Supplies: paper, broken crayon, string, watercolor paint set, cup of water for painting
Gather a variety of leaves! Flat leaves are easiest to use. Look for different shapes and sizes. Softer leaves are easier to use than leaves that are completely dry.
Lay the leaf on your work surface with the back side facing up. The back has the most texture, so it gives the best print. For younger artists, it helps to tape down the leaf.
Put your paper on top of your leaf.
Using the SIDE of your broken crayon, rub the paper with medium to hard pressure over
the leaf. Make sure to press down around the edges. (Note: don’t completely cover the paper with crayon or the watercolors won’t stick at all!) Make more! Use one leaf or several leaves – it is your choice!Using the paintbrush, add small drops of water to the watercolors that you want to use.
Paint over the leaf rubbing. The watercolors don’t stick to the wax crayon, so the leaf print shows up through the watercolor.
Allow the prints to dry completely.
Choose your favorite print to be the cover of your book. You can add a title and your name if you would like! Arrange your pages, making sure the holes line up.
Use the string to loosely stitch the book together. Put the string through the bottom hole and tie a gentle knot. Now open the book to make sure it isn’t too tight and that it can open. Bring the string back up through the hole with the knot, then under and up to the next hole
and so on. At the last hole, tie another loose knot to secure the binding
(check again to make sure the book can open). Enjoy!