How can I keep a colored leaf pretty for 2 weeks??

Question

My best friend is visiting Boston for the next 2 weeks. Her son found the most beautiful leaf that has turned to a deep red. How can they keep it from turning brown and getting nasty so they can bring it home to Florida to show his pre-school class??

Answer 1

Put the leaf beteen two pieces of waxed paper. Then with a hot iron melt the wax onto the leaf. The paper will peel away leaving the waxed leaf which will keep indefinitely. Remember to protect your iron with a rag of some sort so the wax does not get on your iron.

Answer 2

Several methods to use from Tri-City Herald:

Here's how you do it:

Place autumn-colored leaves between two layers of wax paper. Cover with an old towel or cloth rag. Press the fabric with a warm iron, sealing the wax paper together with the leaf in between. Cut your leaves out, leaving a narrow margin of wax paper around the leaf edge.

Of course that's the old-fashioned way of doing things. You also can preserve fall leaves in your microwave oven. Choose fresh leaves with the brightest colors. You don't want fallen leaves that already have started to dry.

Take separate leaves or small twigs and place them in the oven on top of two pieces of paper towel. Cover them with one sheet of paper towel. Run the oven for 30 to 180 seconds. The drier the leaves, the less time they will need. Be careful; you could start a fire in your microwave if they cook too long.

Be attentive. Leaves that curl after removal have not been dried enough. Leaves that scorch, were left in too long. Let the leaves dry for a day or two, then finish the leaves with a sealant, such as an acrylic craft spray.

You may get even better results if you use the microwave and silica gel for drying. Place a 1G-inch layer of floral silica gel in the bottom of a cardboard box. Place the leaves lying flat. Leaves should not touch and should be at least 1G inches away from the sides of the box. Cover the leaves with a 1G-inch layer of gel. Place the uncovered box in the microwave.

You want the microwave to operate at about 200-300 watts, so if your microwave has 2-10 settings operate it at level 4. If the oven only has three to four settings, it should be set at half. If your oven has a high to defrost options, set the microwave on defrost. Estimated drying time is 2H minutes if you're using a half pound of gel or about 5 minutes for two pounds of gel.

Yet another way to preserve the leaves is to submerge them in a solution of glycerin and water. Use a mixture of one part glycerin to two parts water. Place the mixture in a flat pan, and totally submerge the leaves in a single layer in the liquid. You'll have to weight them down to keep them submerged. In two to six days, they should have absorbed the liquid and be soft and pliable. Remove them from the pan and wipe off all the liquid with a soft cloth. Done correctly, the leaves will remain soft and pliable indefinitely.

(PS - I think the G & H up there are supposed to be 1/4 & 1/2!! LOL!!)

Try some sample leaves first to see which method you like best, then use that for the really good leaf. Have fun & good luck!

Answer 3

No guarantee. but you want to stop the bio-processes and make it dry. Try putting it in the freezer on top of stuff, so it doesn't get crushed and brush off the water crystals as they form (well, let's say twice a day).
Another idea would be to put it in a container (like tupperware or those new glad keeper boxes) on a layer of salt(a half inch) and buried under another layer of salt sifted on top. Be generous, salt is cheap.
or maybe check with your local natural history museum....
Good Luck

Answer 4

I would press it in a big book. Leave it there for at least a week. Most of the times when I do this the color stays. Good luck. I LOVE Autumn leaves :-)))

Answer 5

I'd dip it in melted paraffin wax.Melt the wax in a double broiler pan.Dip it. Put it on a piece of white paper and let dry. Permanent color.

Answer 6

laminate it using two sheets of wax paper and an iron