Leaf Mosaic Art Project
The falls colors at this time of year are stunning and inspiring. I could not resist somehow incorporating these beautiful natural colors into an art project. Using a leaf preserving technique, I created a wall hanging made of materials that I collected in the woods. I used Rapid Resizer to enlarge a maple leaf craft pattern to use as a template for this project.
What you'll need:
- Canvas
- Leaves
- Glue gun
- Mod Podge
- Gel Medium
Preserving Leaves
- Place leaves in microwave between two sheets of paper towel. (2 minutes)
- Paint leaves on each side with Mod Podge (Gloss finish)
Preserving fall leaves is a great way to maintain their vibrant colors and prevent them from falling apart. The most common method of doing this is to press the leaves for weeks to completely dry them out. If you did not consider this prior to starting your craft (like me), you can use a microwave method that takes little time.
I collected leaves and placed them between two sheets of paper towel. This helps absorb the moisture that is released from them when heated. I microwaved the leaves for 2 minutes with a heavy plate on top to keep the leaves flat. I found without some weight, the leaves dried very crispy and bumpy.
If the leaves are still a little moist after two minutes, flip them over and microwave them for another minute or so until they are completely dry.
Once the leaves have been dried out, I coated them with a gloss finish to protect them and make the color pop. I used Mod Podge for this step and painted each side of the leaves with the gloss finish using a paint brush. This step gives the leaves more bend and durability.
Place your leaves between two pieces of paper towel.
Microwave for two minutes.
Coat the leaves with Mod Podge.
Trace your template on to your canvas
Glue your leaves on to the canvas using a hot glue gun. I glued each leaf down with a small amount of glue only on the bottom of each leaf, so I could tuck other leaves beneath them so they fan out nicely.
When all of your leaves are glued on to your canvas, coat your entire project with a layer of gel medium. This will dry clear and add an extra layer of shine and help hold everything together.
I used a fallen branch to hang my mosaic tapestry.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Steph @ Rapid Resizer