How to make skeletonized leaves. Skeletonizing leaves at home for beautiful products. Leaf skeleton: crafts

Skeleton Maple Leaves

Skeletonized leaves are those leaves from which only veins remain. The soft tissues of the leaf (scientifically "epidermis") are removed in various ways, and the so-called "skeleton" remains - an openwork mesh of veins.

Different types of venation

Skeletonized leaves can be easily purchased at a flower shop, in a florist shop, in a decor shop ... You can also order in a shop. It's fast, simple, convenient. Another plus - the store sells skeletons of trees that do not grow in our area. For example:

Leaves of ficus religious (ficus religiosa) or Bo tree (tree Bo), Bodhi, Banyan; pipal (Peepal or Pippal):

Ficus religious (Ficus religiosa)

Skeleton leaf of ficus ((Ficus religiosa)

Leaves of a rubber tree or Brazilian Hevea (Hevea brasiliensis):

Rubber tree (Hevea)

Rubber tree leaf

Magnolia Leaves:

Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana L.)

Magnolia (Magnolia_acuminata)

Magnolia (Magnolia_acuminata) Mango leaves (Mangifera indica):

Mango (Mangifera L.)

However, buying leaves in the store is not always and not possible for everyone. And the choice is limited to only two or three types. It's much more fun to make skeletons yourself!

There are many articles on the Internet on the topic of leaf skeletonization, but alas, all these articles are, in fact, just reprints of the same foreign master class. And not the best. Why not the best?

Firstly, boiling leaves in washing soda is mentioned everywhere - not the best option, since not everyone can find this powder in their city. I didn't find it either, although I searched for a very long time.
Secondly, this soda can handle very few leaves. Some of our craftsmen use baking soda instead of washing soda, but it works even worse, if not to say that it does not work at all. Yes, some leaves become skeletal, but even just boiling in hot water without any additives is enough - soft, loose leaves, such as maple, are enough. It's funny to talk about soaking in green tea - it's complete nonsense.
Thirdly, there are tools that are much more effective and affordable.

So how do you actually skeletonize leaves effectively?

There are several ways:

Dry
Wet
Natural
Chemical

Dry method

The dry method is good when you urgently need one or two skeletonized leaves. You will be tortured to do more, since one sheet takes about 15-20 minutes of vigorous action.

The method seems to be simple - take a brush and beat a leaf with it. But! Having bought a special brush with a comfortable handle and having worked with this brush for about ten minutes on a leaf, I was very upset - nothing worked out for me! And all because the bristles on the brush were made of synthetics, and besides, they were not stiff enough.

So remember - the brush should only be made of natural bristles, the pile is not too long. Please note - the harder the bristles, the better! These brushes can be purchased at the market or at a hardware store and are usually designed for cleaning clothes or shoes. By the way, you can attach a long handle yourself.

We take very fresh leaves, without spots and holes, lay them out on a newspaper and beat them with a brush. You will break the soft tissues of the leaf, only veins or the skeleton of the leaf will remain! Ideal for maple, sycamore, Benjamin ficus, poplar, ivy, etc.

Skeletonized sycamore leaf

You can take the leaves dried under the press. In this case, you will not get a skeletonized leaf, but just an openwork one - also an interesting option. And here the brush may not be very stiff.

Leaf skeleton

Skeletonized leaves

Natural skeletonization method

The leaves are wonderfully skeletonized in a natural way - that is, nature itself creates such leaves, you just need to notice and raise them in time.

How does this happen? And here's how - the leaves get wet in the rain, under the snow, lie on the damp ground, they are trampled with heels, so they turn into a net by themselves. I usually collect these leaves when the snow melts. Also, the leaves can "eat" any insects:

Skeletonized leaves

In order not to rely on nature and not wait for a suitable leaf to come across, we arrange a natural skeletonization of the house. Pour plain water into a jar and put the leaves there. Close it with a lid and leave it alone for about a month. As a rule, a month is enough, but sometimes even less time is needed. Then we take out the leaves and watch how the pulp of the leaf leaves. If the leaf has softened enough, rinse it under running water, with three fingers, so that all the mucus comes off.

I experimented with Benjamin Dunetti's ficus leaf that had been in the water for a month. After that, it peeled off, and I just peeled off the film that covers the sheet on both sides. It turned out to be a very soft and delicate skeletonized leaf (although initially the ficus leaves are very tough). The structure resembles the wing of a dragonfly, right?

In principle, the lanterns themselves become skeletal, naturally on a bush (from rain and snow) - you just need not miss the moment and collect them in time, until they rot. Or you can also put them in water and after a couple of weeks get ready-made "skeletons".

