Leaves are often dried to decorate crafts or to preserve herbs in cooking. There are many ways to dry the leaves, so highlight the time to deal with them and find the one that best suits your goals. Fortunately, the resources of most ways to just get, without leaving home.

Steps

Drying leaves for crafts

Dry the leaves in the air if they should not be flat. Put the leaves into a shallow container or bunch. Place in the sun for several days and check if they did not dry. Sunlight dries leaves, but the edges can be twisted. Such leaves will not be able to use for crafts, but they are perfect for compositions from dry flowers.

• Not Leave the leaves under the right sunlight, if you want to maintain the full wealth of the green sheet. Straight sunlight will lead to color loss and reduce the brightness of living paints.
• Air flows from the window or from the effect of a hair dryer dried leaves faster.

1. Scroll leaves and dry slow, but in a simple way. Spread one large or several small leaves between two paper towels so that the leaves do not impose on each other. Open a big book, like encyclopedia, and put paper towels with leaves between pages. Close the book and place the plastics in some place outside of the field of view. Put other books or install a heavy object from above. Once a week check whether the leaves dried, and change the paper towels if they are wet.

   Use the floral press instead of fast drying. You can purchase a large floral press and place leaves in it or make it with your own hands from plywood and cardboard. It will cost more and will need more materials than in the method with a book, but due to the air circulation, you can increase the drying rate, and the process will take only a few days.

   • Spread the leaves between two paper towels. Paper towels to put between two sheets of watering paper or several additional sheets of paper towels. Place all these layers in the floral press, close it and tighten it. Check every few days to change wet towels until the leaves are dried.

2. Dry big, thick sheet in the microwave oven. Put the thick sheet between two layers of paper towels on a plate in the microwave. Put inside the plate and a small cup with water and turn on for 30 seconds. If the sheet is not dry, turn on for 10 seconds again and so on, checking the sheet between inclusions.

   • Attention: The sheet can easily light up in a microwave, so you can resort to this method only for large, thick leaves. A cup of water helps to prevent fire, because part of the energy of the microwave oven is spent for water heating.

3. Fix fresh leaves iron to save color. This method is best suited for fresh leaves, which have not yet changed the color and did not begin to dry, although it should be blown up with a towel if they are wet. Put one sheet between two layers of waxed paper, and on top of the wax paper, put a towel. Heat the iron and drive them around the towel, pressed for 2-5 minutes or until the side dry. Turn over the other side of the layers with wax paper, cover again with a towel and join the iron again.

   You can save the texture of large evergreen leaves with water and glycerol. The leaves will become brown, but at the same time their structure and elasticity will be preserved. This method is especially well suited for wide evergreen leaves, like magnolia leaves. Mix one part of the glycerol and two parts of the water in shallow dishes, and lower the leaves into this container so that they are fully covered with liquid. The leaves can be used in about 4 days, or leave them in a solution for several weeks to keep forever.

   • This method works due to the fact that in the leaves there is a replacement of water by glycerin, which unlike water does not evaporate.
   • If the leaves pop up, cover them with a paper plate or other item that is not sorry to wet so that it holds the leaves below the surface of the liquid surface.
   • If the fluid level is lower than the level of the leaves, add more water and glycerol.

4. Pour one liter of water in a saucepan. You can use a smaller saucepan if the leaves are a bit. In this case, proportionally reduce the number of other ingredients specified below, or simply use them all in half size.

   Jump gloves. The mixture that you will cook can be dangerous for the skin, so put on latex or rubber gloves before mixing with other components. After completing work, do not forget to wash all the tools with a detergent under running water; Do it without removing gloves.

   Add some food or calcined soda. These chemicals can be found in grocery stores or pharmacy. What of which you did not use, 2 tablespoons (or 30 grams) will be enough. Any of these chemicals will slowly turn the sheet into the flesh until only stem and streaks remain.

Add to bookmarks:

Autumn leaves - the climax of the season. Colorful leaves can be even more attractive than flowers. Be that as it may, in order to decorate the house with autumn foliage, you will first have to prescribe them or put it. Fortunately, it is extremely simple and there are 4 main ways for the conservation and preservation of paints of autumn leaves.

