Make your Own Leaf Skeleton

Make your Own Leaf Skeleton - Body

Expand image Two nearly identical photographs side-by side. Each photograph is of a number of white leaf skeletons surrounding a photograph of Abraham Lincoln.

Leaf skeletons used in a memorial art project after the assassination of President Lincoln.

Materials

  1. Thick (but not succulent) leaves. Magnolia, rhododendron, and oak work well.
  2. Water in a big bowl or bucket
  3. A leaf press or two pieces of computer paper and a pile of heavy books
  4. Optional: bleach
  5. Optional: dye

Steps

  1. Choose thick (but not succulent!) leaves. Magnolia work well.
  2. Soak the leaves in water for 4-8 weeks until the leaf cuticle and green matter are loose (the leaf will feel slimy when it is ready).
  3. Use a toothbrush to gently rub away the cuticle and green matter. You are done when just the leaf veins remain.
  4. Press the leaves. You can make a leaf press or you can press the leaves by placing each leaf between two pieces of computer paper and putting them under a pile of heavy books.
  5. Let the leaves press for at least two weeks.
  6. Optional: soak the leaves in bleach for a few minutes to achieve a delicate white appearance and/or soak the leaves in dye for a few minutes to color the skeletons. Safety Note: Only adults should do this step. Children should not use bleach or dye without adult supervision.

Extensions

  • Create leaf skeletons from different plants and compare the veins.
  • Use the leaves in a collage or another art project.