Leaf Preservation (A New Hobby And Knowledge)

I am seeing preserved plants and leaves even animals but I never thought about doing those things not because I am not interested but because I thought it is hard to do. It was the first week of March 2022 when I saw the leaves of my plant dying and turning brown. It is important and special to me because it was from my friend and I want to treasure things from them. I was annoyed and posted in noise.cash if there are ways to revive my plant but most of them commented that it cannot be revived.

However, some of my friends from the platform told me that I can preserve the leaves so I can keep it. It caught my attention and I decided to do research about leaf preservation.

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But what is preservation? According to Meriam Webster, “it is the activity or process of keeping something valued alive, intact, or free from damage or decay.”

There are different ways to preserve a leaf but for me the easiest way is putting the leaf in a glycerin solution for days so it will absorb the glycerin that will help to preserve the lead. 

Materials that you need to use:

• Glycerin solution

• Picture frame (optional)

• Warm water

• Tissue

• Container

First and foremost, you need to have glycerin which you can buy in different stores. In my case, I bought it in Shopee. You also need to prepare warm water. Put the warm water and glycerin in the container. It should be a 1:2 ratio. Since I only have two leaves to preserve, I put one scoop of glycerin using a spoon and two scoops of warm water.

Captured by the author.

Next, mix the solution for a couple of minutes. Remember that you should use a container where the leaves will fit. I don't recommend a cylindrical container so the leaves will not be damaged. Once done, put the leaves on the container. You can cut the stem so it can absorb the solution. Keep the leaves in the solution for 3-6 days. The longer you soak it, the preservation will be more effective. On the other hand, the leaves will change color as they absorb more solution. Personally, I soaked it for three days.

After days in the solution, use a tissue to dry the leaves. Once you are done, cover it using a tissue and put it on a flat surface where it can be flattened. I used a book and waited for another 2-3 days. Then you are done preserving your leaves. You can put it in a picture frame so you can use it as a decoration in your house or your workspace.

Captured by the author.

Here is the final result of my leaf preservation. The color of the leaves aren't that pleasant since it already turned brown before I learned that I can preserve it. I also put a date when I put it inside the frame. Furthermore, since the frame is plastic and not glass, I decided to put a plastic cover the whole frame so I can protect the main plastic. 

Conclusion

Leaf preservation is a good way to keep the looks of the leaf fresh and use it as your home decor. Since doing this stuff is easy, you can do this anytime as long as you have complete materials. In fact, I also tried preserving calamansi leaf and it is really cool to see. The flattened leaf and yellowish color makes it look fresh.

Overall, I am glad that I learned about leaf preservation because it is actually knowledgeable and enjoyable at the same time. If you are a fan of collecting leaves, then you can do leaf preservation and add more leaves in your collection.

If you are planning to start leaf preservation, you can buy the materials that I used that I bought from Shopee.

• Glycerin ₱25.00-50.00 depending on the size.

• Picture frame ₱15.00-65.00 depending on the size.

Published: March 30, 2022