And in this way it is great to skeletonize physalis. These are such bright orange lanterns on a twig, florists love to use them to make bouquets of dried flowers.

Wet way

If you need a lot of leaves, it is most effective to skeleton them with a wet method. Fill the leaves with water and add the Mole powder (pipe cleaner). In general, any aggressive household chemicals will do. You can take soda, of course, but I can’t guarantee the result.

So two or three tablespoons of the powder are thrown into the water and boil the leaves for several hours. For maple leaves, an hour is enough, for sycamore leaves (and other hard leaves) - two to three hours. Moreover, the smaller the sycamore leaf, the more time it needs to cook.

Next, we take out the leaves and rinse them in a bowl of water. Use three fingers to pull off the pulp. Rubber gloves with pimples also help. If the pulp does not come off, cook again. Hard leaves should be brushed on a wooden board with a toothbrush. In this case, the toothbrush is constantly moistened in water.

Which leaves are good for skeletal? These are, first of all, maple and sycamore leaves. Poplar leaves (black or silver), birch, linden, aspen, oak, garden blueberry, walnut, alder, and ficus leaves are excellent.

Skeletonized Black Poplar Leaves

Skeletonized Linden Leaf

Skeletonized sycamore leaf

Skeletonized leaf of silver poplar

The chestnut leaves are very delicate, but they can also be skeletonized. Only you need to straighten them right in the water, and then get them out already straightened, prying them with a saucer or wooden spatula.

After debonding, I leave the leaves to air dry. And then I just iron it with a warm iron. You can immediately put it under the press, or immediately iron the wet leaves with an iron - that's just how you want. You will not be able to shift very flimsy leaves - you will tear or crumple. Let them dry first in a straightened form - the way you got them out of the water, and then carry them wherever you want.

Chemical method

The chemical method is actually also, in fact, wet. But here you do not boil or boil anything. Just fill the leaves with bleach (Whiteness will do) and half with water and wait. As they turn white - take out, rinse. It turns out a white transparent leaf. You can also beat it with a brush. And you can skeletonize the leaves by boiling and then bleach them - it will turn out like the finest white lace - very beautiful.

Well, now the most important question - why did we actually do all this? Why are they needed, these skeletonized leaves?

First of all, such leaves are beautiful in themselves. And very unusual. An openwork spider web of veins, a transparent sheet, soft, as if made of fabric ... Of course, such a creation of nature undoubtedly attracted the attention of a person with artistic taste.

For example, the artist Irina Ivy covers skeletonized leaves with gold or silver paint, then collects them into a composition in the form of a branch and seals them between two glasses. It turns out a very unusual transparent picture, in the depths of which weightless leaves flicker mysteriously ...

You can make interior utensils from lace, openwork leaves! The artist Kay Sekimachi was so impressed by the beauty of the skeletonized leaves that she decided to create from them simple in her solution, at the same time, very effective bowls and vases. And the fact that all these vases for a thousand dollars (!) Have already been sold out clearly indicates that the audience appreciated the natural beauty of skeletons:

And you can also draw on skeletonized leaves! In ancient India, paper was always expensive, and with leaves it grew everywhere and completely free. So the craftsmen guessed to use foliage instead of paper. The leaves were processed by long soaking in water (wet method). It turned out to be an interesting material, thin, but at the same time durable. Then the skeletons were painted and sold.

And here is how the modern Nadezhda Kochetova draws:

Kochetova Nadezhda "Red-haired beauty"

Kochetova Nadezhda "Jay"

Kochetova Nadezhda "Song"

Kochetova Nadezhda "Barn Owl"

What is there to draw! Feather applications can be made on the leaves:

You can make the smallest straw applications:

You can even print photos!

Do you think that's all? It would seem, well, how else is it possible to create paintings on leaves, and even skeletonized ones? Are there any other options? Oddly enough, but there is! It turns out that you can create images on ordinary leaves by partially skeletonizing them! The way it is done in China: the leaves of the sycamore (there they are called "plane trees") are boiled in a special solution, and then the leaves are removed with a knife to the veins according to the sketch.

Leaf carving art

You can also embroider on skeletonized leaves! Look at what a tender spring picture you get:

You can apply them in patchwork or quilting (patchwork) as one of the elements of a complex background:

Gisele Blythe "Remains of Autumn"

Deborah Gregory "January"

You can also use skeletons in felting - decorate and wool surfaces - felted scarves, dresses, hats, bags ... For example, as Lyubov Voronina from the city of Ivanovo does:

Lyubov Voronina

Skeletonized leaves are used to make eco-friendly wallpapers with unique decor. After all, each sheet is unique in itself!

