Bundled Q-Tip & Leaf Print Sunflower
Looking for a cute nature craft to make using real leaves? This bundled Q-tip and leaf print sunflower is gorgeous, easy to make, and perfect for fostering children's creativity!
Servings: 1 craft
Ingredients
- 1 leaf
- 1 paintbrush medium or large
- paint (yellow and dark brown) washable or acrylic
- light-colored cardstock
- 20-25 cotton swabs
- 1 small elastic
- 1 paint palette
Instructions
- Use a paintbrush to cover the entire surface of the leaf with a generous amount of yellow paint. (You can spread the paint on either side of the leaf, but for more intricate prints, try painting the leaf’s backside.)
- While the paint is still wet, quickly press the painted side of the leaf onto the sheet of cardstock, with the leaf’s stem angled toward the middle of the sheet. Gently press down on the leaf with your fingers or a rolling pin, then carefully peel it off to reveal an imprint. Repeat 3 times, reapplying paint as needed and changing the position of the leaf to create a total of 4 prints arranged in the shape of a cross.
- Reapplying paint to the leaf as needed, create more yellow “petals” to fill in the gaps between the existing leaf prints. Continue to add more prints until you have filled in the shape of the sunflower.
- Grab the cotton swabs, press them together with your fingers and tightly wrap a small elastic around the middle to bundle them together.
- Pour some brown paint onto the paint palette and dip the bundled cotton swabs into the paint, pressing down as many times as needed to fully coat the tips.
- Gently press the cotton swabs onto the cardstock to create a dark cluster of “seeds” in the center of the yellow petals. Repeat as needed, dipping the cotton swabs back into the paint if necessary, until there is a large dotted circle in the middle of the sunflower. Let the paint dry completely before displaying.
Video
Notes
1. Choosing the right leaf: For this craft, use a leaf that is no taller than half the width of your sheet of cardstock (not including the stem). Look for a leaf that has one pointed tip and a rounded bottom—wide and thin can both work, but will impact the number of prints you'll need to make to fill in the sunflower shape. Prominent veins will create more intricate prints.
2. Making the perfect leaf prints: To transfer the maximum amount of details to the cardstock, paint the backside of the leaf (where the veins are most prominent) and gently press down on it using your fingers or a rolling pin. Avoid moving the leaf around, and work quickly to prevent the paint from drying. When making multiple prints with the same leaf, reapply the paint before each one.
3. Helpful tips:
- Don't skimp on the paint: Make sure to cover the leaf with paint before every print, and dip the Q-tips in paint as often as needed.
- Add some color depth: Try mixing colors to create slightly different shades of yellow and brown, and use those different shades when creating the sunflower petals and seeds.
- Make smaller sunflowers: If you only have small leaves, try creating many small sunflowers instead of one large one. Use fewer Q-tips if a bundle of 20 to 25 is too big.