How to Preserve Fall Leaves| Learn how to Press, Dry and Seal Leaves

[@donnatolle1419]

I just collected several pretty leaves on my walk. Thanks for this timely video. 😂

[@hopalongstudio]

You're welcome! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@JosethCarbo]

This is awesome, my six year old wants to start collecting leaves and you have given great resources.

[@hopalongstudio]

I'm glad that you enjoyed it! I love fall leaves, so figuring out a way to preserve them for use on projects is so important to me. I hope that your 6 year old has a lot of fun with this!

[@trudyemerson9040]

Thank you for that grate idea Iam going to try and do this meatherd at home.

[@hopalongstudio]

You’re welcome! I hope that you get great success with this technique. Thanks for watching!

[@pauladyer9845]

Thanks. I have a lot of dried leaves..I have been using matte medium.. it works fine

[@hopalongstudio]

That's good to know! I tend to go between matte medium and gel medium depending on the leaf. But thanks for letting me know how it's been working for you!

[@joychip5994]

Great to see I have a flower press that I bought from a charity shop but coating the leaves fabulous

[@hopalongstudio]

That's fantastic, a flower press makes it even easier! I'm glad that you found this video helpful. It's such a small thing, but makes a big difference for adding our beautiful pressed leaves to projects! Thanks for watching!

[@gillian6918]

how long should i wait after applying the medium matte on one side to apply to the other? thanks for this vid!

[@hopalongstudio]

Wait until it is fully dry to the touch. Depending on how thick a layer you apply and your climate, this could be anywhere from a few minutes to 15 minutes. I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@lauragavin9923]

Excellent. Is Matt medium a type of glue? I am here thinking of trying this out for a theatre show. Would they last very long if I hung them from branches for two weeks under quiet hot lights?

[@hopalongstudio]

Matte medium is an acrylic product that can be used as a glue, a sealant or mixed with paint. Think of it like a maple syrup consistency of acrylic paint without the pigment. If you are going to use it in a theater show, I would suggest using a Golden Gel Medium. It's a bit thicker and stronger and should help the leaves hold up better. The nice thing about any of the Golden products is that they are tested for 75 year life. I would give them a couple of good coats for durability but I think that they should do ok. It might be worth doing a bit of testing for yourself. I tend to only use these mediums on canvases and in books where they don't get a lot of light and heat, so I can't promise that they will work perfectly for your application. Here's a couple of affiliate links for the different products that I mentioned: Matte Medium: amzn.to/3QgN6N5 Gel Medium: amzn.to/3tWJsQZ These are also both available in gloss depending on the look that you want.

[@lauragavin9923]

@@hopalongstudio Thank you so much, this really helps. I especially liked the Matt medium as the leaf's look less stiff. I am using other mediums as we speak but will definitely try your method if I can find this product over the next few days or for future projects. Really enjoyed the whole video and you explained everything so well. 😁🎨

[@marjoriebaker3946]

Would modgepodge work too as a matte medium?

[@hopalongstudio]

Yes, modge podge will work similarly to matte medium for sealing leaves.

[@lanitamerritt5580]

What is the name of the coating product you’re using???

[@hopalongstudio]

I was using both Golden Gel and Liquitex Matte Medium. It depends if you want a thicker or lighter coat on your leaves. The gel medium is thicker than the matte medium. Here's affiliate links to both of these products: Golden Regular Gel Medium amzn.to/3FvtxeZ Liquitex Matte Medium amzn.to/3Q5ZxLE

[@2xHbergggg]

I am looking to preserve some leaves for a Senior Thesis piece I'm working on. I have tried the waxing method but found that it can be too bulky and does not always preserve the color. Would this method preserve the color long-term? Thanks so much!

[@hopalongstudio]

Sounds like an interesting project. Because the leaves are dried, whatever the color they are when dried is the color they stay after gel medium or matte medium is added to them. The gel encapsulates the leaves which protects them and helps retain the color. To prevent yellowing, use the Golden or Liquitex branded mediums as they are artist quality and will give you better results. I tend to use my leaves in projects that will not see a lot of sun (I like to work in a journal), so I haven't run into any fading. If you are going to display the leaves in a sunny area for an extended period of time, and you're worried about fading, use a UV varnish to help protect them. Here's the one that I tend to use for my paintings: Krylon Professional UV Varnish amzn.to/3UJFO7J

[@sunbaby090]

could you use mod podge instead of what you used?

[@hopalongstudio]

Yes, you’d just have to be very gentle because of the thickness of the medium.

[@shannonkovecses5041]

A couple weeks??😳 I wanted to do the project TODAY. 😢

[@hopalongstudio]

Well this is an older video, so you can find the next project where I shared how to use these leaves with collage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5rIk4R8nryljKMsi=RlwCwiuolUEi7zEY I've also tried using dried leaves on a pumpkin, this technique can apply to any 3d and rounded surface: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqDGhKaojrVlbLMsi=gNy8KpcejiTLWbbq I hope that gives you some inspiration!

[@THXx1138]

Does sealing the leaves preserve the leaf color?

[@hopalongstudio]

Yes, I haven't noticed a change in the leaf color. As long as they are dry before you seal them and you are using Golden or Liquitex Matte or Gel medium (not modge podge) the color should stay consistent. If you're going to add them to a project that is being hung in super bright light, you can always add a UV sealant as a precaution to prevent fading to your project.

[@THXx1138]

@@hopalongstudio Thank you. I just received a bottle of the matte medium and will be applying it to the leaves once they dry :) We are moving out of state and wanted to preserve some of the leaves from a tree my husband's father planted on the property for a keepsake :)

[@hectortorres2901]

Does the color of the leaves stay intact with this method

[@hopalongstudio]

Yes, because it is a clear coating, it'll dry matte or gloss depending if you're using gloss medium or matte medium. I like to dry my leaves between books, the color generally stays fairly true and once dried, I coat with a later of medium.

[@Foster-dog-mom]

Hi! Just drying a couple of leaves from a tree my dad planted in my yard many years ago. Love this method on your video. Just wondering if using acrylic matte sealer for wood projects would be ok? It’s a min wax product.

[@Foster-dog-mom]

Hi! Just drying a couple of leaves from a tree my dad planted in my yard many years ago. Love this method on your video. Just wondering if using acrylic matte sealer for wood projects would be ok? It’s a min wax product.