See all those leaves out there?
All shapes and sizes and colors just FALLing and waiting for you to rake them up.
I have an acre of Ozark forest for a backyard. . . I have LOTS of leaves. But, no matter where you are, I'm betting you've got at least a few leaves in your world.
Friends, grab some of the very best leaves and some spray paint and get ready to go "WHOA! That's cool!"
Shiny! Metallic! And so so pretty!!!! There are four colors in that photo - mirror silver, hammered iron, bronze, and antique copper. I experimented with the different brands and kinds of spray paint that I had in my stash and while I preferred the Krylon Mirror Silver - all worked just fine. The Rustoleum Hammered Iron tended to run more than any of the others and the Rustoleum Bronze took the longest to cure. But all covered and sprayed equally well and dried true to color.
To choose your leaves for painting, you want them dried out. They don't need to be 'crumbling at your touch dry', but they can't be 'fresh off the tree flexible', either. Somewhere in between is best. And while laying the leaves out is pretty cool for a photo, they WILL blow away with the slightest breeze AND it works best to wear rubber gloves and hold the leaf by it's stem while painting. Two very important tips. Trust me.
From here, it's simple - hold the leaf in your non-dominant hand (don't forget the plastic gloves - you will thank me later!!!) at arm's length away from you, and, making sure you have the breeze at your back and aiming the spray paint nozzle away from you, turn the leaf as you spray - spraying both sides. Lay the painted leaf in a box (and/or in a well-ventilated but breeze-free area like on a work table inside the garage with the door open) to dry.
and that's it!
The mirrored silver ones took only a few minutes to be dry enough to be touched and moved.
To be on the safe side, I allowed all to cure a couple hours before bringing into the house to scatter for a touch of sparkle and shine to the Autumn decor.
I have to admit, it was hard not to pick up ALL the leaves and spray paint them ALL the colors!!! And then bring them inside and just tossing them EVERYWHERE!!!
I did a whole branch too! (why not?!?! It was there just begging to be a part of the fun!)
A few of the leaves I found were just too pretty to paint a different color. A quick spray of glossy clear and . . . more un-be-LEAF-able Magic!
And, of course, another branch.
The leaves, especially the metallic-colored ones, look like, well, metal. But are deceptively light. While the painted leaves are fragile, they are more durable than unpainted ones. Will they last til next season? I would think they would last for multiple years depending upon what kind of handling they receive. But time will tell. I promise to add an update to let you know.
Be sure to share your own painted leaf pictures - we'd all love to see your beautiful creativity!!!
Have an un-be-LEAF-able Day ~
Robin Z
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