Selecting Leaves to Press or Preserve

Fall foliage is a highlight of the season. Colorful leaves may be even more attractive than flowers. However to make an indoor display of fall foliage, it helps if you dry or preserve the leaves first. Luckily this is easy to do and there are 4 basic methods for pressing and saving colorful fall leaves that follow.

Which ever method you choose to use, your leaves will turn out their best if you use these guidelines when selecting them.

1. Choose leaves that are relatively flat, not curled.
    
   
2. Look for leaves that aren’t spotted or bumpy.
    
   
3. Don’t be afraid to try leaves in various stages of changing colors.
    
   
4. Drier leaves press well. More supple leaves, like magnolia and rhododendron, are good candidates for glycerin or silica gel.
    
   

Choosing which leaves to preserve is a great activity for the kids, too. And being closer to ground level, they often have a better view.

Presing leaves with a weight is the simplest method of saving fall leaves, but the leaves won’t last as long as preserved leaves will. Here's how to press leaves to use for the fall season.

1. Choose leaves that are relatively flat and thin, with a low moisture content.
    
   
2. Sandwich leaves between newspaper or waxed paper.
    
   

Then select some of your heaviest books and continue on with the next step...