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Real Leaf Project {Fall Craft}

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Well hello! Remember me? I feel the need to apologize, but it is what it is. In order to blog, I have to have projects. In order to have projects, I can’t blog for a minute. With a full-time job, I just don’t have time to do both every day.

However, today I’ve got something pretty fun! I was in need of something “new” this fall, so I took to nature. In other words, my son had a leaf project due for school, so I gathered about 50 leaves for myself and came up with a little project of my own.

leaf art fall

Sooooo remember this project?

chalkboard spider

Yeah well, now it’s this project. I flipped over the spider, stained the wood, and traced a large maple leaf onto it with my overhead projector. If you’re not sure a projector is necessary, I can certainly vouch for its use here and here. Love that thing.

leaf outline

After drying out a bunch of leaves in between wax paper for a couple of weeks, I laid them into a sort of fan pattern within the leaf outline. It was looking pretty good.

IMG_2635

I grabbed some Mod Podge, a craft brush, and my cordless drill to hold things in place. Leaves don’t necessarily want to stick easily, but they were rock solid once they were dry.

leaf tutorial

It needed to look as natural as possible, so I trimmed as little as possible. It just took a little more precision when lining up the leaf edges so they would follow the natural lines of the drawing.

fall-art-project-real-leaves

Of course a little stick from the backyard serves as a cute little stem (hot glued on). I also made sure that I didn’t glue the entire leaf to the board. I wanted them to stick out a bit. Anything too glued on would have looked weird. That’s my expert opinion, of course.

fall-leaf-art

I think it came together quite nicely with the other decorations I found. The same decorations that were missing for TWO years. When your husband says they’re not in the garage attic, just be prepared to go up there yourself to find them. Just sayin’.

real-leaf-art

I L-O-V-E leaf projects, and it certainly helps that they are in abundance around here. How ‘bout you? Do you have tons of “nature” around that you can use for free decorating?

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Chris

Chris

Well, hello. Ahem. Allow myself to introduce..my..self. My name is Chris! And I’m a blogger! I got into blogging after spending months reading all the inspiration that is found in blogland. I thought to myself, “Self, I can do this. I might have something to offer too!” And so it began...
Chris
Chris

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Comments

  4. I WISH that So Cal had fall colors like this. It looks beautiful, and not too much work OR supplies are needed! Maybe I can have one of my friends ship me some leaves 😉

  5. Very nice. Our leaves were all crumbly and brown this year. I feel ya…jobs/homes/blogging/projects/dinner…who’s got time for it all? 🙂
    Kelly

  9. Your leaf wall art is gorgeous, looks so realistic. So smart not to glue the leaves down all the way. I”ve got to try that. I also love leaves period and making leaf projects.
    As for husbands that say something isn’t where you’re pretty sure it is, well yeah they do that for whatever reason. Been there and had that done to me several times. So I just wait til he’s not around and go look for myself, usually find what I was pretty sure was there.
    Looks like your projector saved your day, great way to get an enlarged image on something. I could sure use one of those. Having something enlarged at a copy shop isn’t that inexpensive, at least not around here (west of Grand Junction, CO). We live out in country so I have to go a ways to get things done and half the time the place isn’t open or they don’t know what I’m talking about. If nothing else it forces me to be more inventive or make do with what I have.
    Happy Week

  13. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who has to juggle a FT job with blogging! I sometimes don’t have time for weeks to accomplish any projects – love how you say it is what it is. That is the truth. I work. I’m a wife and a mom. Then I blog. Thanks for making me feel normal!

  14. Oh Chris. I could not possibly love this more. Lovelovelove. My birthday is December 1; if you would like to make another and send it to me, I would be more than happy to give you my address… xo

  15. Great leaf project–advice. modge poge each leaf after it is dry then mount to the board–it will last for years and the leaves retain there color and softness as the day you collected them.

  18. Came out very cute, I was thinking of drying some leaves and framing a single leaf then grouping them together.

  21. How lucky we are to live in Michigan :] Fall is one of the most beautiful times of year here and you managed to perserve it in such a inspiring design……..well done……….it will certainly be something I try for next year.

  22. Haha! Husbands are cute, aren’t they? But look at it this way – now you have a bunch of “new” decor, for free! Score! 🙂
    This is a great idea, turned out awesome.

  25. I really liked this project Chris. I love leaves! I need to buy some of that glue you mentioned. I thought you hot glued at first. The sticking out of the leaves is perfect. I just can’t get over how pretty this turned out. I would have to go over to Clark’s house for the colorful leaves. Mine are all yellow. How did Jackson’s school project turn out? Love Mom

  29. Wow – what a simple but beautiful piece. I’m sure we’ll be seeing it pinned and re-blogged everywhere. Well done.

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