Long Live the Leaves!

I'm definitely falling for Fall. Today, I only had one goal in mind: save the beautiful leaves of Autumn!  I can't help but fall in love with these amazing souvenirs of the season. The vibrant colors intrigue me and I admire how each leaf is different, unique. I constantly find myself going on leaf hunts around my neighborhood and then slipping the best ones inside letters to friends or gluing them inside my "Leaves and Pressed Flowers Book" (a work in progress). But I always hate the time when the edges of the leaf turn brown, curl up, and slowly devour the life inside. For that reason, I began to investigate how to preserve leaves.  Now, an experiment is in the works!

This morning, I went on a leaf hunt in my neighborhood. The crisp air felt so refreshing; it was a great adventure! These are the best of the leaves that I gathered, so I will use them for my experiment. I had to be very choosy when picking out my leaves. Preserved leaves last better if they do not have tears, insect bites, holes, or spots. They should not be completely dried out either.  

The variety of color I managed to find delights me!

 

 

 

 

A red star (:

 

 

 Details on a leaf never cease to disappoint.

 

 

 

This is my favorite leaf (:

 

 

 



After carefully rinsing the leaves, I slipped them inside a gallon-sized zip-loc bag, laying them completely flat.   

 

Next, I mixed 2 cups of water with 1/2 cup Glycerin and poured it into the bag. For this solution, it is only necessary to have enough to cover the leaves, so this recipe can be doubled or cut in half depending on the number of leaves inside the bag. After, I pressed out all the excess air, and zipped it up! Making sure the solution was covering all the leaves, I set the bag in a cool spot for "marinating". Once 3 to 4 days has gone by, I will take them out and pat them dry! I'm itching to see the results. Having leaves last forever will truly be amazing! Check back soon to see how my little experiment turned out (:

 

~Emily