A Natural DIY Art Project that Will Cost You Next to Nothing

Sarah Essex
Updated

Nature provides some of the most beautiful patterns known to man. From the spine that runs down the center of a leaf to the gnarled and knobbed bark that envelopes the trees around us, you’d be hard pressed to find anything more stunning fabricated artificially.

Here we show you how to capture nature’s patterns and use them to create beautiful leaf prints and stationary, perfect for framing or sending love letters on.

Here’s what you’ll need…

Materials:

  • Leaves

  • Thick paper (watercolor paper)

  • Copper pipe

  • Iron capsules (vitamins)

  • Rubber bands or string

Tools:

  • Flat pan

  • Water

  • Stove top burner

Instructions:

1. Lay the leaves as you’d like them to be printed on a sheet of thick paper and fold the paper in half.

2. Wrap the paper around the copper pipe and secure it with rubber bands or copper wire.

3. Place the pipe in a pan of simmering water with the contents of an iron capsule or two in it - make sure the water covers the whole pipe.

4. Let simmer for at least 2 hours - more is better.  When you can see the leaf coming through, you have a print.

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5. Remove the pipe from the water, remove the rubber bands and lay the paper leaf prints flat, remove the leaves gently and let the paper dry. (As the paper begins to dry, you may need something heavy to keep the paper from curling.)

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