One of my favorite memories from third grade was when our teacher heated up a small pot of paraffin wax and the students went outside to collect beautiful leaves and we were each able to dip our leaves in the wax to preserve them. I've held on to this memory for 35 years and finally just repeated this craft with my own third grader. It's SO very easy and SO very satisfying and creates a beautiful seasonal decoration.
All you need to purchase for this project is a block of paraffin wax which you can find at a craft store or in the canning/household section of the grocery store. You can probably even find it at a beauty supply shop. I found this package of Gulf Wax at Stop & Shop for $3.99 and there's four separate blocks in here so you don't have to cut it yourself.
Step 1: Take a walk around the neighborhood and collect the most beautiful leaves you can find. Make sure they are fresh and not too dry and crumbly.
Step 2: Set up a double boiler on the stove and add the wax chunk to the top pan to melt. Medium-low heat will do the trick.
Step 3: Holding each left by its stem, dip it in the wax until it is completely submerged. Don't worry about the stem -- it does not need to be covered.
Step 4: Once the leaf is covered in wax, pick it out and let it drip over the pan before you transfer it to wax paper to dry.
The leaves will dry pretty quickly and be ready to enjoy. The wax dip preserves the leaves and gives them a lovely sheen. They will not crumble or fall apart as long as they are handled gently. We piled ours on a tray as a coffee table centerpiece but they can also be used in crafting. We hope you enjoy this craft as much as we did! #naturecrafts #craftingwithkids
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