Selection of leaves for saving

Whatever method you choose, your leaves will demonstrate their best qualities if you are guided by the following recommendations when choosing them:

1. Choose the leaves are relatively flat, not twisted.
2. Look for the leaves on which there are no stains or bulges.
3. Do not be afraid to use the leaves at different stages of color change.
4. Leaves with a low moisture content is better to dry under the press. More elastic leaves, like Magnolia or Rhododendron, good candidates for glycerol or silica gel.
Selection of leaves to save a fascinating occupation for children. And since they are closer to Earth, they often have the best overview for choosing.

Pressing under weight - the simplest method of preserving autumn leaves

The pressing of autumn leaves under weight is the easiest way to save, but these leaves will not hold on as long as past conservation. In order to dry leaves with the press:

1. Choose relatively flat and thin leaves, low moisture content.
2. Place the leaves between the sheets of newspaper or wax paper.
Then select a few of your most difficult books and proceed to the second stage ...

Gag out leaves weighing

To prevent the leaf twisting, you need to apply considerable weight.

1. Put the paper with the leaves inside the thick book. You can also add several books or stone from above, to increase weight.
2. Keep the book in a dry place and check in about a week. Make sure the leaves were dried and not rotted. It is likely that you will need to hold the leaves under weight inside the book for another 1-2 weeks before they are completely dry and will be ready for use.

Tip: If you have more dense leaves, flush them in a diluted solution to mitigate the tissue. Or try to cover the surface with a thin layer of vaseline.

Ideas for design:
. Scatter pressed leaves on shelves or tablecloths.
. Make Iquiban, filling the basket with your extruded leaves.
. Pressed leaves can be used to decorate the table. Make a composition of leaves on the table or tablecloths and cover with a transparent cloth or cellophane from above.

Preservation of leaves in wax paper - Great lesson for children

Perhaps this is one of the few classes when children will gladly take the iron.

1. Choose thin leaves with low moisture content that have not started to twist.
2. Make a "sandwich": Put the leaves between the two sheets of wax paper.
3. Cover your place for ironing by a piece of old fabric, so that you did not drink it with wax.
4. Put your sandwich over the old fabric.
5. Cover your sandwich by another piece of old fabric.
6. Heat the iron to the maximum, but do not use steam mode.
7. Slowly drive the iron backwards on top of the fabric. Do not press at first too much, otherwise you can move the leaves. As soon as the paper starts sealing, use the full weight of the iron and keep it 4-5 seconds in every place.
8. Raise the rag to check melted and sealed paper seal. The leaves will be visible much better when the wax grows.
9. Allow the sandwich cooler, then cut out separate leaves. Leave small edges around the leaves so that the waxing paper remains sealed.
Such leaves can be saved for several months.

Ideas for design:
. The leaves treated with wax are well suitable for children's games, and you can collect collages for hanging.
. Print individual casting to the curtains or glue to lampshades to create an autumn mood.

Drying of leaves in the microwave stove

Microwaves - a great fast way to keep anything. You can only use a microwave oven, or speed up the process with silica gel, which will be described below.
1. Select the leaves that still saved freshness and moisture. Do not use dry fallen leaves.
2. Make a sandwich, setting individual casting or flat twigs with leaves between two paper towels.
3. Put a sandwich on the tray and install in the furnace.
4. Turn on the microwave for 30 seconds and then check the leaves. The thicker or with a great content of moisture leaves, the more time you will take it.
5. If the leaves have not been dry not yet, continue to dry, observing 30-second intervals and check until the leaves are dry.

Warning: leaves can catch fire, just like any other thing that was left in a microwave for a long time. Therefore, continue to follow. Do not wait until the leaves reveal or curl. They can save heat and continue to dry a few seconds outside the microwave, if you do not want to cut them.

Application of silica gel to save autumn leaves

Silica gel is a white powder resembling a salt that you can meet in small packages in shoes. Silica gel absorbs moisture and significantly speeds up the drying process. You can buy a packaging of silica gel in any store for crafts or you can collect and save small packages that you encounter everywhere.

