[KIDS CORNER]

Preserving Fall Color by

Pressing Leaves

by Madison Farkas

This super easy craft keeps the gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows of the fall foliage alive all year! It’s not quite as permanent as other preserving methods, but it’s definitely the simplest. As long as you store them carefully and handle them gently, they will last for years!

Supplies:
• Parchment paper
• Large, heavy books
1. Take your kids for a walk to collect the leaves you want to press. Look for clean, dry, freshly fallen leaves of different sizes and colors, and make sure they’re flat instead of bumpy or curly. Along the way, you can take the opportunity to teach your kids the species of tree that each kind of leaf comes from and help them identify the leaves.

2. Tuck the leaves into pieces of folded parchment paper and slip them between the pages of the book. Add a few more books on top for extra weight and leave them somewhere they can sit undisturbed.

3. Check them after about a week to make sure they’re drying and not rotting. Depending on the moisture content of the leaves, it can take up to three weeks to fully dry.

4. Once the leaves are dry, scatter them across a white tablecloth at Thanksgiving dinner or use them as Halloween party decorations. Store them in an airtight bag or container where they won’t get folded or crushed.