Every year I collect fall leaves to decorate my home for the season. And every year they curl and dry up after less than a week in the vase. I recently learned about a preservation method for leaves that keeps them soft for years. I knew I wanted to give it a try!
The special ingredient that keeps the leaves soft is glycerin. I ordered a gallon of it and when it came, I grabbed my pruners and gloves headed outside to gather leaves.
After collecting some small branches of leaves, I got the supplies which included a tote, the glycerin, water, and cookie sheets.
From everything I read online, you are supposed to add 1 part glycerin to 2 parts water. I measured it out and added enough so that the large tote was half full.
Then I added the branches one by one. I tried to be gentle so leaves would not fall off the branches, but some did here and there. But the single leaves can also be used in decorating, so it is just fine.
I placed a couple of cookie sheets on the top to weigh them down a bit and ensure that the leaves stayed covered in the liquid.
When I took them out of the glycerin, I laid them on a dishcloth after gently shaking the excess liquid off. After they rested on the dishcloth for a bit, I went back and dabbed off any excess that had pooled on the leaves. I let them dry for a day before using them.
You can simply put them in a vase or use them to decorate your holiday table! I plan on carefully packing these away to use next year. I will keep you posted on how well they hold up!
For more details about this preservation process, or if you have any questions, please visit my blog :)
