Last week I shared a blog post on fall children’s books and related art activities you could do, without going into too much into detail on the actual steps to do them! One of my favorites from the list are making DIY leaf prints and rubbings. This is an easy activity you can probably do with supplies you have on hand. It can create a great opportunity to talk about the lifestyles of trees and changing seasons.
Leaf Prints
Leaf prints are super fun to do, and you can go really simple or act more like a print-maker if you have the materials. The photos below are from a camp I taught art as long ago. These students are printing leaves they gathered using acrylic paint and foam brushes inside their sketchbooks.
Supplies
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- Leaves!
- Acrylic paint
- Foam brush
- (Or, markers work, too!)
- Sturdy Paper
OR
- More leaves
- Block printing ink (optional if you already have paint)
- Brayer (a second dry brayer to press if you don’t have a press)
- Sturdy paper
- Small press
For the absolute basic leaf print, gather your leaf, acrylic paint, a foam brush, and a piece of strong paper. If you have fancier, softer paper that doesn’t wrinkle, that works even better (i.e. a printmaker’s paper). Paint a light coat onto your leaf and immediately flip it over onto your paper or put the paper on top of your leaf. Rub firmly but carefully to deposit the paint from the leaf to the paper.
To do it printmaker style, you can either keep using your paint or upgrade to block printing ink! You’ll need two rollers if you are inking (called brayers) or one brayer for ink and a press. If you are using paint, add a light coat of paint onto your leaf using the foam brush. Flip it over onto your paper. Place another piece of scrap paper over your leaf. Take the dry brayer and firmly but carefully roll across the surface to deposit the paint from the leaf to the paper. Or, use your press. Peel back the scrap paper and leaf and repeat! Use a new piece of scrap paper each time so you don’t get unwanted ink on your print.
If you are using inks, lay some ink down on a scrap piece of paper or plate. Load your inking brayer up until is has a tacky but not sticky/drippy coating. Roll the ink over the leaf and then flip your leaf onto your paper. Place another piece of scrap paper over your leaf. Take the dry brayer and firmly but carefully roll across the surface to deposit the paint from the leaf to the paper. Or, use your press. Peel back the scrap paper and leaf and repeat! Use a new piece of scrap paper each time so you don’t get unwanted ink on your print.
Leaf Rubbings
Rubbings can be done with a lot of different materials. Chalk is a good to use, but crayons and colored pencils will work fabulous too! Simply place your leaf face down on a hard, flat surface and then cover it with your preferred paper. Use the drawing material (chalk, crayon, colored pencil) and mark over and over again on top of where the leaf would be. Sometimes it helps to lay the crayon or chalk on it’s side to do this. Try layering different leaf rubbings on the same piece of paper! The colored pencil will layer better than the crayons will.
Want more ideas?
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