https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/seasonal-leaf-art • Posted by ZanyDays
An easy and creative way to capture the seasons as they pass right through your own back yard! Simply gather leaves from each season and create a permanent home for them using toilet paper rolls and a backdrop. Hang them on a wall as a centerpiece for visitors to admire.
An easy and creative way to capture the seasons as they pass right through your own back yard! Simply gather leaves from each season and create a permanent home for them using toilet paper rolls and a backdrop. Hang them on a wall as a centerpiece for visitors to admire.
Key ingredient number one! Toilet paper rolls. Strip any pieces of left over tissue from the rolls so that they are smooth and clean.
Paint the rolls inside and out with oil paints in a dark brown color and leave to dry for a few hours. The dark color really makes the bright colors of the leaves pop.
Cut the rolls into .5-1 inch pieces that resemble leaves.
Arrange them however you like to get an idea which ones fit well together. Set each group aside. (Pictured here is a batch which I forgot to paint on the inside. It's much easier not to forget to do that step!)
Gather your leaves. Decide which colors to put together. Place 1-2 rolls per leaf.
Using your flour paste (Easy recipe here: http://www.ehow.com/how_4501425_make-flour-paste.html) Paint the paste into roughly the shapes of the cutouts. You don't want to cover the inside with flour paste or it will look messy. I used a q-tip to smooth out the lumps and imperfections. Firmly press the toilet paper roll cut outs onto the glue covered leaf, and set a book or other mildly heafty item atop the leaves. Lt sit for 30 minutes. Don't touch!
Carefully cut around the now firmly glued cut out.
The backs should look like this when the excess leaf has been removed.
The fronts should look like this.
Finally, arrange your leaves on your backdrop of choice. I used crazy glue to secure my leaves to the yarn that I used to wrap a regular oil canvas, because of the inconsistent texture.