My seasonal decorating is all out of order. I have been working on Christmas stuff since September and now I'm working on my fall decor for next year! HGTV.com has me writing several holiday decor tutorials for them and I need to work on the ones that require fresh pumpkins and the great outdoors before the season changes to winter. Our "leaf peak" has passed in Pennsylvania, so I needed to preserve some leaves for my photo shoots before they were dried and gone. Here's how to preserve the colorful falls leaves for next year:
Collect freshly fallen leaves. They need to be supple, not dried out, yet. I love maple leaves and those are in abundance in our church parking lot, so I stole some time at youth group last night to collect some.
Place each individual leaf between the pages of a thick book. The moisture in the leaves will crinkle the pages, so don't use a precious book.
A little Shakespeare will do nicely. He was a wordy fellow.
The leaf needs to be pressed, but it's OK to leave the stems hanging out.
Stack weight on the book. You can use a stack of books, dumbbells, paint cans, whatever. Place it in a cool, dry place, away from heat. Allow the leaves to be pressed for at least a week. One time, I left mine in a book all year and pulled them out the following fall. The color was just as brilliant as the day they were collected.
You can use them to make wreaths and other fall crafts. They also look great framed or under glass on a table top. You can even use them for decoupage projects! I'm going to use them to make fall last a little longer while I'm working on my projects.
I don't know about you, but I find that my nesting desires kick in high gear when the seasons are changing. I spent a lot of time cleaning today and I've been trying to sneak projects in for myself between all of the custom orders and things for the shop and the barn sales (two this month!) So, I thought I would share what my living room currently looks like...
I finished two curtain panels and still have two more remaining. I slipcovered my sofa a couple of months ago and refinished a pair of small, pedestal side tables for either side. I also pulled all of the crystals off my chandeliers, which sounds like a terrible thing to do, but they were speckled with mauve and were too busy in front of the patterned curtains. I'm going to dry brush them white, so they are simple, but stand out a little more. Also, the dark bronze color isn't working with the antique gold rods.
The new pair of French chairs will get the same treatment as my favorite French settee, so they'll look light and bright. I'm also looking for a new ottoman or coffee table for the center of this room. The scale and style of this one isn't working.
Some progress is happening, although it's slow. That's life.
The True Value contest closes on Friday, so please hang in there with me for a few more days. Click here to vote now and I would love it if you could spread the word!