Stained Glass Leaf Craft

Fall is one of our favourite seasons because of all the beautiful colours which provides us with a wonderful variety of crafting opportunities. 🎨 🖌

Leaves are Falling and Crafts are Calling

This is a craft you can do with children 3+. BONUS: it's relatively simple and everything that’s needed, you should have on hand. All you need is half an hour, some wax paper, leaves, and a glue stick (optional to add a construction paper border around the edges or use the cardboard from your Wild | Life kit to construct a frame). 

1. Bring a bag or basket (or your Foraging Bag from Kit No. 6 "Let It Grow" to collect fallen leaves while out on your next walk.
2. If the leaves are a little dew covered or wet from rain, allow them to dry (lay flat on a dish towel on the counter or your table.)
3. Find a large, well loved book to press the leaves. If you don’t have a book large enough to fit the leaves between the pages, you can also place the leaves between two pieces of paper towel on your table and stack heavier books on top.
4. You’ll want to press the leaves for at least an hour, but the longer the better to ensure they’re completely dry and pressed. The longer you can let the leaves dry, the more the colour will stay preserved.
5. Once your leaves are dry and pressed, cut out 2  same sized pieces of wax paper. Depending on the size of your windows and how many leaves you have to arrange inside, you can make the wax paper as small or large as you’d like.
6. Cover one sheet of your wax paper with glue.
7. Place your leaves on your glued piece of wax paper in an arrangement that you like being careful not to completely overlap your leaves.
8. Cover your second piece of wax paper with glue and place it glue side down on top of your arranged leaves (creating a leaf sandwich).
9. Allow your creation to dry, trim the edges (or cut it into a shape) and apply your construction border frame if you’d like.
10. You can tape your leaf ‘stained glass’ to the window or use a hole-punch at the top and hang it by a string or ribbon.
11. Admire your beautiful creations!

This is a fun craft that can be created year after year and from season to season. You can get creative with tissue paper in between the waxed paper to make “stained glass” hearts for valentines day, festive trees or ornaments for holidays, and add pressed flowers in the spring or summer.

Share Your Creations 

Happy Fall! 🍂 ☀️🌾 We’d love to see your beautiful creations. Tag us in your “stained glass” craft photos! @thewildlifeca