How to Make Natural Skeleton leaves

skeleton leaves
Ever tried your hands on making skeleton leaves craft? Haven't? Then you must, because they make lovely gifts and apart from being beautiful, they are also inexpensive, light and easy to post. A skeleton leaf is a leaf in which you have removed the leaf part and only the skeleton remains.

You can buy artificial skeleton leaves in craft shops or online. They are convenient, sometimes economically priced, robust, and easy to preserve. You can also buy genuine skeleton leaves but they are costlier and frail. But, you can make your own skeleton leaves easily, and there are a couple of advantages in doing so. First, the price is right. It costs next to nothing to make your own skeleton leaf. Secondly, you can choose from a variety of leaves and color them any color you want.
I have always used the simplest method to obtain skeleton leaves. All you need is patience, leaves of your choice and a bucket of water. Place leaves in bucket and let them lye there for a few days. But you must remember to change the water daily and remove whatever pulp gets collected over the days otherwise the leaves may start decaying. After 10 days or so, when you get the leaves out, half of them will have the pulp removed already from them ( if you have been watchful). So clean them with care by washing with plain water and put them in sun for drying. See, it's as simple as that.

There are other methods to make skeleton leaves, which you can try:
Take long leaves and press them between old telephone books. They should remain here in a dry, undisturbed place for several weeks. Make a solution of washing soda, and carefully lay the pressed leaves into the solution. When the flesh becomes pulpy, take the leaves out of the washing solution and rinse them carefully in cold water. Gently brush away the pulp with a toothbrush Washing soda is caustic it is better to use proper protection when handling; the best thing to do is to wear gloves.
You can also use this method;
Place selected green leaves in a pot with 1 tsp Bicarbonate and 1 tsp Baking Powder and cover with water. Boil and reduce to a low heat. Stir gently from time to time. Once leaves have softened, rub off flesh gently. When complete, bleach the leaves and leave to dry on paper towels.
Another method involves using bleaching powder:
Select a fallen leaf. The sturdier the leaf, the better your results will be. Maple leaves are good bets for beginners, if any grow in your area. Clean the leaf, then soak it in a strong bleach solution until it turns white. Be careful not to get the bleach on your skin. Remove leaf from bleach. Rinse gently. Remove soft material by nudging carefully with a stiff paint brush. If desired, dip the skeleton leaf in food coloring or other colorings material. Allow it to dry before using it in an altered book or other craft project.
Skeleton leaves Craft, which you can make:
Make Invitations, greeting Cards from skeleton leaves. You can also make decorative wall hangings. I once painted different animals on leaves and then simply pasted them on the wall of my bathroom in a circular fashion. The assorted jungle looked nice besides the mirror. They can also be used to create matching gift wrap and tags, decorate frames, boxes, scrapbooks and much more!