Cast paper leaves tutorial

Here's what the leaves look like before they're painted.  They actually look quite good just as white paper.

Last month I said I'd post a tutorial on making cast paper leaves.  This is it, although there's really not a lot to it because cast leaves are quite easy to make.  You simply need leaves (any leaf is good; I used oak leaves), tissue paper, a brush, and watered down PVA glue.  About a 1:1 mix works well.

Everything you need to make a leaf cast.

All you need to do is to place about three layers of tissue paper on the underside of the leaf and brush them with the PVA, making sure there are no air bubbles.  Once the glue is dry you  the paper layers will have all stuck together and will conform to the shape of the leaf.  You then simply peel off the leaf, cut away the excess paper around the edges, and add a wire stem.

When it's wet, the leaf cast should look like this.  Notice how the paper moulds around the veins on the underside of the leaf - this is what you want to see as it will give you a nicely detailed casting.