Felt foliage on display

I love shuffling through fallen leaves on a fall afternoon walk, and much enjoy the colors and shapes of foliage year-round. Unfortunately, the beauty of a fresh leaf is rather fleeting, and any foliage display will inevitably fade.

A solution? Leaves cut from felt. Not only do they last forever, they're also quick and easy to make, so they can be swapped out or updated based on any mood or season.

I sketched my leaf silhouttes freehand, and with the exception of the gingko leaf they're completely made up. If you like it more realistic, look to nature for a plethora of templates (of course the internet will do as well).

The thicker the felt, the more substantial the leaves will feel, but the harder they'll be to cut out. I had white felt sheets sitting around that were about 4mm thick, and they were great to work with.

Here's the How To:

1. Sketch a leaf silhoutte onto paper (or xerox, print out, etc.).
2. Cut out and affix to felt with straight pins.
3. Transfer the outline using tailor's chalk or pencil.
4. Cut out (the sharper your scissors, the better).

Frame them as you see fit — I used picture frames from Ikea and corrugated cardboard covered with fabric.