Leaf TreesLeaf trees are a beautiful way to bring the color and scents of the outdoors inside your home. Let your kids help you make them for your mantel. We made our forest of leaf trees using dried leaves and styrofoam tree forms of various sizes. Don't know which is more fun - gathering the colorful leaves or 'building' the tree with the glue gun. (You can also use straight pins.) The end result is a natural decoration to display on the dining room table, the fireplace mantle or anywhere for an eye-catching holiday display. When gathering leaves to make a tree concentrate on finding a variety of shapes and sizes to match with the narrow top and wide base of a tree. Plan on putting smaller leaves at the top and larger ones at the bottom. We like to use leaves of the same kind of tree together, but you can experiment and make your own style leaf tree. Depending on where you live and the kind of trees you have, your leaf tree should be uniquely your own. You'll need: lots of leaves, tree form, garden clippers, glue gun and books to press the leaves flat Step one. Gather a bucket full of leaves and put them inside book pages to press them flat. Depending on the size of the leaves and how big the book is, lay one or two leaves flat on a page and then close it. Step two. Use a garden clipper to remove the stem of the leaf. Be careful handling the leaves as you do this. Step three. Glue flat leaves around the base or bottom of the tree form making sure to overlap each other to cover the form. Overlap a second layer on top of the first to conceal the form. As your leaf tree grows and you work your way up the tree form, use smaller leaves for the top of the tree. At the top use a pine cone or gum ball tree pod or any other natural material to conceal the tip. Make a forest of trees using a selection of tree form shapes and types of leaves.
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