1. Select leaves that are still wet and flexible. Silica gel allows you to put the thicker leaves too.
2. Pour the silica gel with a layer of about 2-3 cm on the bottom of the microwave meal.
3. Place the leaves on top of the silica gel layer, leaving the place between them and to the edges of the dish.
4. Fully cover the leaves by another layer of silica gel.
5. Put the dish in the microwave oven and turn it on the middle power by about 2 minutes. It is very difficult to determine the specific time for drying, so it depends on the size of the dish, the number of leaves, the number of silica gel and the power of your oven. It is better to periodically check the condition of the leaves through short time intervals.
According to the experience, 3-4 sheets on a dish with a size of 8 x 8 with 3-4 cups of silica gel occupies about 2 minutes per medium power.
6. Let cool and remove the leaves.

Tip: Leaves are preserved longer if additional layer of acrylic resin is coated.

Ideas for use: these leaves are the same as dried under the press, and can be riveted or connounced for autumn compositions.

Use of glycerin to save leaves

The preservation of leaves with glycerin is the best way to preserve their elasticity, and they can remain in such a state over several years. You can save individual leaves so much or even small twigs.

The hardest part of the process is the purchase of glycerin. Now Glycerin is very hard to find. Sometimes it is found in the stores on the shelves next to the hand lotion. You will have to search. You can also ask in pharmacies.

To save individual leaves

1. On a flat tray, make a solution from one piece of glycerol and two parts of water.
2. Place your leaves into the solution.
3. Cover your leaves another dish, so that they turn out to be completely in solution, as shown further.

Leaves in glycerin solution

Installation of a smaller dish in size from above will help them immerse themselves in a solution. And this also means that you can use fewer solutions.

Start checking in 2-3 days. The leaves should be soft and plastic. If the leaves are still dry, leave them in the solution for another 2-3 days.

When they eat, remove them from the solution and wipe the stains.

Preservation of small twigs in glycerin solution:

1. Cut small twigs with leaves and immediately immerse the stalks into a container with warm water. Let them stand there about 2 hours, away from the straight rays of the sun.
2. Make a solution of 1 part of glycerol with 2 parts of water and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the fire and on slow heat, negotiate it 5-10 minutes.
3. Allow the solution to cool completely.
4. Pull the sprigs from water tank, and their ends to break the hammer in order for a large surface to absorb the solution.
5. Put branches into a solution with glycerin. Keep away from direct sunlight and other heat sources until the leaves appear small drops of dew. This means that the leaves absorbed everything they could.
6. Remove the twigs and wipe the leaves.
7. Suspend twigs down leaves for drying.

Ideas for design: Glycerin leaves can be used in all kinds of creativity. They are especially well suitable for wreaths and garlands, as well as to decorate the table, rings for napkins and large dishes.

Preservation of pressed and canned leaves

None method will not allow you to use the leaves forever. Even the leaves sealed in the wax paper will eventually be dried and folded. If you want to extend the existence of your masterpieces for a slightly longer period, use a variety of floristic preserving agents.

And of course, the next year there will be other leaves, and every year your skill and creativity will only develop.

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To whom, if not mothers, it is known that our kids love to remember in 21-22 pm that tomorrow you need to bring a craft from natural materials, a bouquet of dry leaves and flowers, herbarium and so on. And what to do? We are going to collect "stocks" with a flashlight, and then sculpt all night, glue, paint, most often already without a child. And sometimes the task is given in the garden, it seems to be light, but on the street it rain. How to assemble the necessary material? In order to at least partially protect yourself from a similar one (completely fail, unfortunately) I started collecting a "collection" of natural materials, highlighting a small box from under shoes and various boxes and boxes smaller, which I add in this box from under shoes. Well, plus various books help. So, what can we prepare?

1. We dry various leaves. On the way home, you pick up a few leaves of different trees. Colors, too, can be different, which will be: yellow, green, red ... most importantly, select the most beautiful, and not strive to dial more. After all, we still have a lot of robbery and we have time to collect a rather large number of leaves. But let it be the most beautiful.

