How to preserve the autumn leaves?

Question

My granddaughter likes collecting the fallen colorful leaves. Any suggestions that I can share with her to save and preserve some of her prized collection.

Answer 1

http://www.foliagenetwork.com/about/preserving/index.php

Click on this link for step by step easy directions for preserving leaves :-)....and may I say, HOW NEAT!

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

I watched a video years ago about preserving leaves and flowers and such. They soaked the things in a solution they made out of anti-freeze. Maybe you can Google anti-freeze in preserving flowers etc. Also, a friend of my daughter's put her flowers in this stuff and then you microwave it for a minute or so and it preserves flowers I know. You would probably find that in a craft store or in the craft section of Wal Mart etc. Ask around in the stores for the later suggestion !!!!! Hope this helps !!

Answer 4

Many interesting methods here..the spray fixative artists use is a very good idea...never thought of it...You can use spray Krylon (crystal clear), or...the really old fashioned way, messy but works, paraffin melted, dip leaf into it and it preserves the color...The wax paper idea is very similar, in that wax seals off the air and stops the browning effect..but so would spray urethane..make sure the leaves have been pressed flat first. Good luck

Answer 5

When we were kids we'd pick the leaves and put them inside the pages of a big book to flaten them (for a couple days) then placed them in between two waxed paper, put a cloth over it and ironed it. Voila.
Oh wait a minute, do they still sell wax paper? I think it used to be used to wrap food?

Answer 6

This only works if the leaves are dry but if you put them in a book they will stay the same because of the lack of air. Also, you can put them in a photo album where thi pictures go. You can buy bookmarks that are blank where you can glue them on and then cover it with a layer of clear plastic. There are lots of ideas!

Answer 7

Put them in between the pages of the Yellow Pages phone book. They should dry in a week or so and then she can glue them onto some pretty card stock and put them in a plastic cover and fill an album with them. Check out your local craft store, they will have a lot of neat ideas.

Answer 8

Put them in a ziplock bag & ley them flat in a big thick book.

Also, you can put them underneath a piece of paper & then color with a crayon over the top & see the shape & texture of the leaf! I used to do that all the time when I was little :)

Answer 9

She must put them into a large book before they actually become very dry. Or they will crack. Then "press" them, by standing other heavy books on top. Then she can use Artist Lacquer to spray them, where ever she wants to put them, say in a picture or whatever. That way they will keep.

Answer 10

Don't know if this will work or not, but if you microwave green leaves and herbs on a very very low setting, they keep their green colour better. Might be worth a try?