They also make decorative paper:

Skeletons are used to decorate postcards, albums (scrapbooking), passport covers, etc.

Handmade gifts (Ekaterina)

[email protected] (irochka84) "Envelope for money"

Evgeniya (kjane) "Eco-card"

Marina Fazylova (m-tomcat) "Passport cover"

They decorate the interior, wedding bouquets, napkins:

Bridal bouquet

Love (luba-pol) Wedding bouquet "Airy mood"

Festive napkin

Skeletonized leaves are great for decoupage vases, cups, jewelry boxes, watches, etc .:

TARI (tari-elkiotter) Cup with skeletons

H @ steink @ Vase "Leaves in ice"

Elena Efremova (zzorik.ru) Cup with skeletons

Olga Koshkina (xsanf) Salad bowl "Physalis"

Zuli Watch "Breath of Autumn"

Goosebump (Smile your house) Wall clock and napkin holder

Oksana Mineeva (Kseniya) Watch "Hedgehog in the Fog"

Oksana Mineeva (Kseniya) Decorative plate "Hedgehogs"

For decoupage or felting lamps:

Skeleton vase

Wool "Skeleton lampshade"

Skeleton Night Light

Skeleton lampshades

Mironova Inna (multicolored) Lamp "Autumn Forest"

Skeleton lamps

In addition, jewelry is created with them in various ways.

For example, skeletons are poured with epoxy resin - earrings, rings, necklaces are obtained ...

DarKera Necklace "Leaves of a magic tree"

"Pendant with a skeleton"

NATURE IN THE DROP (smolka-uvelira)

Anastasia Arinovich (bisenkan) Pendant "Ice leaf"

Creative workshop "Mastushka" Pendant "Autumn leaf"

NATURE IN THE DROP (smolka-uvelira) Rings

Anastasia Arinovich (bisenkan) Earrings

Or the skeletonized sheet is electroplated with gold, silver or copper, creating a metallic patina of iridescent colors. The result is amazing and unique in their beauty pendants ...

Katya Design Jewelry

Leonova Marina Leaf fall "Pomegranates"

Handmade by AlekSanta

Leonova Marina Leaf fall "Cat's eye and amethyst"

And of course, florist artists use skeletonized leaves!

Leaves for decoration. Photo

Skeleton leaves are an excellent material for scrapbooking and making cards, and you can also create unusual flowers for decor from them.

Leaves of maple, oak, laurel, poplar, ivy, magnolia are perfect for skeletonizing. For this procedure, it is advisable to choose hard leaves. Below is the quickest and easiest way to make skeleton leaves.

For skeletonizing leaves you will need:

Leaves (choose harder)

About 10 teaspoons of baking soda

Liter of cold water

Brush (toothbrush, dishwashing sponge)

Leaf skeleton step by step:

Pick up fresh leaves that are tougher to the touch.

Dissolve about ten to twelve teaspoons of baking soda in one liter of cold water.

Heat the resulting solution over a fire. When it boils, you need to put the leaves in it and cook them for 20-30 minutes. If necessary, you can add water if the solution begins to boil.

After that, the boiled leaves must be rinsed in cold water.

After that, the leaves need to be rinsed again in cold water.

Finally, blot the leaves with a napkin and place them under a press for 1-3 days. You can place them between books.

Skeletonized leaves can be colored with food colors if desired.

Tip: to lighten the leaf, you need to immerse it in bleach for a couple of minutes, it will acquire a light yellowish tint. Then you can paint the leaf with watercolors in the desired color.

Well, then, as fantasy tells, in the sense of using the resulting product for creativity. Such leaflets can be used in scrapbooking, postcard decoration and more. Good luck with your creativity!

The appearance of crafts from the same material can be strikingly different from each other. This can be achieved by a variety of methods. For leaf crafts, just take leaves from different trees, different degrees of yellowness, and so on. But how about changing the structure of the sheet?

Leaf skeleton is a great way to make a completely new craft material.

First, it’s probably better to figure out what it is? Leaf skeleton is the process of removing the soft tissues of the leaf without affecting the veins and stem. This leaves the "skeleton of the leaf" connected by a thin transparent film (or without it), hence the name.

In principle, leaf skeletons can be bought and used in stores. However, you can "crank" it yourself. There are several ways to do this, and each of you can choose the most convenient and suitable for yourself. We will now consider some of them.

The simplest method for skeletonizing leaves is dry, using a brush.

Take a regular brush and with vigorous movements begin to slap it along the surface of the sheet. After 15-20 minutes of intensive work, we will get a "skeleton".

The disadvantage of the method is that you cannot make many leaves with it. And the quality is not always at the highest level. Some veins are not preserved. Much depends on the chosen brush

Consider another way to skeleton leaves - using soda.

