Pressed Leaves and Branches Bouquet

Granted I won’t be winning any prizes for the intricacy of this creative effort, but the simplicity of this natural bouquet of pressed leaves and branches could be what makes it shine.

When I gathered these brilliant maroon coloured maple leaves I really wasn’t certain what I was going to do with them. But the scattering of them on my path was just too beautiful to pass up. I wasn’t alone, because as I selected the perfect specimens, I was joined by another woman who also wanted some.

At this point I should say that in the past I have tried taking a fresh tree branch that still had leaves on it and making a display by simply plunking it in a vase of water. It didn’t take long for those leaves to curl right up in an unattractive manner and cause me to deem that idea a big ‘fail’.

So I knew that a lifelike display would require doing something more.

How to make a bouquet of branches with real leaves :

Find some pretty leaves.

Press and dry the leaves by placing them between the pages of a magazine that you no longer want. Note that pressing plants will cause damage to the pages they are pressed between, so if you want to save a leaf or flower within the pages of a treasured book, press it in an unwanted magazine first, until it is perfectly dry. Oh yes, and leaves must still be moist and pliable when they are put between pages for pressing. If they have already begun to dry and curl they will crack when put between the pages.

Place the magazine with the leaves on a flat surface and put a pile of heavy books on top.

After a week or so they should dry enough to use.

So find yourself a few branches, trying to match the kind of leaf you have, to make the display look more realistic. Branches from a maple tree were what I needed here and the local park was full of ones that had fallen to the ground. Trim the bottom end to the length you want. Arrange the branches in a heavy vase.

Then just attach your pressed leaves to the branches by wrapping a short length of black electrical tape around both the stem and the branch. If someone looks closely they’ll see the tape, but from a distance you can barely see it.

And there you have it … something one-of-a-kind that will allow you to bring a bit of nature inside.

How about a little mood lighting?

Thanks for taking a look. Hope you’re having a great Friday.
xo loulou