Video:How to Make a Leaf Collage

Transcript:How to Make a Leaf Collage

Hi, this is Angela with About.com and today I'm going to show you how to make a leaf collage with your children.

Tips for Collecting Leaves for a Leaf Collage

Fall is a wonderful time to get outdoors with your little ones. The temperature is perfect for long walks in the country or a nearby park. And a great way to acquaint young children with mother nature is to help them collect and study a variety of leaves in all of autumns rainbow of colors. If collecting natural leaves isn't an option you can purchase fabric leaves from a craft store or it might be more fun to make leaves out of construction paper.

Supplies Needed for the Wax Leaf Collage

There are two types of collages I like for children. For the first method you will need:

• Wax Paper
• a Towel
• an Iron

Make the Wax Leaf Collage

Lay the towel over a hard smooth surface. Place a sheet of wax paper on the towel. Let your child place the leaves on the wax paper to their liking.  As options, you can add glitter, paint, or construction paper cut outs.Place a second sheet of wax paper on top followed by another towel. Using a heated iron carefully smooth it over the surface until the wax has melted together. Make sure your child knows the iron is hot and not to touch it.This collage makes a lovely window decoration.

Preserve the Leaves for a Paper Leaf Collage

For the second method, you may want to preserve the leaves so the collage can last through the winter months. There are many ways to do this. You can iron them between wax paper as in the first collage method and then peel the sheets apart. The leaves will be left with a thin protective coat of wax.

You can use a preservative spray from the craft store. Or if you want the leaves to remain supple you can dip them in glycerin before hand and/or use a glycerin based preservative. Another way is to melt paraffin or beeswax in a sauce pan on the stove. Use pliers to dip the leaves into the hot wax and lay them out to dry. This hot wax method is not safe for children and should be performed solely by the parent if chosen.

Make the Paper Leaf Collage

Now that the leaves are preserved you will need construction paper and glue or tape. Let the child place the leaves and any optional materials on the paper as desired. And then glue or tape each piece individually. You may suggest your child sign or initial their work. When finished your child will have created a lovely collage that should last through the holidays.

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