Give the colorful leaves of autumn some serious staying power by dipping them in wax. Use the preserved leaves to decorate a table or make a fall-inspired mobile.

Materials

• Paraffin wax (we used about 1/4 pound)
• 2 clean cans, one smaller than the other (ours were 13 1/2 and 28 ounces)
• Newspaper

• Colorful leaves
• Waxed paper

Instructions

1. Place a piece of paraffin wax in the smaller can, and place the smaller can inside the larger one. Add warm water to both cans, filling them to about a half-inch below the rim of the small can. (When melted, the wax will float on top of the water.)

2. Simmer the water over medium heat until the wax has melted (a parent's job). To avoid spatters, don't let the water and wax come to a full boil.

3. Use pot holders to remove the cans from the stove and put them on the newspaper. Hold a leaf by its stem, carefully dip it into the wax, then lay it on waxed paper to harden.

You might also like:

Find more about:

• Autumn |
• Nature Projects

Related Categories:

• October 2009 |
• Backyard Nature Crafts