Press Leaves with the Kids - Guest Post from The Pleasantest Thing

I’m so excited to be sharing another Fall Fun guest post with you today from the awesome Carolyn of The Pleasantest Thing…

Help the Kids Press Leaves for a Fall Suncatcher!

When I was a kid, my mom used to press leaves between wax paper for my brother and me. She sealed the leaves in the paper using an iron. I thought this would be a fun activity to share with my boys.

Here’s How to Press Leaves…

Step 1: Gather the leaves. We collected our leaves from around our yard, and threw in a few mum blossoms as well, for an extra pop of color.

Step 2: Arrange the leaves. Then we came inside and I tore off 2 sheets of waxed paper. My 4 1/2 year old arranged the leaves into a design (he decided on a circle).

Step 3: Iron the leaves. (This part should only be done by an adult). I put a towel down on the ironing board, placed our project on top, and then placed another towel over the project. I set the iron’s heat to medium-high. Then I pressed the iron on top of the towel, pressing hard for about 5 seconds in each area, going over the whole project.

As I worked, I lifted the towel to make sure the wax was melting and creating a seal. If it didn’t, I tried pressing that area a second time.

When it was done, we had a festive Fall suncatcher to place in our window!

Carolyn is the writer at The Pleasantest Thing blog, and a mom to two boys, ages 4 1/2 and 1. She believes play is critical to child development. Her blog focuses on learning and developing imagination through adventure, play, reading, and nature. You can also join in the fun by following her blog on Facebook or Pinterest.