How to Make DIY Pressed Leaf Artwork for Fall

One of my favorite hobbies is pressing flowers and leaves from our camping trips, hikes, travels, and adventures. I think they make the most beautiful artwork and gifts, while holding special memories! In the past, I’ve shared how to make DIY pressed flower wall art, and today I’m back with a fresh tutorial fit for autumn leaves. As we ease into the season ahead, if you’re looking for a fun and affordable project that yields pretty art, click through for my step-by-step tutorial and styling tips! These turned out so beautiful.

Last fall, we took an incredible autumn Maine road trip, during peak fall foliage… that’s where I gathered all of these leaves. I even foraged a couple from Acadia National Park. I kept them safe in a book while traveling before transferring them to my press. I knew this year I wanted to display them for the fall season, and I’m excited to share with you how they turned out! Scroll on for a peek at the process. If you’re in need of wall art, the end result is a high-end, textural aesthetic.

Supplies

Each work of art only cost me only $14 to make… an awesome price for an original designer-looking piece! To create framed pressed leaf artwork, you’ll need the following:

• Dried or pressed leaves
• A floral press (or heavy books)
• Archival glue
• Paint brush
• Archival mounting board or card stock
• Frame
• Mat (for a double mat look, like mine)
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler

Foraging & Collecting Leafs

I typically press wildflowers and leaves I pick up hiking- or ones I’ve foraged from camping trips or traveling. You could also press something that holds sentimental value (wedding flowers, leaves from a tree that is special to you, a graduation rose, a bloom from a memorial service, a celebratory bouquet, etc).

It’s best to find different sizes and shapes for an interesting composition… fresh leaves (that haven’t started to dry or turn color), leaves with different textures, tiny or small leaf groupings (for filling negative space), etc. The only caveat? You have to use real leaves, florals, or greenery… faux won’t work for this project. Anything else is fair game- get outside and have some fun!

Floral Presses

Floral presses are an easy way to facilitate this hobby, but books also work. Before I bought my inexpensive press from Amazon, I was just sandwiching leaves and florals between paper inside of a heavy book. If I needed more weight, I’d just stack more books.

Now, I use my press. It’s lightweight, easy to hike with, and the velcro straps are simple to use. It’s nothing special, but it does a great job. I typically allow my leaves to rest in the press for a week.

Composition

Part of the fun of pressing leaves is arranging them. I use a variety of paper sizes, and composing each leaf is always my favorite part of the process. Spindly limbs create more negative space, larger leaves fill more of the page, and leafy specimens create a lovely texture. My biggest piece of advice for composing your leaf art is to play around with it. Experiment with symmetry, negative space, and filling the entire page. It all depends on the look you’re going for. Personally, I love the specimen look- with lots of negative space.

I always write a note in the lower corner of each paper. I’ll often record the date, the leaf type, and where the leaf was foraged. Sometimes I’ll also write a note on the backside… memories from the trip or hike, who I was with, what we encountered, the weather, etc. This step isn’t necessary, but it’s a fun way to record memories and I think it makes the artwork feel more intimate. I especially love to do this for pieces I’m gifting!

Framing

The easiest way to set and frame your dried leaves is with an archival adhesive. Take the dry leaf, and gently paint the backside with your glue. Position it with tweezers onto your paper in your preferred composition.

Allow it to dry completely, then continue to mat, and frame the leaves. I was looking for high contrast art with seasonal colors, so I opted for a creamy white mat that complemented the color palette.

I used some gilded frames I already owned for a quick and affordable finished look. Any frame will work!

Styling Ideas

There are many different ways to style pressed leaf art, but I was looking to insert splashes of fall colors into our house for the season ahead, so I sprinkled my works throughout. Never underestimate the power of seasonal art shuffling, friends! Here are some ideas for styling pressed floral and leaf art:

• An entire gallery wall of leaves
• A pair of leaves stacked in a hall
• A single work installed beneath a gallery light
• Leaned on a mantel
• Styled into built-ins or shelving
• Installed against tile (in a kitchen or bath)
• Leaned on a floating shelf
• Installed in a kids room or nursery (this is a fun fall project kids can also join in on and display in their space)

FAQ

Related

Looking for more artwork and home decor ideas? I’m going to link some of my favorites for you below!

• Timeless Neutral Gallery Wall Picks
• Custom Framing Art Tips, Cost, and Frame Selection Ideas
• How to Turn Inexpensive Framed Art Into Custom Artwork
• 15 Designer Gallery Wall Combinations
• How to Make DIY Pressed Flower Wall Art
• Creating Your Own Photographic Art

I hope you enjoyed this post! I’m finally in the mood for autumn, and this quick & creative project is exactly what I needed to kick of my seasonal styling. Please let me know if you have any questions or decide to give it a try! It would also be a fun project to try with kids in the weekends ahead!

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