Leaf Art with Ink

 Hello Crafty Friends

The fall season has made a brilliant appearance in the Upper Midwest this year, 2026.   I don't recall in my lifetime seeing so many rich colors and many on one tree!

The day I filmed this was just about peak for the colors, and today its the kind of weather no one really dreams of - foggy, cooler temps, and nearly all the leaves on the ground.

Its a perfect day to craft a few of those leaves into permanent prints.

Supplies: 

A leaf - I used a real maple leaf but you could use a silk leave, or a leaf from a succulent plant.  

watercolor paper

watercolor pencils

clean water

ink 

paintbrush - (like from a kids' paint set) 

Optional: stamps for background, white gel pen, gel medium or mod podge

INSTRUCTIONS:
Using your watercolor pencil, trace around your leaf, then color in the background with the watercolor pencil. Let Dry

With your choice of ink, cover the back of the leaf, especially the veins, with ink

Press your inked leaf down on the open space pressing every corner down.  Lift.  You should have a leaf print in the space.

If you print does not show, add a bit of water to the leaf area, and again to the leaf.  

Press it down again, remembering that it will be wet.  Move the ink around by tipping the paper and set aside to dry.  

Add text to background

Add splatters with white gel ink

To seal for mailing as a post card: Apply a layer of gel medium or mod podge 

Try this technique with a variety of leaves.  I'll try a succulent plant leaf or an African Violet Leaf next.

If you make leaf prints with this technique I'd love to see them - post them over at Instagram

card.connoisseur

Watch this video at My YouTube Channel

Thanks for stopping by. Be Blessed! sb