This week's fun activity... Painted Leaf Garland

Fallen leaves are a perfect material to use for creative projects and decorations.  There are still so many trees that haven’t turned bare yet, which makes this a great time to grab some leaves and create something special!   For this week’s activity, we will paint and decorate leaves and create a garland!

Materials: Leaves (thicker leaves will hold up better) Acrylic Paint Paintbrush Paint Pens (optional) Twine or Yarn Elmer’s Glue

Step 1 - Collect Head outside and collect some fall leaves!  Look for thicker, medium to large sized leaves – oak leaves hold their shape very well and are thick and sturdy enough to hold up to painting and garland use.   Trees and shrubs with “leathery” leaves are excellent for this project.  Any leaves will work though, so feel free to mix in some smaller leaves too!

Step 2 – Press Pressing the leaves between some heavy books for a couple of days will help flatten as well as keep them flat.   This is not necessary, as the natural drying and curling of the leaves will give the garland a unique look.  However, if you want flat leaves, layer leaves in newspaper and place a few heavy books on top.  Leave them to dry and flatten for about two to three days. After this time, you can proceed to the next step!

Step 3 - Paint Paint your leaves!   Be creative and go wild.   You can paint them all different colors, paint designs, make squiggly lines, dots, or even words and letters. It’s up to you!  For intricate designs, try using a paint pen. Be gentle when you paint to prevent damaging or tearing the leaf. When you’re finished, let the paint dry for about two hours.

Step 4 – Glue  Once your leaves are dry, it’s time to attach them to the twine or yarn.   Use a drop of Elmer’s glue on the leave stem and lightly press it to the twine.   Repeat for as long as you want your garland to be or however many leaves you painted.   Let the glue fully dry.

Step 5 – Seal  Once you have pressed and attached leaves all the way around the jar, seal your work with decoupage coating.  This will help preserve the leaves as well as keep them attached to your jar.

BOERNER BOTANICAL GARDENS UPDATE   The Gardens are now closed for the season...the gates to the Gardens will remain open for you to enjoy fall walks through November.   The Education and Visitor Center reopens to the public Monday, November 2. Hours will be 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. MASKS ARE REQUIRED Gift shop to open soon - watch for updates!   Be sure to watch for announcements on fun learning activities for all ages, and for updates on our classes and programs, hosted by FBBG - all year - indoors and out!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FBBG MEMBERSHIPS   We are continually processing memberships! You will receive a temporary card in the mail as we process your packets. Membership questions? Please contact Dkoepsel@fbbg.org JOIN TODAY! You can easily purchase a membership on-line by clicking here. THANK YOU!

We’d love to see your creativity! Tag us on:  Facebook (Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens)  Twitter (@FBBG) or Instagram (friendsofbbg)  to show off your Painted Leaf Garland or any of our weekly activities!

Please continue to watch for our weekly activities...  fun learning for ALL ages!