fall mantel ideas, leaf hanging banner and more
Leaf printing is a lovely way to capture the changing colors of the season. Spend an afternoon creating this leaf printed banner with your family, and this beautiful autumn display will last in your home until long after the last leaves have fallen.
supplies for leaf printed autumn banner
What You’ll Need:
  • Cardstock
  • Various shapes and sizes of leaves
  • Assorted colors of acrylic or tempera paint
  • Foam paintbrush
  • Rolling pin
  • Hole punch
  • Twine
  • Paper towels or wipes for messy fingers
Directions:
  • Start by gathering your leaves – softer leaves work best for printing, so leave the crunchy ones on the ground and seek out the more flexible and green ones.
fall colored paint splatter on plate
  • Pour several different colors of paint onto a paper plate or baking sheet into a thin layer, overlapping to create a marbled effect.
painting real leaves with fall splatter paint
  • Older children can use a foam paint brush to dab the marbled paint on to their leaf. Younger children can dip their leaf directly into the paint tray, but be sure that there isn’t too much paint on the leaf or it will result in a gloppy and distorted print. Avoid this by using only a very thin layer of paint in the paint tray if you intend to dip your leaves into it.
rolling paper on top of leaf
  • Sandwich your painted leaf between two sheets of cardstock and lightly roll over the stack with a rolling pin. Use firm but gentle pressure for the best printing results.
fall colored leaf pattern on paper
  • Remove the top piece of cardstock and carefully peel up the leaf to reveal the print.
beautiful diy autumn leaf banner hung up on mantel
  • To create a banner from your leaf prints, cut your prints to your desired shape and size, punch a hole in the top corners and string them along a piece of twine.
This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of Sacramento Parent magazine. As always, the ladies there were super wonderful to work with, and it was an honor to be included in another issue of such a great family magazine!
signature from Heidi, at Happiness is Homemade
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5 Comments

  1. Innovative Art,This type of work attracts more youth to participating in this job.Thanks Blogger 😉
    poster printing miami

  2. I love this banner! It is so simple and elegant. I’m sure the kids would have a wonderful time making it too! Thanks for sharing.

    Melissa
    redflycreations.blogspot.com

  3. These look incredible! They look like leaves after they’ve changed color and I love the paint technique.