Preserve Fall Leaves

Who doesn't love the fall, the smells, the colors, the cool crisp air. Well if you would like to keep the colors, you can, by preserving the fall leaves. Its a great DIY craft, to do with your kids, in using the leaves later on to make a fall wreath.

Let's get started. Once the leaves start to color and fall from the trees, save some to preserve. You want to collect leaves with small branches. Once you have your leaves, you want to put the stems into a bucket of warm water. They will sit there for two hours. Make sure to get rid of any that are damaged. While the stems are sitting, proceed with the next step.

Take two parts water and one part glycerin and place them in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, once it starts to boil turn the temp down to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes and cool. You will then cut your stems on a angle, and lightly smash the tip with a hammer. This lets the glycerin mixture in better.

Place your branches into the mixture and store in a cool, dark place. You will keep your leaves there until you can see little beads of glycerin starting to form on the leaves.

When you notice that, it is time to take your leaf and gently wipe it with a damp towel, and hang upside down to dry.

Once dry you can use your leaves in making a beautiful fall wreath.