Weekend Fun: Leaf Printing!
Now is the perfect time to take a walk outside and gather pretty leaves. When you get them home, use them to make leaf prints on computer paper!
What you need:
- A variety of fall leaves
- Watercolor paints
- Brush
- Sponge (optional)
- Black paint (tempera or acrylic) or black ink (or dark red or orange)
- Computer paper
What you do:
- Paint a watercolor background on the computer paper. Be sure not to get the paper too wet!
TIP: Watercolor paint that comes in little pans works best – dip the brush in water and swirl it around in the little pan to get lots of color on it, and then apply the color to your paper.
TIP: If you don’t have watercolor paints, use colored markers – scribble on a plastic take-out lid and dip your brush in water and then in the colored scribble – the brush will pick up the color and you can paint on your paper!
TIP: You don’t have to paint anything specific – just an abstract background of colors will be beautiful. - Let the watercolor painting dry.
- Take one of the leaves and apply the black paint to the side with the veins and lines using a sponge or brush. Don’t put too much paint or it will cover them up! You can use dark red or orange instead of black, but the veins of the leaf will show up best with black. Try all three!
- Press the leaf, paint-side down, onto the watercolor background. Put a clean piece of paper over the top and rub over the spot where the leaf is to press the paint firmly onto the watercolor background.
- Lift the paper carefully to reveal your leaf print!
