How to Make an Autumn Leaves Window Hanging
An Easy, Inexpensive Craft that Captures the
Vibrant Spectrum of Fall Colors

Autumn leaves turn the fall landscape into a
vibrant spectrum of luscious warm tones.
With this simple craft, you can capture the
hearty reds, bright oranges,
and lively yellow colors of Autumn leaves
to bring the season into your home,
or to treasure the whole year round.
You can turn Autumn leaves into a
beautiful window hanging just by adding a
few sheets of wax paper. Nothing shows
off Autumn leaves quite as well as
letting light filter through them,
showing off the delicate beauty of their veins
as well as the dazzle of their colors.
This window hanging craft shows Autumn leaves
to their best advantage by putting them where
they’ll get the most sun. In this project, you fuse
an arrangement of Autumn leaves between
two sheets of wax paper, creating
a transparent base for your leaf design.
The project is easy, inexpensive,
and a great way to let your creativity shine
with Autumn leaves.

Materials List

To make “stained glass” from Autumn leaves,
you’ll need some common household items.
Gather these materials before you start your project:

* Autumn leaves, of course!
The brighter the better.

* Wax paper. You’ll need two sheets
for every “panel” of stained glass.

* A large, heavy book, like a dictionary,
to use for pressing the leaves flat.

* A few sheets of heavy scrap paper,
to protect your book from the Autumn leaves.

* An iron, to fuse the wax paper together.

* Two paper grocery bags, to separate your ironing
surface and your iron from the melting wax.

Pressing Your Autumn Leaves

The first step is to press
your Autumn leaves flat.
Open your book, then lay down a piece of
heavy scrap paper over the printed page.
This will act as a blotter,
absorbing any moisture that the book’s
weight squeezes out of your Autumn leaves.
Now, arrange your Autumn leaves in
a single layer across the blotter, and place
another piece of heavy scrap paper on top.
Close the book, and wait for your
Autumn leaves to get pressed flat!
This can take as little as a day,
or as long as six or seven,
depending on how flat and dry
your Autumn leaves were to start with.
It's a great idea to press some
Autumn leaves in advance of when
you'll need them; that way,
you'll always have some around for
whenever the creative urge strikes!

Arranging Your Autumn Leaves

Once your Autumn leaves are pressed,
it’s time for the fun part!
Start by getting your surface ready:
you want it to be iron-safe
so that you won’t have to move
the “panel” until it is fused.
Put down a brown paper grocery bag
on a counter or an ironing board,
and build your project on top of it.
Now, cut a piece of wax paper
the size that you want your finished
Autumn leaves “stained glass” panel to be,
and put it on top of the paper bag.
Now, arrange your Autumn leaves across
the panel of wax paper in any design you want!
You can keep the Autumn leaves whole,
or you can tear them into pieces
for a more abstract look.
You can fill the panel completely,
or leave lots of transparent gaps.
Let your creativity shine!
When you’re working with beautiful Autumn Leaves,
you can’t go wrong!
If you've got kids in the house,
try letting them do this step of
the project on their own.

Fusing Your Wax Paper

Now, you’re almost done with your
Autumn leaves window hanging.
All you need to do is make your
design permanent and stable by fusing it.
Cut a second piece of wax paper
the same size as the first, and
lay it on top of your project,
being careful not to accidentally
“re-arrange” your design.
Then, heat an iron to medium heat,
using a no steam setting.
Place your second grocery bag on top
of your project, to protect your iron
from the wax paper, and to diffuse
the heat for even results.
Now, run your iron across the top
grocery bag.
The heat will seep through the bag,
melting the wax coating on the paper
so that the sheets fuse together,
trapping your Autumn leaves in a
protective “sandwich.”
As you iron, stop occasionally to check
and see if the wax paper sheets
have adhered to each other yet.
Once the sheets are fully fused,
let your Autumn leaves window hanging cool,
then put it up!
You can use clear tape,
or hang it from a string.
For a little added flair,
try trimming the edges of your
Autumn leaves stained glass panel into a
decorative border using scissors or pinking shears.



Enjoy The Colors Of Fall!

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