How to Dry Leaves
Air-dry the leaves if you don't need to keep them flat., Press the leaves flat and dry with this slow but simple method., Use a flower press instead for faster drying., Dry large, thick leaves quickly in the microwave., Iron fresh leaves to preserve...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Air-dry the leaves if you don't need to keep them flat.
Place leaves in a shallow container or tie them in bunches.
Expose to direct sunlight for a few days, checking every day or two to see whether they're dry.
The sunlight will dry out the leaves, but the edges may curl.
This makes them hard to use in some craft projects, but works well for dried flower arrangements.
Do not place the leaves in direct sunlight if you wish to retain the full rich greens of the natural leaf.
Direct sunlight will cause the colors to fade and become less vibrant.
Air flow from a fan or window will dry the leaves faster. -
Step 2: Press the leaves flat and dry with this slow but simple method.
Place one large leaf or several small leaves between two sheets of paper towels, making sure none of the leaves overlap.
Open a large book such as an encyclopedia and place the sheets between its pages.
Shut the book and lay it flat somewhere out of the way.
Stack other books or stable heavy objects on top of it.
Check once a week to see if the leaves are dry and change the paper towels if they feel damp.
If the leaves are wet with rain, blot them dry first with paper towels.
Use additional layers of paper towels if the leaves are especially wet or if you're worried about staining the book's pages.When drying multiple leaves in the same book, leave at least 1/8 inch (3 mm) of pages between each sheet of leaves to provide enough weight for each leaf., You can either buy a flower press large enough to place your leaves in, or build your own out of plywood and cardboard.
This is more expensive and uses more materials than simply pressing your leaves in a book, but the better air circulation can speed up the drying process by a few days.Spread the leaves out between two paper towels.
Put the paper towels in between two sheets of blotter paper or several additional sheets of paper towels.
Place the whole stack on the open flower press, then close and tighten.
Check every few days to change damp towels and check if the leaves are dry. , Place a thick leaf between double layers of paper towels on a microwave safe plate.
Insert the plate and a small cup of water into the microwave and microwave it for 30 seconds.
If the leaf isn't dry yet, microwave it again for 10 seconds at a time, taking the leaf out to check between each microwave session.Warning: the leaf can easily catch on fire in the microwave, which is why you should only use this method on large, thick leaves.
The cup of water helps prevent this, since some of the microwave's energy is used to heat the water. , This method works best on fresh leaves that have not yet changed color or begun to dry, although you should pat them dry with paper towels if the surface is wet.
Place one leaf between two sheets of wax paper, and put a towel on top of the wax paper.
Heat a clothes iron, then move the iron over the towel while pressing for 2-5 minutes or until that side feels dry.
Flip over the stack of wax paper, put the towel over it again, and repeat.
Warning: children should have an adult iron the leaves for them, as the iron can get dangerously hot.
Make sure the clothes iron is not set to produce steam.
Once the leaf is ironed, cut a circle of wax paper out around it and peel off each layer of wax paper.
This will leave wax on the leaf to preserve its color., This only works on wide, evergreen leaves such as magnolia, lemon, and eucalyptus leaves.This method will turn the leaves brown, but keep them soft and supple indefinitely.
Combine one part glycerine with two parts water in a shallow dish, only filling it just enough to cover a layer of leaves.
Place the leaves into the liquid, making sure the surface is completely covered.
The leaves will be usable in craft projects after about 4 days, or can be soaked for several weeks to preserve them permanently.This method works by replacing some of the water inside each leaf with glycerine, which won't evaporate like water does.
If the leaves float to the top, place a paper plate or other object you don't mind getting wet on top of them to keep them weighed down under the liquid.
Add more glycerine and water if the liquid drops below the leaves. -
Step 3: Use a flower press instead for faster drying.
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Step 4: Dry large
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Step 5: thick leaves quickly in the microwave.
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Step 6: Iron fresh leaves to preserve their color.
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Step 7: Preserve the texture of leaves with glycerin.
Detailed Guide
Place leaves in a shallow container or tie them in bunches.
Expose to direct sunlight for a few days, checking every day or two to see whether they're dry.
The sunlight will dry out the leaves, but the edges may curl.
This makes them hard to use in some craft projects, but works well for dried flower arrangements.
Do not place the leaves in direct sunlight if you wish to retain the full rich greens of the natural leaf.
Direct sunlight will cause the colors to fade and become less vibrant.
Air flow from a fan or window will dry the leaves faster.
Place one large leaf or several small leaves between two sheets of paper towels, making sure none of the leaves overlap.
Open a large book such as an encyclopedia and place the sheets between its pages.
Shut the book and lay it flat somewhere out of the way.
Stack other books or stable heavy objects on top of it.
Check once a week to see if the leaves are dry and change the paper towels if they feel damp.
If the leaves are wet with rain, blot them dry first with paper towels.
Use additional layers of paper towels if the leaves are especially wet or if you're worried about staining the book's pages.When drying multiple leaves in the same book, leave at least 1/8 inch (3 mm) of pages between each sheet of leaves to provide enough weight for each leaf., You can either buy a flower press large enough to place your leaves in, or build your own out of plywood and cardboard.
This is more expensive and uses more materials than simply pressing your leaves in a book, but the better air circulation can speed up the drying process by a few days.Spread the leaves out between two paper towels.
Put the paper towels in between two sheets of blotter paper or several additional sheets of paper towels.
Place the whole stack on the open flower press, then close and tighten.
Check every few days to change damp towels and check if the leaves are dry. , Place a thick leaf between double layers of paper towels on a microwave safe plate.
Insert the plate and a small cup of water into the microwave and microwave it for 30 seconds.
If the leaf isn't dry yet, microwave it again for 10 seconds at a time, taking the leaf out to check between each microwave session.Warning: the leaf can easily catch on fire in the microwave, which is why you should only use this method on large, thick leaves.
The cup of water helps prevent this, since some of the microwave's energy is used to heat the water. , This method works best on fresh leaves that have not yet changed color or begun to dry, although you should pat them dry with paper towels if the surface is wet.
Place one leaf between two sheets of wax paper, and put a towel on top of the wax paper.
Heat a clothes iron, then move the iron over the towel while pressing for 2-5 minutes or until that side feels dry.
Flip over the stack of wax paper, put the towel over it again, and repeat.
Warning: children should have an adult iron the leaves for them, as the iron can get dangerously hot.
Make sure the clothes iron is not set to produce steam.
Once the leaf is ironed, cut a circle of wax paper out around it and peel off each layer of wax paper.
This will leave wax on the leaf to preserve its color., This only works on wide, evergreen leaves such as magnolia, lemon, and eucalyptus leaves.This method will turn the leaves brown, but keep them soft and supple indefinitely.
Combine one part glycerine with two parts water in a shallow dish, only filling it just enough to cover a layer of leaves.
Place the leaves into the liquid, making sure the surface is completely covered.
The leaves will be usable in craft projects after about 4 days, or can be soaked for several weeks to preserve them permanently.This method works by replacing some of the water inside each leaf with glycerine, which won't evaporate like water does.
If the leaves float to the top, place a paper plate or other object you don't mind getting wet on top of them to keep them weighed down under the liquid.
Add more glycerine and water if the liquid drops below the leaves.
About the Author
Margaret Kim
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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