Autumn family craft: leaf printing
On this page:
What you’ll need
- Paper
- Poster paints
- Freshly fallen leaves
- Paint brushes
Did you know?
Birch is the most common native tree in Scotland, and it’s also one of the easiest to recognise because of its silver bark and small, light green leaves.
How to leaf print
Step 1
Head outside and collect some lovely fallen leaves. Enjoy autumn, play and jump in leaf piles!
Step 2
Once you’re home and have set out all your supplies, choose your first leaf and apply a layer of paint to the bottom of it, making sure you can see all its details.
Step 3
Repeat the process with all your leaves. After you’ve checked that all your leaves are well covered in paint, gently place them paint side down on a sheet of paper. Press them down a bit to make sure they are flat and touching the paper as much as possible.
Step 4
Once you’ve pressed down on the leaves, gently remove them from the paper. When you’ve taken all the leaves off, you will have your finished print!
Share your pics!
Ask an adult to help you share your creations on Instagram, tagging @nationaltrustforscotland
Top tip
You can look at an online guide or a book about trees to help you figure out what leaves you’ve gathered and printed!
Check out our spotter’s guide for the top places across the Trust to see different types of trees.
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