Where can you find more gorgeous examples of design than from nature itself? I promised you leaf projects this week, so here's another idea for you to make your own! You can print with leaves on paper or even on fabric (using fabric paint) and create truly beautiful works of art that celebrate the great outdoors! Just one word to the wise: it may take a bit of practice before you'll get prints like these as there are several techniques, and the results will vary greatly depending on the type of paint and paper you'll be using

As a wonderful craft for kids, don't expect perfect impressions of the leaves, aim for something that looks vaguely like the leaf and then either outline the shape or cut it out and use it in a collage or as part of a mobile or banner. And while you are exploring printing, so check out this post for kids about printing with items from the kitchen!

You'll Need:

• Fresh leaves: make collecting the leaves part of the activity with your children, and use it as an opportunity to discuss design in nature and respect for plant life (namely we only need to pick a few leaves of each kind!)
• Paint or Ink: The most exacting prints of leaves can be obtained using block printing ink (like Speedball) and a roller which you might like to try if you already have those supplies on hand, or one can even use a stamp pad for small leaves! I however used acrylic paint for my example above, which is also lovely and you certainly have many more options color wise with paint, not to mention that printing ink is messy! The key is to use paint that is on the sticky side as opposed to watery for the best prints!
• Paper: Experiment on regular printer paper before using something even slightly precious.
• A little bit of patience!

How To:

I encourage you to explore a few different techniques to see what works for you!

• For ink, apply a not too generous amount of ink to leaf with roller and carefully lay leaf on paper. Place a scrap piece of paper over the leaf and gently press down on the leaf to transfer ink from leaf to paper. You may want to try placing a towel under your printing surface as this sometimes helps get more detail from the print.
• For paint, so either paint the leaf, or sponge the paint onto the leaf with a dense sponge (good technique for kids and with big leaves) You can then make prints by either placing paper on top of the leaf or placing the leaf on top of the paper. The main point is to figure out the right amount of paint to apply to the leaf and to make sure your paint is the right consistency. If you are looking for a fun activity to do with the kids and you're not so concerned about the quality of the prints, so then use whatever kid friendly paint you have on hand and enjoy!

Crafting with leaves is generally designated for Fall when the leaves are falling, but I've decided that Spring is a great time to celebrate leaves as well, don't you think? And when you use bright and/or pastel colors your projects will naturally look like Spring! Leaves are a wonderful source of design inspiration and I'll be sharing with you some more leaf inspired creativity over the next few days. And for those of you who live in cold climates, what better way to usher in the new season than by celebrating the first leaves of Spring!

Here's a sweet card idea based on the nature silhouette artwork from yesterday's post here. You'll need five colors of card stock and some fine rick rack, to go about making some of these for your lucky friends and family. A series of these made as small works of art would also look wonderful framed and hung together!

And because I really want to help you make the most of your crafting time, heres a few leaves to drag onto your computer and use as you wish! Wishing you all the very best, and do leave me a comment I love hearing from you!

Looking for a new project that says "Spring?" Something cheerful to adorn a blank wall? With just some cardstock in your favorite colors, a piece of foam core or any solid backing, and a bit of rick rack trim you can create a truly special piece of artwork that you'll enjoy all year round. Cut paper silhouettes do require a bit of precision and patience, but your efforts will be rewarded as the results are stunning!

Silhouettes of all kinds have been popular for awhile and they still look great when combined with fresh color and used together in a grid like pattern as I've done here. Stretch yourself a bit and do several delicate silhouettes to mix with some simple ones for the best results. And of course, with your creative touch this can be used for so many different types of projects. How about freezer paper stencils on fabric for a mini color blocked wall hanging or table runner? Sounds good to me!

You'll Need:

• card stock in four coordinating colors
• rick rack trim in one color (choose the darkest color)
• piece of foam core, mdf, plywood, etc.
• adhesive for mounting paper and silhouettes, I used spray mount but you can use the adhesive of your choice, including matte modgepodge for a more decoupaged look.
• an X-acto knife and small sharp scissors (even those used for cutting finger nails)
• xeroxed or laser printed copies of silhouettes sized for your project (you can drag the images I've provided below onto your screen, or find your own through clip art books and online sources)

1. Determine the overall size of your artwork and divide into four equal sections.
2. Cut background pieces, one in each color according to this calculation
3. Using your computer or a copy machine, size your silhouettes to fit within the rectangles you've cut and flip the images before printing, as you'll be working with them from the back
4. Using spray mount adhesive (or the adhesive or your choice) mount the silhouettes to the back of your card stock, one silhouette per color if you're following my design.
5. Using an X-acto knife and /or small sharp scissors cut out the silhouettes, and then mount these silhouettes to the background pieces.
6. Carefully mount the background pieces to your backing material using the adhesive of your choice and then cover seams between background pieces by attaching rick-rack with glue.
7. Enjoy!
8. Artwork done on foam core can be framed, while those done on a piece of mdf or plywood should be given a finished edge with pieces of the same cardstock and can be hung as is!