What You’ll Need
- Paper
- Crayons, with their paper wrappings removed
- Fallen leaves
What You'll Do
- Lay the leaf, vein side up, on a flat surface.
- Cover the leaf with a piece of paper.
- Rub the long side of the crayon across the leaf, and watch the leaf image appear.
Try These Variations
- Rub different types of leaves on the same page.
- Position the same leaf at different angles to make a repeat pattern, as if designing wallpaper or fabric.
- Overlap rubbings for a layered effect.
- Use different colored crayons in the same rubbing.
When Finished
- Make a book of your leaf rubbings, adding a name label to each leaf.
- Cut out your rubbings and arrange them in a collage.
- “Frame” your rubbing by gluing it onto a larger piece of colored construction paper.
Other Options
- Ready to branch out? Anything with a slightly raised surface and an interesting texture can be rubbed: sandpaper, corrugated cardboard, paper doilies, mesh netting, the raised pattern on the edge of a dinner plate, address numbers on your front door, a cookie-cooling rack.
- For a spiral effect, make a multitude of overlapping circles using different colored crayons. To start, lay paper atop a cup or jar. Rub paper with a crayon so the edge of the cup appears. Reposition the paper on different-sized cups and jars and repeat until your paper is full of circles.
