How to Preserve Fall Leaves

There is nothing more elegant or simple than decorating your home with colorful leaves.  Use leaves for decorating your table.  You can also easily make swags or wreaths to decorate your doors, stairs or mantels.  Fill a glass jar with leaves for added color to any book shelf or counter.  Get creative and have fun, but first you need to preserve your leaves.

The most complicated way to preserve leaves involves wax paper, an iron and moist towels so you don’t ruin your iron or ironing board.  This might work great for a picture frames, but we prefer to avoid the hassle.  The quickest way of preserving leaves it to use the microwave.  Choose freshly fallen leaves or some right off of the tree.  Place the leaves between 2 paper towels like you would bacon, and microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds.  If the leaves are not dry – keep trying 15 seconds at a time until the leaves feel dry.  Keep a close eye on them to prevent over heating. After a couple of days, spray them with clear acrylic craft paint or clear spray paint to preserve them.

Next option is to go to a local craft or drug store, and purchase a bottle of glycerin.  Mix 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin in a shallow pan.  Soak leaves in the solution.  Place another pan or something on top to make sure the leaves stay submerged.  Let the sit in this solution for 4 to 5 days. Dry the leaves thoroughly with a soft cloth or paper towel and they are ready to use!