Fall Decor - an easy leaf project you and your children will love
I don't know about you, but we just can't get enough of the gorgeous fall color around here. The leaves are in full bloom --- wait, that's not right. The leaves are in full color! Every day different trees in our neck of the woods are changing and it is so exciting for both me and my children to watch. Now, that being said, all good things must come to an end... or do they?! We are thankful to have discovered this way of making the colors last just a bit longer, and bring the outside in. We have been dipping leaves for years! It's one of our favorite annual fall traditions.It's fairly quick, easy, and if you're prepared, painless. You know what I mean mama's?
Here's what you'll need:
- wax - We used this bees wax but it was fairly hard to cut, so next time we will use this one.
- a crock pot - You'll not want to use the same one from your kitchen as the wax is quite hard to remove completely. I purchased an old one from Goodwill for $5.
- wax paper
- your favorite fall leaves
The process:
First, I cut up about half a bar of bees wax into small chunks, and tossed them into the crock pot. I set the crock pot setting on high and it took about a half hour. I gathered the kiddos to explain the process as well as the importance of practicing patience when working with hot wax. While we waited for the wax to melt, we gathered our favorite colorful leaves from the yard - big, small, wide, skinny, we wanted all kinds and all colors.
Then we brought them in to our sunroom. This is a three seasoned porch where we like to do our nature journaling and crafting during warmer months. I laid out the wax paper to cover the table and to be used as a safe place to set hot wax leaves. Then the dipping began. We dipped one leaf at a time, one side and then the other. It is important to let most of the excess off wax drip off otherwise it will stick to the wax paper and not be as authentic looking. The dipped leaves dry quite fast. And the clean up is easy, assuming all the wax landed on top of your wax paper.
Once dry, we used them for decorations around the house. We placed some in a fall wreath I made years ago. We put some in a basket to dress up a table. But our favorite way to use them was to create garland. With a dab of hot glue, you can create a simple sweet garland to brighten up any spot in the house. Give it a try! The smell of melting bees wax on a crisp fall day is totally worth it! 