Leaf Prints
Use real leaves to make beautiful leaf prints on paper or fabric.
Featured Crafts
Supplies Needed
- Real leaves
- Paper or fabric
- Tempera or poster paint (for paper)
- Fabric paint or acrylic paint (for fabric)
- Paint brushes
- Mat or newspaper
STEPS
1Collect leaves.
Collect leaves of various shapes and sizes. Both fresh and fallen leaves will work for this craft.
2Prepare the materials.
Cover your work area with a mat or with newspapers. Prepare different colors of paint on your palette. Add just enough water to make the paint spreadable but not runny. Cut your paper or fabric to the desired size.
3Paint a leaf.
Take one leaf. Flip it so that the underside is facing up. Paint the entire surface of the leaf.
4Press the leaf onto paper.
Carefully place the leaf, painted side down, on your paper or fabric. Press firmly for several seconds to transfer the paint from the leaf to the paper or fabric.
5Remove the leaf.
Remove the leaf to reveal a leaf print.
6Make more leaf prints.
Repeat the process using different colors and other leaf shapes to fill your paper or fabric with leaf prints. Once you're happy with how your picture looks, allow the paint to dry completely.
These easy steps illustrate the basic process for creating leaf prints. Check out more crafting ideas below.
More Ideas
Make a multi-colored leaf print.
Paint the leaf with two or more colors to come up with a multi-colored leaf print.
Create overlapping leaf prints.
Make overlapping leaf prints to create a beautiful leaf collage.
Try making some metallic leaf prints.
Metallic leaf prints can be made by using gold, silver and metallic paint to paint the leaves. For added sparkle, sprinkle some glitter on the leaf prints while the paint is still wet.
Make a leaf prints tree.
Make leaf prints around a paper tree trunk to create a Leaf Prints Tree.
Craft a leaf wreath.
Make several leaf prints in autumn hues such as yellow, orange, red, and brown. Cut them out and use them to make a lovely Fall Leaf Wreath.
