Leaf Art Projects for Kids

Leaf hunting became an art class ritual for several weeks this fall. We made leaf prints, clay leaves, and animal collages from pressed leaves. The collage project was my favorite because it had the most elbow room for creativity. I was afraid that everyone would make fish, but we ended up with a healthy variety of creatures from a T-Rex to a dragon.

Leaf prints are best when made with leaves that are a little fuzzy and textured. The oak-leaf hydrangea used on the piece below worked really well. I encouraged students to paint more than one color on each leaf before printing it. 

Wind chimes were the goal when students pressed leaves into clay slabs and cut them out. Most students only made one or two, not enough for a wind chime, but after they were fired and painted, they still made for interesting ornaments. The trick is to ripple or twist the clay leaf before it dries, to make it look more real.