Oh, how I love fall. I love everything about it… the weather, the colors, the falling leaves… And what I like to do is use those leaves for crafting and scrapbooking. I have a page in one of my scrapbooks that shows my husband outside blowing leaves, and the picture is so cool and then opposite it is a couple leave from the yard, saved and preserved with wax paper and an iron.
Have you ever done this? It’s so easy. You could even send a page to a friend or relative who isn’t lucky enough to have the change of seasons in their part of the country. Here’s how.
Choose several leaves with vibrant color and interesting shapes. Lay flat on top of a piece of wax paper. Then, place another piece of wax paper over the top. (Do we really appreciate wax paper like we should? It’s so handy for crafting and cooking.)
Next, place heavy books on top of the pile. Allow the weight of the books to flatten the leaves. Push out ends of leaves to make sure they are not folded. Leave the books on top of the leaves for 1-2 days.
After that time, remove the books. Carefully move wax paper and leaves to an ironing board or other flat surface. (Keep the leaves inside the two pieces of wax paper.) Find a soft towel or light cloth and place over the wax paper. Use something that will conduct the heat from the iron, but won’t adhere wax to iron. Be very careful not to touch iron directly to wax paper!
When the cloth is on top of the wax paper, iron lightly over (no steam, heat only!) it until pieces of wax paper adhere together. Work over entire area until all leaves are sealed in the wax.
When complete, cut around leaves (making sure to keep the seal of the wax) to place in scrapbook or for other craft projects.
