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Garden & Flower Crafts

suggestions on preserving autumn leaves?

18 years ago

I am trying to preserve leaves to be used in crafts, but I need a more "sturdy" method than the wax paper or glycerine. Specifically I want to use them in a 3-D collage that may have to withstand some handling. I have tried spraying them with shellac but they still seem to be too delicate. I'm thinking in terms of dipping them into some type of liquid that will harden, but it needs to be something that will dry quite thick. Any suggestions?

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Comments (2)

uglyoodie
18 years ago
What about wax?
playinmud
18 years ago
boxermom33, You might want to try spraying them with Krylon "Crystal Clear", you can get this at Wal-mart in the paint section. Let the spray dry between coats, and let it dry on one side before spraying the other side of the leaf. Do this outside, where there's no chance of inhaling the spray. Not certain if the color will be retained forever, but it should stabilize the leaf for you. PIM
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