Autumn Leaf Plaque

Nice enough to hang on your wall. The paper sack gives the project a look of leather.  The tinfoil leaves appear to be medal.

This project will take two 1-hour classes.

Supplies:

• Brown grocery bag
• Tinfoil
• White glue
• Cardboard or heavy poster board (cut 6″x 6″)
• Thin gold wire
• Small (about 6″) branches with twigs attached
• Colored Sharpies (permanent markers)
• Black Sharpie
• Paper clip
• Bowl of water
• Tissue
• Large sized needle
• Iron
• Copy of leaves (Pattern) (Pattern)

1^st day of 2 classes:

1. Choose a leaf pattern with 3 leaves.
2. Write your name on the back of the pattern.
3. Carefully run a medium width line of white glue over the outline and veins of each leaf. (I suggest you practice on a scrap piece of paper first.)
4. Put the sheets aside to dry completely.
5. Cut along the seam of the brown grocery sack. Then cut away and discard the bottom of the sack.
6. Scrunch up the paper bag, dip it in water and squeeze as much water out as you can without tearing the paper.
7. Press the brown paper with an iron to dry and straighten the paper (it will still be somewhat wrinkled.)
8. Carefully tear the paper into 8″x 8″ squares.
9. Glue to a 6″x 6″ piece of heavy paper of cardboard to strengthen the plaque.
10. Tape a paper clip to one corner for a hanger.
11. Write your name on the back of the plaque

2^nd day of classes:

Using your sheet of leaves from the last class:

1. Leaving a space aaround each leaf–cut the leaves apart and then work each leaf individually.
2. Spread a thin layer of white glue over the entire leaf and around the leaf.
3. Take a piece of tinfoil, lay it over the glued leaf and gently mold the tinfoil to the shape of the leaf. Do the other two leaves in the same manner.
4. Using colored Sharpies color the leaves. First with tan or brown, then add areas of orange, green and/or red. Black can be used, but very sparingly… Wipe with a tissue to blend the colors.
5. Carefully cut around the leaf (slightly to the outside of the glue outline.) DO NOT tear the paper pattern off the back.
6. Shape the leaves by bending them slightly.
7. Twist a small piece of gold wire around the stem of each leaf.
8. Attach the leaf to a twig of your branch. Repeat with other leaves.
9. Lay the branch on the plaque and make two small dots, at three different locations, one on each side of a twig. This is where the branch will be attached to the plaque.
10. With a large needle, poke holes where your marks are, through the back of the plaque.
11. Make a “U” shape out of three pieces of gold wire. From the back push the wire through two holes at the three locations.
12. Lay the branch back on the plaque and wire the branch to the plaque.
13. With a black Sharpie edge around the plaque.

6th Grade Projects Gallery