At home, we once again revise "prey", if there are thowned (accidentally not covered) or simply do not like it - we boldly send them to the trash can. The rest are rinsed under running water, lay out on the shining paper or cloth (I drain one-time rags from the roll) surface, let dry moisture and then in the book, and the book can be put back to the shelf. And you can decompose between the sheets of ordinary paper to press something heavy. And let them dry yourself, then come in handy.

By the way, if you need to dry the leaves right very urgently, then put them between the two sheets of white paper and turn a hot iron several times.

2. "Airplanes" or "turntables" from maple. On the way home after the maple seeds are matured, cut several brushes with the child. Houses carefully remove them from the twigs, leaving couples, turn, remove spoiled. Then we rinse and dried over a few days on any surface, covered with paper: on the table, on the windowsill, on the floor. As soon as he dried, let's pay in the box and send it into a large box or in the locker with materials for crafts.

3. Chestnuts and acorns. Perhaps the most chassis for crafts. Yes, and not always they are on trees growing near the house. The poet is better stock in advance, it is not necessary much, but the tenth does not hurt. By the way, I sometimes find acorns without hats and separately - hats. This also collects, sometimes you need hats, then acorns, and sometimes whole acorns with hats.

After collected acorns and chestnuts, I wash them well under running water, then a few days sushi in a cool, well-ventilated room (I usually have a small barn). After the fruits dried, I add them into the box, be sure to shift the crumpled paper (you can store in bulk, but with paper they dry less and "pinch"). Then we remove them into the box with the rest of the natural materials.

4. Bumps. According to the principle, as well as with the acorns: I collect my, I dry. With the exception of some nuances. We often collect even closed cones, wash them easier. And then they are revealed, during the drying process, from heat. Then the part is removed in this form, part whiten. Ideally white do not work, of course, but brighten. I whiten not in Chlorine, in no case! (For some reason, for some reason, a lot of information about bleaching in Chlorka, I tried, the "petals" of the bumps changed their structure, were soft). How I whiten: Well, I dry. Then I lower for a while in the "Mole" or the means similar to it. I pull out, I wash and dry, until the bumps open (they close from moisture), I rinse again and drier again. Then I put in a special solution for whitening wood (I buy in construction stores), periodically dried if the bump closed. After a few days I pull out, I rinse, dry, I wash and dry me again. That's all. It is said that there are still well bleached solutions containing a wiccity. But I did not try, so I can't say.

5. Different twigs and wands. Completely "solidine": and in length, and in thickness, smooth and not very. They are also necessarily present in my box with natural materials. Well washed and dried.

6. If you have the opportunity to get, then a package is mounted in the box with hay or straw. Also can come in handy.

What else in the box: Rosehip, dried flowers, coatshirts, a bit of drunks, pumpkin seeds, nuts, sunflower seeds. And necessarily - interesting pebbles, including flat pebbles. It is so interesting to paint. And you can add everything to the box that you consider interesting than the more stock, the easier it is to make crafts!

Unfortunately, until showing your box, last year's reserves are over, and this year we just started collecting stocks.

Golden autumn in his full swing, in the parks, the beauty is indescribable. We all love the whole family to walk exactly along the autumn forest, rustle the leaves, raising the whole "pillars", to arrange salute from them, and on the way home collect the most beautiful and at home to put them in a vase ... oh, just at home in warm all this beauty So is short-lived. Pass a couple of days and the leaves dry, be frown and begin to turn around, and so I wanted to keep bright paints of autumn and admire them in winter!

And here we found the same means! Welcome to Cat to find out all the "magic", as well as for fun's ideas, for which leaves can be consolidated!

Save leaves

The easiest and most famous way to save the leaves is a drying under the press. But this method is suitable if you want to make herbarium. Just stored in a vase or somehow decorating the room by dried leaves is not very good, because the leaves become too brittle. Therefore, if we want to decorate the room with the help of leaves, it is better to choose another method of "conservation".

