fresh newspaper over the leaf and rub again. Experiment with colors and overlapping prints.
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