Growing Kids 

Make Things - 3
		Making Bark Pictures
		Making a Leaf Drawing
		Pressing Flowers
		Making Newspaper Pots

Making a Leaf Drawing

Someone once brought me back a gift from a holiday in India. It was a drawing done on a leaf from the Pipal Tree which is the kind of fig tree that Buddha is believed to have sat under for 49 days until he achieved enlightenment - and for another seven weeks after that! You can see it on the right. You probably haven't got one of those trees in your yard, but other types of leaves will do if you would like to create a leaf drawing.

You will need: A large leaf (Ivy works well, but you can experiment with others. The leaf needs to be tough and leathery. Don't choose a fresh young one). Cray-pas crayons

Here's What You Do:

1. Turn the leaf upside down so that all the veins are showing. This will give your drawing an interesting texture.

2. Draw a nice big bold drawing on the leaf with the Cray-pas. You will have to hold the leaf firmly and press quite hard. If you are using an Ivy leaf, a clown's face or a dog's face fits in well with the shape. Make sure every part of the leaf is covered with thick colour. You may need to sharpen the Cray-pas if you want to use fine lines.

3. When the drawing is finished, lay it on a tissue and place another tissue over the top. Pile a stack of heavy books on top and leave it for a few weeks to dry. Alternatively, put it in a flower press if you have one.

4. When it is dry you can paste it on to a card (like the black one above) or put it into a small frame. If you want to use the leaf as a bookmark, then you will have to spray it with clear varnish so that the Cray-pas doesn't come off on to the page.

Brain Teaser: Turn a leaf into something no gardener wants by changing one letter on each line:

L E A F
_ _ _ _ : Your dog needs one
_ _ _ _ : You should protect this from the sun
_ _ _ _ : Pay attention
_ _ _ _ : Gardeners' enemy

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Ever tried pressing flowers? It's easy to do and the pressed flowers and leaves are especially great for decorating cards and making gardening pictures.

1. Choose a selection of flowers, grasses, leaves and even weeds. Don't choose ones that are too fat and juicy, small flowers with thin stems and leaves are best. Weeds are very pretty pressed, particularly their seed-heads which look fragile and feathery. Pick them when they are completely dry.

2. Having your own flower press makes the job very easy as it is just a matter of laying the flower stems, leaves, etc. on the layers of blotting paper so that none of them touch each other, placing other sheets of paper over them and screwing down the top of the press.

3. However, it is easy to do even without a press. Ask if there is a heavy old book you can use for the purpose. (Last year's phone book would do.) Select pages towards the back of the book. If you are able to get some blotting paper, use that, otherwise, tissues can be used. Smooth out a couple of tissues on one of the pages, then lay your flowers, etc. on top. Cover them with two more tissues that are as flat as possible. Very carefully close the pages over the tissues. Leave quite a few pages in between each group of things to be pressed.

4. When all the specimens are in the book, stack as many heavy books as you can find on top and leave for about 6 weeks. The flowers will then be very dry and wafer-thin.

5. Use clear craft glue to stick the pressed plants on to cards, etc. Paste them on in layers e.g. taller grasses at the back, then some leaves and seed heads, then the flowers in front. Don't be afraid to have them overlapping! You will be delighted with the pictures you can make.

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Making Newspaper Pots

If you want to plant seeds or take cuttings, you don't need plastic pots. You can make your own out of newspaper and plant them straight into the soil when they're ready. Making these little pots is very easy and they last for a surprisingly long time - certainly long enough to raise seedlings to the stage where they can be planted out.

You will need: sheets of newspaper; a straight-sided glass; scissors

What to do:

1. Choose a straight-sided glass that's about 7cm in diameter.
2. Cut strips of newspaper which are about 7cm wider than the height of the jar. Each one must be long enough to go round the glass about three or four times.
3. Take a strip of paper and wrap it fairly loosely around the glass. The paper should be level with the top and extend beyond the base of the glass. (See photo 1.)
4. The bit that extends over the bottom should be just long enough to fold over to reach the opposite side of the glass. Fold it over then keep folding the extension in (in overlapping folds) to cover the bottom of the glass. (See photo 2 & 3.)
5. Slide the newspaper down the glass for about 2cm. (You can't wrap it too tightly at the start.) Pinch all around the bottom of the newspaper pot to make a base for it to sit on it . This will also stop it coming undone. (See photo 4.)
6. Carefully slip the completed pot off the glass. (See photo 5.) You can then make the next one.
7. A punnet tray is a really convenient way to hold the pots while you fill them with potting mix and plant your seeds or cuttings. They will keep their shape even when they are watered each day and will last for six weeks or more. (See photo 6.)
8. When you are ready to plant your newspaper potted plants, ask a grown up to make a few slits in the sides with a Stanley knife to help the new little plant's roots escape. The paper will soon break down in the soil.

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