PREPARED AUTUMN LEAVES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 9, 27 February 1892, Page 210

PREPARED AUTUMN LEAVES.

No matter how humble or destitute of costly adornments our homes may be, they may be brightened all through the long, dreary winter by a little forethought in gathering a quantity of the autumn leaves which the obliging breezes scatter at our feet.

What a beautiful carpet these leaves make, and how we long sometimes to preserve their rich beauty, and wonder why they suddenly grow so beautiful just before decay. They may be preserved much more perfectly than many people suppose, after one acquires the ‘ knack ’ of preserving them properly. The most successful way to do this is by the use of spermaceti and a moderately hot flatiron. After gathering the leaves take a piece of board, lay the leaves upon it, and touching the pointed end of the iron to the piece of spermaceti, iion both sides of the leaf with it. Do not let the iron remain on the leaf any longer than is necessary to cover with a good coat of the spermaceti.

After a two-years’ use of leaves prepared in this way for window curtain decorations, they were still so beautiful that I disliked to throw them away. One advantage of this method of treatment is that the leaves may be prepared in clusters in their natural form, and used for bouquets, or in any desired form. Ferns are also prepared in the same way, very successfully, but before preparing them thus, it is better to press them for a short time between papers or book-leaves. Also green leaves or other autumn leaves containing much moisture are more easily prepared if pressed or dried before ironing.

The green leaves are very pretty mixed with the brown and bright-hued ones. One of the most beautiful varieties of leaves to prepare this way is the wild crab-apple. Leaves of hard or soft maple, oak, or silver-leaf poplar, blackberry, and many others are favourites. Clusters of pressed larkspurs, pansies or other Aim dowers may be preserved in this way after being pressed, and both leaves and flowers are rendered quite durable by this process, if properly done. This process gives a delicate and beautiful finish, quite unlike the ‘ vulgar glare ’of varnish. Remember, the iron must be heated to just the right temperature, to succeed perfectly, just enough warmth to melt the spermaceti quickly. You can ‘ tell by trying,’ just as we learn many other things. Numerous are the ornaments that may be fashioned from these leaves from Nature’s book. To make cornices for window curtains, sew the leaves firmly to a narrow strip of pasteboard and fasten at each end with a tack. Some make of the leaves pictures for framing ; others make frames of them.

I once made a picture of pressed flowers, perhaps fourteen by sixteen inches, covered it with glass, and fitted it into a frame made in this way : An oval piece, the size of the picture, was cut from a very large piece of heavy pasteboard. Wild crab apple leaves weie placed in the corners, and smaller leaves were arranged where the frame was moie narrow. The leaves were pasted on with flour paste. I think the pasteboard was either painted black or covered with black cambric or calico before arranging the leaves upon it.

The leaves may be framed into graceful sprays for curtain or other decorations, by winding the stems with wire. Leaves may be prepared the same way by using either beeswax or rosin. The wax gives a very delicate finish, but the leaves are more inclined to curl than when spermaceti is used, while the rosin imparts a gloss resembling varnish, and renders the leaves quite brittle. Some may object to leaves for decorations on the ground that they catch the dust, but nearly everything has this failing. This article is written as a suggestion to those who, because every shilling is required for necessities, hunger in vain for pretty things.

Mildred Merle.