Pressing Leaves to Preserve Texture

Pressing leaves to preserve texture is not something I thought much about until I accidentally left a few autumn leaves underneath a placemat and didn’t check them for a few days. When I did check them, I was amazed at how much texture and “character” they had!

But it wasn’t until I used the leaves in a few photos, and did some comparisons, that I had an “aha” moment. Compared to leaves I had previously pressed in books, these leaves brought so much life and movement to my images because of the shadows they cast.

How to Press Leaves to Preserve Texture

• After gathering leaves, let them sit on a towel for a couple hours to dry out just a little bit
• Choose a placemat that has some weight but also has holes such as these vinyl placemats
• Set the leaves on one placemat and set another one on top and leave it in an area with good ventilation (do not set a book or anything else on top)
• In a few short days you’ll have perfectly preserved crunchy textural leaves
• Store in a shoebox in a dark and dry space

Placemat Method vs Book Method

So that’s how to press leaves to preserve texture!

Thanks for stopping by, and if you try this method to press leaves, let me know if it worked for you!

Image shot on “Slate“