We need a saucepan, leaves, water and baking soda.

Put the leaves in a saucepan. Fill them with soda diluted in water. Pour 1 teaspoon of soda into 1 liter of water. However, you can vary the proportions yourself.

Cook the leaves in this solution for half an hour (30 minutes).

We take out the leaves, put them on a napkin or soft cloth. With a sponge (or with a brush), carefully remove the pulp. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to damage the veins!

During cooking, the leaves may deform slightly. You can give them their previous even shape using a regular press from books.

When skeletonized, the leaves become discolored. You can re-color them (any !!!) with the help of food coloring. We dilute the dye with water, dip the leaves into it, wait a little, take it out and dry it. You can dry it simply by blotting with a napkin or sponge.

Insanely beautiful things are obtained from the so-called "skeletonized" leaves. Actually, the most ordinary leaves from trees are taken for this purpose, but after the procedure they become much more interesting. The most important thing is that creating such crafts at home is a simple matter and even, to some extent, exciting. Of course, you can buy them ready-made. But not that interesting. Therefore, we learn and do it ourselves!

Leaves skeletonization methods at home

I would like to make a reservation right away - do not use dubious recipes such as soaking in tea or boiling with washing soda (which is also difficult to find. Although, if ordinary soda - baking soda - is first baked in the oven ... but it is too laborious). Use only reliable, proven methods. Their types:

Natural;
Dry;
Wet;
Whitening.

And now more about each of them.

Natural or natural way

Do you know how to collect leaves? How for a herbarium? Then you will find skeletonized by nature! Most often they are under the snow - during the winter they get wet and such skeletons remain. True, they are not so pretty. But, again, it depends on what kind of craft! This is how they look after cleaning them:

To make the leaves look decent, arrange this process at home. Put all the pieces of paper you need in a jar of water and leave it there. Check in a couple of weeks - if the skin does not come off when rubbed, then leave it for a while, not more than a month. When you feel that it has become soft and the skin is peeling off well, gently rub with a toothbrush under the stream of water until the entire top layer comes off. However, it is a long time to wait. Therefore, there are other methods.

Dry method of skeletonizing leaves at home

If you need the leaves now, then this option will do. A natural bristle brush is useful. The leaves are fresh and soft. Not dried! They beat them with a brush. This is how it turns out:

And if you take dry, then like this:

In a different way, but interesting. Keep in mind: Using a faux-bristled brush will only break dry leaves with it. Nothing will come of green. This method is quick, but each sheet takes a lot of time (and effort!), So read on.

The wet method is more difficult

Here you have to try. First, stock up on a powder detergent - any chemical, but harsher, such as sewer cleaning powder. Secondly, the leaves must be boiled in this version. And this is a long time - hard leaves cook for about 3 hours, soft leaves - an hour. Pour powder into a saucepan - 2-3 tablespoons that way.

The cooked leaves should be soft. The pulp should come off if you rub the leaf with force. This should be done in a bowl of warm water. Put on rubber gloves with pimples to keep your hands from getting tired of being in the water for a long time and for an additional cleaning effect. If the leaf was tough before cooking, then we put it on a wooden plank and with three small soft-bristled brushes (a toothbrush will do), moistening it with water.

Whitening leaves

Discoloration is another kind of skeletonization. To do this, you need to hold fresh or boiled leaves in "Whiteness" diluted with water. 15 minutes is the maximum for fresh, 10 - for wet processed.

Post-processing

What to do with them next? First, dry completely flat. Secondly, iron it. Delicate leaves are boiled less and straightened even in a saucepan, with great precautions. Therefore, see for yourself - which material can be ironed right away without waiting for drying, and which material can be ironed after drying. Be aware that the following species: sycamore, maple, birch, poplar, aspen, oak, linden, walnut, ficus, blueberry, mountain ash, alder - are the best and the best to "skeleton". They make more beautiful designs than others.

In principle, you can use the finished material this way. But it will be more beautiful to paint it. In this case, cans of paint will come in handy, which are sprayed on the weight, protecting your hands with gloves.

Paint any color, but be sure to try gold and / or silver! It turns out gorgeous.

A detailed master class in the following video, which teaches you with step-by-step instructions:

Photos of various works clearly show all the variety of use of skeletonized leaves in art. See how they can be designed and what broad areas of needlework are covered:

The most common option is application:

Crafts made from skeletonized leaves in combination with other materials can be very original:

If you take ordinary plastic or polymer clay, cut it in the shape of a skeletonized leaf and put it on top, then varnished it, then a wonderful decoration will be the most exclusive in your collection.