Leaf Rubbing, A Fun Fall Craft

Leaf rubbing is an activity where you sandwich a leaf between two pieces of paper and rub over it with a crayon so that the design of the leaf shows on the top sheet of paper.

Once you have done the leaf rubbing you can use it in different crafts or simply enjoy the art work as is.

It is an activity that can be done by kids as early as 2, and it's even fun for older kids and adults.

Collecting leaves is just as fun as the leaf rubbing is. You can collect leaves from your back yard or garden or you can go for a walk at a nearby park or around your neighborhood.

Collect a variety of leaves to make leaf rubbings out of. The ones that have thick veins work best, but experiment with different types to find an effect you like.

My kids both chose different ways to collect leaves and both ways worked well. My nine year old chose a small bucket to collect leaves in. My two year old chose his Tonka dump truck. I opted for a grocery bag. All of these items worked well for us.

The best leaves for doing a leaf rubbing are ones with thick, pronounced veins. You also want to check the durability of the leaf by bending it. If it crumbles then it is too dry and will not withstand the leaf rubbing process. There are some exceptions to these guidelines, so the best practice is to experiment.

Basic Supplies

* Leaves

* White Paper

*Crayons

1) Collect suppliesmentioned above.

2) On a flat surface place your leaf on top of a white sheet of paper with the veins facing up.

3) Cover the leaf with another sheet of white paper and make sure it is placed where you'd like the rubbing to show up on the sheet of paper.

4) Rub over the leaf with the side of a crayon that has the paper peeled off of it. The design will show on your top sheet of paper.

note: You can use more than one color if you wish and you can also do more than one leaf on a piece of paper if you wish.

Children Playing In Leaves by BackToSchoolDays