Easy Crafts with Maple Leaves
Maples leaves are a majestic representative of nature's beauty. They are also large enough for small hands to handle. The leaf's distinctive design—three pointy sections and a long stem—resemble a crown, and the shape makes for regal crafts.
Easy Drawings
The fantastic shape of the maple leaf lends itself to delightful drawing activities. A small pile of leaves, tacky glue and paper will get you started. Remove the long stem of a pretty leaf, dab tacky glue on the backside and press it onto paper. What does the leaf suggest? Draw a face below the leaf, and it's a crown. Pair two leaves at the stem ends, and it's a butterfly. Encourage kids to move the leaves around and develop creations of their own.
Preservation
Clear contact paper is a great craft supply for leaves. Place a sheet tacky side up on a clean work surface and let your children lay the leaves on it. Older kids may want to experiment before moving to the contact paper. For example, set the leaves in a circle with the stem side in the middle, and it's a a wreath. You can also add small, flat bits of decoration like sequins, pine needles, confetti, etc. Seal the contact paper with a top layer, use a ruler to scrape the air bubbles to the edges and place a heavy pile of book on top to truly flatten the surface. Now, you have a placemat or cut into shapes for a window hanging.
Wax
Adults may remember ironing leaves between two sheets of wax paper. Kids still love this activity, especially if they sprinkle a few crayon shaving around the leaf for a mosaic effect. Mounting the leaf on construction paper first creates a layered effect. And dipping leaves in a double boiler of paraffin wax encrusts the beauty for long-term viewing.
