Using leaves in your crafts can really improve the look of almost anything. Let’s go over some great, refreshing new leaf craft ideas, as well as revisit a few old ones.
Fabric Stamping
This is a surprising way to make fabric look great without having to try to paint it yourself. Go outside and pick a few leaves from a tree or shrub. You can use a brush to put paint onto stamps or a roller. A brush may add more texture, but is much more time consuming. Using an inkpad that’s got fabric paint in it is another option. Be careful that you haven’t got paint on your fingertips when you press down the stamp as it’s far too easy to get it onto the fabric. Get into the habit of wiping your fingers on a cloth.
Using a leaf as a stamp is just like using any other stamp- all you need to do is apply the paint and press it onto your fabric. The only thing to remember is that, because a leaf isn’t hard like a stamp, you need to ensure that every bit of it has come into contact with the fabric. You may want to run you fingers all along the outline of the leaf, then systematically across the middle. Make sure that you don’t accidentally shift the leaf as you’ll blur your print. Experiment with putting the paint on the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ sides of the leaf for different effects. You also need to make sure that you don’t tear the leaf by pressing too hard.
You can really go wild with this idea. Use leaves for stamps on sheets, shower curtains, quilts, tablecloths, etc. Use it as an accent or as the main focus of fabric. Just remember to use waterproof fabric paint if you’re going to stamp fabric that will be washed on a regular basis.
Leaf Photo Mat
Use leaves to create a unique and textured photo mat. This is great for any fall-themed photo. Collect some fall leaves and press them. Then get a photo mat of the desired size. Place the leaves on the mat and use a dab of glue to secure them. You may have to trim around the edges to make sure that the mat fits in the photo frame. Then find the perfect picture for the mat and you’ve got a creative picture frame!
Scrapbooking with Leaves
Scrapbooking with leaves is also a great idea, especially if you’re working on an event or occasion that occurred around the fall. You can either collect leaves and press them to place them in your journal or in your scrapbook, or you can make a stamp out of the pressed leaves. To do this, take your pressed leaf and either dip it in an ink pad or take a roller and gently roll the entire leaf. Just be sure that either way you choose, you completely and thoroughly cover the whole leaf with ink. Then place the leaf on your scrapbook page. Take a piece of paper and lay it over the top so that you can gently rub the leaf, enabling all the ink to get on the scrapbook page. Use a variety of leaves so that you get a great result.
Leaves as Concrete Stamps
If you’re making anything out of clay or concrete, you can use leaves as a stamp to improve the look of your stepping stones, pots, flower containers, etc. You can do this one of two ways. First, when the concrete in your pot, stepping stone, or whatever, is still wet, press some leaves into the concrete and then gently remove the leaf, leaving the imprint behind. Or you can press and leave the leaf in the clay or concrete for a little bit of color and texture all at once.
