How to use fall leaves in an art journal
Using fall leaves in an art journal is easier than you think. At least the way I do it. There may be a better way, but this is how I put actual fall leaves in my journal in a simple way.
Spring is my favorite season, but Fall colors are not hard to love and getting outside during the cooler days of fall to walk is definitely something to behold.
I enjoy picking up leaves of all different shades and usually challenge myself to putting together a leaf rainbow of sorts. I would encourage you to try this too.
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Last year my oldest granddaughter and I had a nature walk and gathered our favorite leaves for a fall art project. I had no idea if it would work, but we took some 12×12 solid cardstock paper and clear packing tape and made a fall leaf collage.
The scrapbook page with leaves was added to my scrapbook stash after it was on display for the season and low and behold I came across it and it was still intact! I will admit the colors have faded and it’s not the most beautiful collage in the world, but it made me reminiscent of our day last year.
Gather those colorful leaves for your art journal
During the Labor Day long weekend, I went on a hike. It was the first time I noticed the leaves beginning to change colors and begin to fall. I saw this beautiful yellow leaf and picked it up and it survived the hike with me.
Side note: I have been drawn to yellow lately. It has shown up a lot in my art journal.
For the remainder of the hike, I started noticing more leaves. So in true Kim-form, I gathered some to take home. (Also, I figured out the best way to get them home was in my pigtails…clever, right?) 🙂
Remembering how I had attached leaves to the cardstock paper with packing tape last year, I decided to give it a go in my current art journal. I took it a step further and used my trusty Posca pens directly on the leaves for some doodling.
I put together a process video to walk you through how I completed this page using leaves in my art journal.
A few things to note about using this method to put leaves in your art journal
- This is nowhere close to being archival
- This will leave a shiny finish on the page
- I did try to add matte medium over the tape. It was pretty meh
- Use soft leaves – don’t allow them to get crunchy, for obvious reasons
- Use a credit card or rubber scraper to get as much air out of the tape as possible
- The color will likely fade over time
- Use paint or paint pens on the leaf for added interest
Other Ways to Use Leaves in an Art Journal
- Trace them on a page
- Leaf rubbing
- Paint directly on the leaf and stamp it
- Use leaves on a Gelli plate for making prints
If you prefer Amazon for your shopping, here are my picks to help you achieve some of the suggested methods.
How have you used leaves in an art journal? I would love to experiment with more ideas.
How to Use Fall Leaves in an Art Journal