In order to "extend the life" to fallen leaves, it is best to collect more "wet" (recently fallen), not damaged leaves

Method 1 - soaked in glycerin

To do this, we need a baking sheet (or a deep tray), a board (which will be fully accompanied into a tray or baking tray, actually, glycerin itself (a lot)
Glycerin is the best tool for saving plasticity.

Make the solution - 2 parts of the water and 1 part of the glycerol. The solution you need so much so that our leaves can be dried in it. The solution is poured into a tray or baking sheet, the leaves are stacked into it in one layer, and the board is covered on top so that the leaves are completely recessed. We leave for 2-3 days, and then check. If the leaves have become plastic - you can dry them, and if they are still a little brittle and "dry", it is better to leave for a couple of days.

Finished such leaves are perfect for decorating the room - wreaths, garlands or just a bouquet.

Also in the solution of glycerin, small twigs can be conserved.

How it's done:

1. Cut small twigs with leaves and immediately immerse the stalks into a container with warm water. Let them stand there about 2 hours, away from the straight rays of the sun.
2. Make a solution of 1 part of the glycerol with 2 parts of the water (you can add a few drops of dishwashing liquid) and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the fire and on slow heat, negotiate it 5-10 minutes.
3. Allow the solution to cool completely.
4. Pull the sprigs from water tank, and their ends to break the hammer in order for a large surface to absorb the solution.
5. Put branches into a solution with glycerin. Keep away from direct sunlight and other heat sources until the leaves appear small drops of dew. This means that the leaves absorbed everything they could.
6. Remove the twigs and wipe the leaves.
7. Suspend twigs down leaves for drying.

Method 2 - Ware Paper

Communicable paper (for baking), 2 towels, iron

Sut off a piece of wax paper and put on it our leaves in one layer so that there is space between them. Top with the same sheet of the same waxed paper. It turned out such a "sandwich". Now leaves a towel (kitchen, not thick) and gently not to shift the leaves, stroke. Without a couple! On the surface on which we stroke, too, better put a thin towel, so as not to be swollen with nothing wax. Slices of waxed paper should be completely glued together. After cooling, we cut out our leaves, leaving small edges so that the paper remains "sealed." Leaves in full preservation!

Method 3 - Wax Procedures

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We take paraffin wax (we took ordinary candles) and we melt on slow fire. ATTENTION - Melting in the container, which is not a pity, laundering a completely frozen wax does not work (we have a special bowl for these procedures for a couple of years).
Where the leaves will then dry, stance the wax paper (again, it is better to lay a kitchen towel under it) (or you can hang leaves to dry the rope).

We take a sheet behind the cuttings and gently immerse him several times in a melted wax.

And now a few funny ideas that can be done with leaves

Funny herbarium

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Figure holes always come in handy

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Let's play?

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Sampling

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Describe prints

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So you can make postcards as a gift.

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And if you take crafting paper (brown) and decorate it with many prints, then the question of packing gifts will be resolved!

And you can make prints on the fabric

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With the help of pencils

Almost any flower - from fragile field to a luxurious garden rose, any leaf and blades can become not only part of school herbarium, but also to turn into Iquaban, a postcard for your beloved grandmother, a material for decoupage, scrapbooking and a real picture that will become a great decor of your home . But for this you need to know how to dry the leaves and flowers.

There are many ways to dry the plants and other natural materials to save their p5 perfect shape and color. There is even a way to instantly prepare the leaves and other raw materials for autumn crafts and herbaria. And he will help you very much, if you need to bring this very herbarium to your child tomorrow at school, you learned tonight.

But sometimes it is not worth a hurry, especially if I want to create from the gifts of nature, something unusual and unique. And then an aerial or volumetric drying come to the rescue, which allows you to preserve and the shape and color of beautiful gentle colors. You only need to be patient to be patient so that you do not spoil anything with nonsense.

And then under your hands, present magic and flowers continue to delight the eye when the blizzard sweeps on the window.

Air drying without hanging

If there are no suitable conditions for hanging plants or place, they can be wrapped with paper napkins (better rice) or other moisture material, and then decompose on the boxes or on top of the cardboard.

