How to Paint with Leaves – A Memory Box

Last Updated on September 1, 2023 by Ellen Christian

Learn how to paint with leaves to create a memory box for your special items. Create art with leaf painting with this simple technique.

How to Paint with Leaves – A Memory Box

Photos, baby’s first teeth, scouting badges, candles from birthday cakes. There are so many little things that hold special memories for me.

As the kids get older, I’ve been going through things that I’ve been saving since they were little. I decided that I really needed one place to keep everything organized and I wanted to give it a fun fall theme.  

Leaf painting a memory box to hold these items was on my crafting list for this week. You can use leaves to create a fall design on your box. 

I had an unfinished wooden craft box that I ordered a while ago and never used. You can really use any type of wooden box or even one of those paperboard boxes if you’d rather. The important thing is that it has a tight-fitting lid to keep all your treasures safe.

Since it’s the middle of fall right now and everywhere I look I see the gorgeous colors of fall, I decided I would decorate this memory box with a fall theme.  If you don’t have leaves in your area right now, you can use 

I have always wanted to try painting with leaves but I don’t have a roller to smooth the paint on the leaf.  I decided to try a bit of a different technique instead.

Painting with leaves this way leaves a white outline where the leaf was and then paint where the leaf was not.

Materials

You can purchase a new box, or look for one at a thrift store or tag sale for a weathered look.

• One unfinished wooden cigar box

• Acrylic paint (white, yellow, orange, red, brown, etc.)

• Paintbrush

• A variety of leaves

How to paint with leaves

• Paint the box white or the light color of your choice. Let it dry completely.

• Collect leaves from outside. Make sure they are flat & not too dry or they will be brittle.

• Place one leaf on the painted box & carefully sponge paint around it. Make sure you hold it flat so that the paint doesn’t get under the leaf. Allow this color to dry completely.

• Repeat the process with other leaves until as much of the memory box is painted as you want. Allow it to dry completely.

Leaf painting tips

Here are a few tips to consider when creating your design.

• Vary the colors you use so that they don’t all blend into each other.

• Use different sizes and shapes of leaves for visual interest.

• If you plan on using your memory box a lot, you might want to finish it with a coating of mod podge to prevent the paint from flaking.

Ellen Christian

Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.