Pressed Leaves Wall Art

by Becca

​Hey teens! It’s Becca from the Main Library. In this DIY I’m going to show you how to add some nature to your room without the hassle of having to keep a plant alive. Pressed leaves and flowers can be used for so many things. You can add them to greeting cards, decorate a table or fireplace, or put them in frames like I’m going to show you.

You’ll need the following materials:

• Large, heavy book
• Plastic wrap or wax paper
• Freshly picked leaves/flowers
• Paper towels
• Empty frame (optional)

Pressing leaves is one of the easiest projects! You just need to make sure the leaves and flowers you are pressing are freshly picked. The leaves need to have their natural moisture before you begin, or you’ll end up with crumbling leaves. (Be sure to only pick leaves and flowers from your own garden!)

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Pick your favorite leaves! Here are the leaves I picked. You can cut each leaf off the stem and arrange them however you’d like, but I liked these the way they grew naturally.

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​Step 2: Choose a large heavy book to use. Flip it open somewhere in the last half of the book. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap across the pages to keep them from getting wet. You can also use wax paper, aluminum foil, shopping bags, or anything that won’t let water seep through.

​Step 3: Lay your paper towels on the plastic wrap with your leaves on top. You can also use tissue, toilet paper, handkerchiefs, or napkins.

​Step 4: Carefully close the book on top of your leaves. Make sure they aren’t folding in on themselves and are going to be pressed completely flat.

Step 5: Wait at least 4 days to a week before opening the book. If they still feel moist to the touch, you’ll want to wait a little bit longer. When they’re finally ready, carefully transfer them to a frame, lay them on a dresser, tape them to a window, or add them to any other project that inspires you!
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​Did you try pressing your own leaves? Let us know in the comments how it went, or a share a picture of your creation on our art submission page. You can find more DIY activities in our Teen DIY collection on BiblioBoard. Let us know what kinds of craft tutorials you'd like to see next!