Flowers usually dry out in 2-3 weeks.

This method is suitable for plants such as ammobium, Barwin, Heather, Gypsophil, Golden, Kermek (Statz), Lavender, Echinopsis and the like.

Air drying in a water vase

Some plants fade very quickly, so they are difficult to put them in priority. Therefore, they use a combined method: air drying plus water.

The tips of the stems must be diagonally and put plants into a water vase, immersing no more than 4-5 centimeters.

As water evaporates, the plants will be dried.

After the buds are slightly submitted, get flowers and cut the tips of the stems, which were in the water to prevent the appearance of mold.

Then leoble plants, laying horizontally on cardboard or paper.

This method is suitable for plants such as artichoke ball-shaped, heather, carnation (after full blooming flower), gypsophil, hydrangea, lavender, bulbous, yarrow, chicory and their like.

Air drying with hanging

Air drying is an indispensable way for large flowers and plants that are needed for crafts or winter bouquets.

For such a drying, it is necessary to dark (without direct sunlight), a dry cool room with excellent ventilation (storage room, attic, garage, attic).

Depending on the type and size of the plant, the drying process lasts a different amount of time.

What flowers can be sued?

The air method is easy to dries decorative herbs or spikelets of cereal plants (rye, wheat, barley, etc.), as well as medicinal or useful herbs (mint, St. John's wort, nettle, etc.).

From flowers - Vasileuk, hydrangea, ornamental bows, poppy, rose, lilac (cut off immediately after the blooming of the lower flowers), Physalis.

Cereals

Collaborating a couple of days before the start of flowering or after spikelets become light straw color.

After gathering, collect ears in small bundles, placing the tops of the plants at different levels.

Tie the stems tightly, but not tight and cut the tips of the stems, aligning them.

Collect the bundles with spikelets down on the stretched rope or wire, at least 15 centimeters from the ceiling. The gaps between the beams are 10-15 centimeters.

Create ligaments of colors on hooks, paper clips or clothespins.

Leave the cereals to complete drying.

Flowers

Flowering plants cut off as soon as the flowers bloom. Remove the bottom pair of leaves or all the leaves if you need a flower itself.

Tie plants at the base of the stem of 5-10 pieces in a bundle. It is better to wind every 2-3 stem, and at the end the entire bouquet of harness, rubber band or the twine, so that the flowers do not break down after drying.

But do not tighten the rope too tight and do not wake it up sufficiently so that moisture does not accumulate in the dressing places.

Color the bundles with flowers or spikelets down on a stretched rope or wire, at least 15 centimeters from the ceiling. The gaps between the beams are 10-15 centimeters. Create ligaments of colors on hooks, paper clips or clothespins.

In the beam, the leaves must be well ventilated, and the flowers do not touch each other.

Leave flowers on drying days at 15-30. If the petals are thick and dense, or there are no optimal conditions, then drying time can be increased to 40 days.

When the flowers are completely dry, the petals will be solid and fragile to the touch.

General rules

Large flowers and flowering branches should be dried one by one (hydrangea, peony, rose, lilac).

From roses you need to remove spikes.

Different types of plants are better to connect separately, because the dying period they may vary.

Surround dryer flowers in wrapper

Gigroscopic Vata.

In addition to powder drying with bulk substances, you can use hygroscopic wool. In this case, the petals also retain the form and color.

All petals, including the most central, put out wool pieces. Touch the plant for the stem on the hook or rope.

The flower head is usually dried in 5-6 days, but the cotton can be removed only after complete drying of the stem.

Toilet paper

When drying the colors with a toilet paper, a cup is obtained more flat and paper texture leaves traces on the petals, but it does not fall apart.

Put out paper flower as well as cotton.

Parafining of live flowers and leaves

Live flowers can be covered with paraffin, including a bouquet donated for a holiday. You can process paraffin almost all kinds of colors.

Moisten the brush in the molten paraffin, then carefully and delicately treat petals and leaves.

It is better to start from extreme and move to the center of bud.

After the petal is completely dry, you can go to the next one.