Leaf Stencil Art

Aren’t they gorgeous? Lorelai was asking to do another craft and these were pretty easy to make. A little time consuming when it came to cutting the stencils out (15 or so minutes) but the end product was so worth it. Directions below. =)

Materials We Used:

• Cardstock, 2 sheets for each leaf (one for the stencil, one to paint on)
• Watercolors – scarlet, brown, burnt yellow
• Pairing knife (or an exacto knife, or scissors if you’re extremely patient)
• Tape (optional)

Directions:

Print out the leaf stencil guidelines onto cardstock. Using your pairing knife (trust me, save yourself the headache and just use a knife!) and slowly cut out the inside of the leaf. It’s kind of hard to stay on the lines, but as long as you don’t go too far off, it should be fine. Go slowly and push out the paper as you go. Once the leaf center is out, you will be left with the stencil – that’s the part you’ll want to keep. Layer the stencil on top of another piece of cardstock, tape to hold them together, and then paint. Make sure the edges around the leaf are down so that the paint won’t leak out. Once the entire leaf is painted, take off the tap and slowly lift the top paper. You should be left with a pretty awesome leaf. =)

Tip: Use liquid watercolors (dab the brush in the paint, dip in water quickly, and paint). The strip of hard Crayola watercolors are pretty impossible, and the colors aren’t nearly as bright.