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| Preserved ginkgo and sweetgum leaves |
You can already see
shades of red and yellow bursting forth from the maples, sumac, ginkgo, and
other plants. Would not it be nice to
have some of this color to brighten up the dreary days of winter? Well, there are several methods by which you
can do this.
One of the oldest
methods to reserve colorful leaves is to press the leaves between sheets of
waxed paper. To do this place autumn‑colored
leaves between two layers of wax paper.
Cover with an old towel or cloth rag. Press the fabric with a warm iron, sealing the
wax paper together with the leaf in between.
Cut your leaves out, leaving a narrow margin of wax paper around the
leaf edge. This is a time-tested way to do it.
For the more modern, you
can preserve fall leaves in your microwave oven. Choose fresh leaves with the brightest
colors. You do not want to use fallen
leaves that have already started to dry. Take individual leaves and place them
in the microwave on top of two pieces of paper towels. Cover them with two
additional sheets of paper towels.
You will need to
experiment with the amount of time you need to run the oven. It will vary from 30 seconds to 1½ minutes
depending on the wattage of your microwave and amount of leaves. The drier the leaves, the less time they will
need. You might want to place a small
bowl of water in with the leaves so they do not over-dry. Leaves that curl after removal, have not been
dried enough. Leaves that scorch, have
been left in too long. Let the dried leaves
acclimate for a day or two and then finish the leaves with an acrylic craft
spray sealant.
Another microwave option
that produces really good results is if you include silica gel for drying. Place a one inch layer of floral silica gel
in the bottom of a cardboard box. Place
the leaves lying flat. Leaves should not
touch and should be at least 1.25 inches away from the sides of the box. Cover the leaves with a one-inch layer of
gel. Place the uncovered box in the
microwave. You want the microwave to
operate at about 200 to 300 watts so if your microwave has 2‑10 settings
operate it at level 4. If the oven only
has three to four settings, it should be set at half. If your oven has a high to defrost options,
set the microwave on defrost. Estimated
drying time is 2.5 minutes if you're using a half pound of gel and about 5
minutes if using two pounds of gel.
Yet another way to preserve
the leaves is to submerge them in a solution of glycerin and water. Use a
mixture of one part glycerin to two parts water. Place the mixture in a flat pan, and totally
submerge the leaves (in a single layer) in the liquid. You'll have to weight them down to keep them
submerged. In about two to six days they
should have absorbed the liquid and be soft and pliable. Remove them from the pan and wipe off all the
liquid with a soft cloth. Done
correctly, the leaves will remain soft and pliable indefinitely.
