Metallic Leaf Skeletons

If you have been following our blog for the last year or so then you will know that I enjoy taking things from nature and using it in my home décor. (Check out my post, Painted Pine Cones and All Their Uses.) Several weeks ago I was walking my dog, Jax, when I started noticing all the leaf skeletons along the edge of the woods.

Picking up a couple to inspect their shape, I realized how they had their own beauty with the lines and texture. I dropped them to the ground and kept walking but my creative juices started churning. What would be a way to use them in my fall décor? What if I did something to accentuate the beauty of the skeletal lines?

Then it hit me! I could spray paint them with metallic paint! I love to spray paint things and I have also been admiring how many are using metallic accents to add elegance and flair to home décor.

Later that day on my next walk around the farm with Jax, I picked up some leaf skeletons to play with. They turned out great so later I collected more to spray paint. 

Most of my craft projects are easy. This is one of them.

Supplies needed:
Leaf skeletons
Spray paint color of choice – This is the brand I used and recommend.
Box or plastic – a safe place to lay your leaves while spray painting
Parchment paper or wax paper – a nonstick surface to put your leaves while they completely dry

*NOTE* When I first spray painted my leaves some were curly and bent. I was okay with that but wondered if I could flatten them out better. When I collected a second batch, they were damp from a rainfall the night before and were flexible. So I scouted out more leaves and ran them under water (low pressure, they can be fragile), and then placed them between paper towels and placed weight on top of the towels to flatten them while they dried. I do like having some flat and some with curls and folds.

Instructions:
Make sure your leaf skeletons are free from any dirt, bugs, or debris.

Put them on a protected surface to paint. (I used a large box outside in the grass.) Shake your spray paint according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spray an even coat on one side of each leaf. Let dry 10-20 minutes or until you can carefully flip them over the spray the other side.

Wait about 20 minutes before transferring to a nonstick surface like parchment paper to dry completely.

The fun part is next – use to decorate! Use them on your mantel, as part of a centerpiece for your table, framed for quick fall art, as a fall garland, wrapped around a candle votive (and tied with string), on a fall wreath, as an ornament on your Christmas tree…there are lots of ways to make them work for you.

What if you say, “Leslie, I don’t have acres of woods to gather leaf skeletons like you do.” Well, never fear! You can actually transform regular leaves into leaf skeletons with some science. One of my kids had it as a botany science experiment a couple of years ago – bringing washing soda and water to a boil with regular leaves in the solution. The leafy part falls away from the skeleton giving you the look you want. Google it and you will find instructions!

Do you have any ideas of how to use these little beauties? Let me know! Leave a comment below or tell me on our Facebook page. We love to hear from our readers!