Pressed leaf candles
Decorated candles can make the perfect Christmas gift! First you’ll need to collect your leaves and press them, then a week or so later they will be flat enough to decorate your candles. Colourful autumn leaves look great but this activity also works with evergreens such as ivy and pine needles.
Children will need help from a grown-up for this activity, because it involves using boiling water to help soften the surface of the candle, so your leaves can stick to it.
What you will need:
A selection of leaves
Some heavy books
Plain candles
Two spoons and a cup
Greaseproof paper
Boiling water
What you need to do:
1. Go for a walk and collect a selection of small leaves. Your leaves need to be small enough to fit on your candles. It’s best if you can go when it isn’t raining so your leaves will be dry. If it is raining, though, you can always pat them dry between some pieces of kitchen towel before pressing them.
2. Once you've collected your leaves, lay them carefully inside a heavy book. If you’re worried about staining your book, you could lay a plain piece of paper between the leaves and the pages of the book. Put some more heavy books on top of your first book and leave your leaves there, undisturbed, for seven to ten days.
3. Once the leaves are pressed and dried you can decorate your candles.
4. Pour some boiling water into a cup and place your two spoons into the cup to get hot.
5. Take a leaf and place it where you would like it to be on the candle. Wrap your greaseproof paper tightly over it. Take one of your spoons out of the water and hold the back of the spoon against the leaf for about 10 seconds, do this for each part of the leaf, changing spoon each time, so it’s always hot. It’s important to keep it in one place for ten seconds, otherwise it won’t stick properly.
6. When you can’t lift the edges of the leaf it is well stuck, and you can move on to your next leaf.
7. When you think your candle has enough leaves on it, it is finished! Enjoy your pressed leaf candles!