make leaf rubbing plates
Here’s another good reason to get a laminator! You can make your own leaf rubbing plates (Fauna discovered this when we were making the odd leaf out card game).
Simply laminate a pressed leaf, trim around the leaf, place the leaf backside-up and you’ve got yourself a leaf rubbing plate.
These plates work just as well as the ones you buy from the education stores! These are much cheaper and you can use any leaf from your yard or park.
Poke holes in the plates and add them to a book ring (love book rings) for safe keeping. Label the names of the leaves with a Sharpie to help learn leaf identification. They are so much prettier than those plastic plates!
Thank you everyone who has voted for me for the Best Unschooling Blog Award, please keep the votes coming! If you haven’t voted yet- vote here.
What fun! I have been idly wanting but avoiding buying a set of rubbing plates, this is such a better idea. I don’t have a laminating machine, I just use sticky laminating paper, but I’m sure that would work too.
THX 4 D GREAT IDEA !!!!!!
Well, now, I have to get a laminator! LOL.
love this idea
Thankyou Fauna
This is a very cool idea. I may have to purchase a laminator during tax season.
So love your blog its such a joy to read your posts!!! I wish I could live by you and get together for afternoon chats over herbal tea : ) I so enjoyed this idea hmm maybe thats what I should get for Christmas is one of those machines : ) The leaves turned out looking so nice!!!
Jane
Jane that would be so nice! My machine was a gift, but I’ve seen them in Target for under $40. Not horribly expensive.
love this! happy weekend lisa!
i was teetering on the edge of a laminator. this is helping the cause.
i love this idea. i cracked open a large cookbook the other day and found leaves th girls and i pressed in there two years ago and forgot about in the move!
how fun!
We do that all the time! Books, phonebooks….finally made a great press for leaves alone.
That is an awesome idea! We’re doing botany this year so that would be great for us, and #3 could do this too! I think I’ll try some with contact paper…. too bad all we have around are mesquite leaves and oak leaves. I may actually have to GO somewhere to pick up more leaves.
I’m always so impressed with the things you can create. Any ideas how to make something cool out of all these pine needles in our neighborhood?
Very very cool!!!
Hi Lisa, We found the most beautiful and large oak leaves yesterday and I am going to do this. We don’t have a laminator but we have to go to the office store today
By the way, we made your tortilla soup last night! It was so easy and good. The whole family gobbled it up! Thanks for the recipe. It will be a staple around here. xo Kyndale
So glad you liked the soup. I’m always a bit nervous about posting recipes. I’m not the most experienced cook!
Okay…so I’m pretty sure I’m sold on the laminator….too cool!!
these are gorgeous!
The laminated leaves are so pretty! Good luck in the polls…..I voted for you the other day!
love, sara
thanks sara!
Now this is cool! What is the thickness of the laminating sheets you use?
I just bought the sheets that the Scotch company puts out. Bought it from Target.
I have a gremlin brewing at my house. Hopefully I will post about it soonish. Maybe your laminator needs a get well gremlin.
this is super great…now if only i can remember it for a time down the road:)
the oak leaf looks so very big! This is a great idea!!!
That’s an oak leaf from Staunton!
Fun! I bet I can do this with contact paper too.
I have been looking into purchasing a laminator. What kind do you have and are you happy with it?
I have seen them at Target for under $40. Mine was a gift, the laminator is part of a book making machine. Actually it is now permanantly jammed up…..time for a new one. I have the Scotch laminating sheets, so I will check Target for a Scotch laminator.
Very cool! Good luck with the votes! I’ve been keeping an eye out since voting, and you’re still in the lead.
interesting enough not anymore, first place’s points seemed to double overnight.
Cool, makes me wish I had a laminator.
I just voted for you. I sure hope you win!
Thanks D!
I miss my laminator!!! I used to do this in my classroom, I had a huge set of laminated leaves that I used with my first graders as reference for their printmaking projects, and as examples to draw/paint with my 2-4th graders. I loved the way they would hold up for so many kids handling them and the rubbing plate is a bonus! : )
and… BTW… a binder ring is just about my second favorite thing (other than a laminator!)
Mine seems to be permanently jammed up now! It has had a short life……..I’m quite bummed about it.
Do laminated leafs turn brown or will they retain their color?
They should retain their color.