Preserving Fall Leaves for Elegant Autumn Decor

Gather: Fall leaves - freshly fallen or picked from the tree work best, laminating sheets, a laminator

Optional: Baking sheets and paper towels

This fall I was researching projects to do with fallen leaves with my toddler. Growing up I’d pressed leaves to preserve my favorites but pressed flora is way too delicate for young children to handle. Thankfully googling taught me something new! Laminate your leaves. This is my first year trying this, so I don’t know if the leaves will retain their colors long term, but this is a game changer for using leaves to as indoor fall decor.

Step 1: Go outside and find some beautiful leaves. The leaves should be dry. You can also pick ones that are about to fall right from the tree.

2. The leaves dry out very quickly indoors so it’s best to laminate them right away. However you can also lay them out on a paper towel on a cookie baking sheet and cover them with a paper towel to keep them fresher if you need more time.

3. Arrange the leaves in a laminating sheet. If you plan to use the whole sheet consider the mix of colors and sizes. If you plan to cut out individual or groups of leaves be sure to leave enough margin around the leaves to cut out while keeping them laminated. If you cut too close to the leaves, the lamination may not hold around the edges of the leaves.

4. Run the laminating sheet through the laminator. You are done!

Decorate your fall/Thanksgiving table with cut out laminated leaves. Sprinkle them down the center over a table runner.

Make place cards with real fall leaves by writing the names of your guests on small postcards and laminating them with the leaves.

Cut the laminating sheet down to a bookmark width and use a hole punch to make a hole at top for a tassel.

Create a leaf garland for a mantlepiece or staircase. Cut around the laminated leaves. Use a hole punch to make a hole in each cut out. Experiment with different stringing materials - thin ribbon, metallic braid, clear fishing line for the leaves to look like they are floating in the air.