As I mentioned before, we had a lot of birthdays in September. And as you know, we like to get creative with our wrapping paper for gifts. So when Anouk and I pulled out some supplies to do a quick apple-printing craft a few weeks ago, I got an idea. Why not use our apples to print some cute and seasonal DIY wrapping paper?

We had a lot of fun with this simple craft, so much so that after we'd done a few sheets of wrapping, Anouk and I kept going and made a whole slew of apple prints to hang around the house. The wrapping paper project was more about being precise, so it was fun to have the opportunity to let loose and see where our imaginations took us.





So fun! And the birthday boy really liked his book, so it was a success all around.

Have you tried apple printing? Do you decorate with your prints?

I photographed this project while we were doing it, but looking at the photos after, was kind of like, "Eh, maybe not" about posting it. However, when Anouk was still talking about our leaf prints the next day, and demanded we do it again the day after that, I reconsidered. I've never seen an art project hold her attention for this long.

It's a very simple concept: you line up a bunch of leaves and flowers on white paper, cover them with a paper towel, give your kid a hammer, or a mallet, or a wood block, and let them whack to their heart's content. After a good hammering, the pigments in the leaves transfer to the paper, and you've got yourself a nice, nature-inspired print.





A few tips: dark-colored flowers and needle-y plants (pine needles, rosemary) make the most striking designs. We had the best results when we placed the underside of the leaf against the paper, facing up. We also noticed that after a few hours, some of the colors faded or turned brown -- any suggestions for things that might keep them bright and fresh are appreciated! (Lemon juice? Fixiative spray?)

Our designs turned out a little muddier and less crisp than the examples that we found online, but some of them were really pretty in spite of (because of?) the softer effect. And we had a really fun (and noisy -- sorry neighbors) time making them.



We're going to try this again in the fall, with some bright autumn leaves. Happy Monday!