Spring is Here. Let’s Party!

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” -Robin Williams

How do you like to spend your spring and summer nights? Is your answer crafting? Then I have the project for you! This project is designed for creative use of paint, cement, and digging in your garden. This week I am going to show you the process of making decretive cement rhubarb leaves.

These are the easy steps for this project:

1. Pick a rhubarb leaf from your garden. The size of this leaf is up to you. It just depends how big you want your cement leaf to be.
2. Take a large bin or a kiddie pool and fill it with sand. If you already have a sandbox that works too. Make sure not to leave any leftover concrete in it for the kids to hurt themselves with.
3. Make a mound in the sand about the same size as the leaf. The height of the mound is up to you. It can be tall so you end up with more of a bowl shaped leaf. It can be fairly flat if you want a flat leaf.
4. Place the leaf on top of the mound.
5. Mix the cement from the bag with fine sand. The quality of the cement and sand is important. You don’t want to end up with little holes or lumpy rocks in your leaf when it dries.
6. After mixing the cement use latex or plastic gloves to scoop the cement. Pack it lightly and evenly over the leaves. Try not to let the cement run off the leaves and into the sand.
7. Let leaves dry for a few days. They dry faster in the sun. Check their progress to see if they are drying properly. Cover them with a tarp if it rains.
8.  After the leaf is completely dry carefully take it out the sand. Gently scrape the leaf off the cement. It will leave an imprint of the leaf on the cement
9. Next you need to decide how you are going to finish your leaf. You can paint, gloss, or leave them natural.

Check out my Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PaintingWood to view more pictures of leaves.

Have fun and enjoy!