You can create beautiful, wearable art from the beauty that already exists in nature. You will need leaves, acrylic paint, a t-shirt, a sheet of paper and a paint brush(or your finger.) Look around your home and neighborhood for leaves of at least 3 different leaf shapes from the Leaf Shape Key below.
1. Needle-shaped
2. Awl-shaped
3. Linear
4. Cordate
5. Deltoid
6. Lanceolate
7. Elliptic
8. Oblong
9. Ovate
10. Obovate
11. Sagitate
12. Peltate
13. Spatulate
14. Reniform
15. Orbicular
Drip a few drops of paint on the underside of a fresh, green leaf.
Use the paint brush to completely coat the entire underside of the leaf with a very thin layer of paint.
Carefully place the leaf face side down onto the shirt. Lay a sheet of clean paper over the leaf. Hold the leaf in place and use your fingers to carefully press the leaf against the fabric paying special attention to the veins and edges of the leaf. (hint – you may want to practice pressing the leaf on paper or old fabric before pressing against your shirt.
Slowly peal the leaf away. Be creative in your placing and pressing of other leaves on the shirt. Be careful not to rub against the wet leaf prints as you press new ones. When your work is complete, allow the paint to dry overnight.
*hint -to determine the leaf shape of a leaf that does not have a smooth edge like this one, draw a line along the side to decide the shape. For example, this is a lanceolate shaped leaf.
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