Aimee Herring. The Selection Process. Choosing Leaves. Tips for Gathering. Identifying Specimens. The Pressing Technique. Step 1. The process can be as simple as slipping leaves into old telephone books and weighing them down. Step 2. Step 3. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Kids love choosing and pressing forest souvenirs.
The techniques are simple and easy to follow. It's a great way to make memories from a special day. Scotland has so many species of tree. Pick bright colours and interesting shapes. Taking a book with you to identify leaves is a fun way to learn about the natural world together.
Pressing leaves with a weight is the simplest method. Choose a heavy book for your press, preferably an old one that you don't mind getting stained or crumpled, as moisture from the leaves could damage the pages. The book should be larger than your leaves, and thick - although any book will work with enough weight on top to press the pages down.
Your dried and pressed leaves should be ready in anything from a few days to a couple of weeks. Check them every once in a while - if the paper is cool to the touch, put it back to dry.
Here are some of our favourites:. We want to see your creations! Take a picture of your leaf art project and post it on Twitter using the hashtag FoundMyForest, and we will share it with our followers. Leaf colour chemistry explained. WikiHow have suggestions for a few more complicated, but equally easy to learn methods for preserving your autumn leaves.
The Royal Horticultural Society guide to pressing flowers, leaves and other specimens. Home Blog Press play: How to preserve leaves and plants. Press play: How to preserve leaves and plants. Read more. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Learn to identify poison ivy or oak before collecting leaves.
Although these leaves will give you a nasty reaction, they're really quite beautiful. If you want to press these, always wear latex gloves when you're collecting them and when you're handling them. Once pressed you will need to seal them with clear acrylic sealer so you don't get a rash. Choose leaves that range from very young to at their prime maturity. If you wait until they're too mature and on the drier side the color will be more prone to fading.
Your leaves can be collected any time of the year, but if you want to keep them as green as possible, you should collect them earlier in the season before they're exposed to hot summer temperatures that can damage chlorophyll.
Choose leaves that are in good condition, with no bruising, tears, or insect damage as these flaws will be more prominent when dried. That said, also take a good look at any leaves that the insects have been feasting on. These can have a nice lacy, naturally skeletonized look, either fully or partially, and lend a nice touch to your project.
Method 2. Make or buy a press. Presses are simple devices made with wood, cardboard, paper, and either metal screws, heavy weights, or straps that buckle. The idea is to dry the leaf under pressure. They are available for purchase at craft and hobby stores, on-line, or you can make your own. Stores that sell lumber usually will cut this for you. Drill holes for bolts in each corner of both pieces of wood. Place bolts through the four holes in one piece of wood, with washers between the bolt and the wood.
Cut clean cardboard and paper to the size of the press. These should be clean, so replace them when needed. Recycle cardboard boxes to cut your own to size. If the press is not square, cut your cardboard so the channels run in the direction of the shorter side for better air circulation. Fill the press. For each layer in the press, you will need two pieces of cardboard and several sheets of absorbent paper cut to size.
Place a piece of cardboard on it, followed by paper, then the leaves, another sheet of paper, and finally a piece of cardboard. Remove the leaves from the press when they're dry. Check the leaves after a couple of weeks. Place your hand on the top paper in a layer… if it feels cool, the leaves are not yet dry. Put them back in the press to finish drying. Method 3. Choose a heavy book to use as a press. Use an old book that you don't mind getting a bit wrinkled or stained; the moisture from the leaves could damage the pages slightly.
The book should be as large, or larger than your leaves. Thicker books are best, but any book will do as long as you add weight on top of it. Cut pressing papers. Measure your book and cut papers the same height as the book. Paper should be cut to double the width, of the book, and then folded. Fill the Press. Open the book and add one piece of pressing paper. Arrange your leaves on one side of the paper, close the fold in the pressing paper, then close the book and set it aside with a couple of books or weight on top until the leaves are dry.
Stack more books on top of the book. Place it under several other heavy books, or another heavy object. Stack this in a dry place. Method 4. Buy or make a microwave press. Microwave presses are made with two pieces of microwave-safe material, such as ceramic, thick cardboard, or books.
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