Leaf-Printed Name Cards

 

When it comes to Thanksgiving table decor, you can’t go wrong with the classic gourd technique. (Buy gourds. Place on table.) But if you’re looking for an activity that will keep the kids busy and add some seasonal flair to your tablescape, check out these easy-breezy leaf-printed name cards.

 

What You’ll Need

• Two or three leaves from an evergreen plant or tree (dried leaves will generally be too fragile to use forprinting)
• Stamp-pad in color of your choice
• Blank note cards

 

How It Works

1. Using a stamp pad and tweezers, ink a small leaf on both sides. To do this, place the leaf on the stamp pad. Cover it with wax paper or freezer paper to keep ink off your fingertips and press over the entire leaf. Turn it once or twice while gently pressing it, to ensure that enough ink has adhered. Use a piece of paper to make some test prints.

2. Use the tweezers to place the inked leaf on a note card.

3. Position a second note card facedown over the leaf, then press with the heel of your hand.

4. Carefully lift the note card straight up to remove the leaf. Repeat as desired. Allow the printed sheet and envelope to dry before using.

 

 

Don’t have an ink pad? A wide-tipped marker can also do the trick. To color the leaf, place it underside up on newsprint or scrap paper. Anchor the leaf at the stem end with one hand while coloring with the other. Draw the marker from the base of the leaf up toward the tip and from the center rib to the outer edges. Work only in one direction instead of rubbing your pen back and forth. The ink dries quickly, so go over the leaf a couple of times. Stamp and repeat!

 

 

For more projects like this, check out Hand Printing from Nature by Laura Bethmann—just $3.99 for the holidays!

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