Leaf pressing

srcandas

Hope this is OK here. You lot are just so helpful I certainly hope so.

My 8 year old Spanish niece is staying with us for more than 2 and a half weeks back end of August. She tends to have a short attention span so keeping her occupied, without spending a fortune, can be difficult.

So I came up with a tree book. A foto, a leaf pressing, a few words of description, a drawing. Read up and all sounds interesting with various activities - selecting leaves, drying, pressing, sealing between waxed paper, sticking in scrap book, making mobiles from spare ones :j.

But a hitch. The leaf pressing requires waxed paper! Presumably clear waxed paper! Been round town and drawn a blank. Anyone any ideas where it can be found or if it lurks under another name?

And of course any other ideas for a little girl staying with adults (although I'm told I never did grow up ) in a small village with lots of countryside around would be most welcome :beer:

Plans_all_plans

Do you have a local countryside service? Some councils operate these to care for the environment and they'll put on activities/rambles etc for kids during holiday times. We went to a birdbox making session here which my DD liked. Ask the Council about this.

Also get to your local library as they'll quite often have activities on in holidays.

If you've got any museums in bigger towns locally, they'll have activities on too.

With regard to the wax paper, have a search on ebay or online craft shops, they may have some.

Annisele

I'm not sure that leaf pressing actually requires waxed paper. As a kid I pressed flowers and leaves with blotting paper (sometimes just newspaper) and some heavy books, then used clear sticky plastic to attach them to cards. However, I can well believe that waxed paper would give better results.

daska

You can use blotting paper to press and dry leaves and flowers, using wax paper gives a very different result, but I don't remember wax paper being clear? Is that what the instructions imply? The pictures HERE are what I remember doing 'way back when' LOL

barbiedoll

Apparently, Lakeland sell it.......

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/search/waxed%20paper/q01.r16.1

It's quite expensive though!!!!

srcandas

Tx one and all. The Lakeland link was the method I had seen. Not only can you stick them in a scrap book but you can use them in many other ways.

I'll certainly have to try a few methods and see what results I get. It would be great if she could produce something to take back for her mum and hopefully it will hold her imagination.

Sadly Diana's English makes joining in organised events a little tricky. Maybe in a year or so.

Luckily we have Watership Down on our doorstep with lots of footpaths but kids always need more than that - I certainly did. But as we do not drive we are a little limited.

:beer:

Violetta_2

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/25-x-Waxed-Paper-Wrap-Cheese-Food-Wrapping-10-x-15-/260768943021?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item3cb70a4bad#ht_500wt_949
Found some on ebay for you. Sign up to netmums for your local area, the website can be a good source of local info.

whitewing

Are there any restrictions on what you can take through customs (on her way back to Spain)? Pressed flowers? I tried to google but couln't think of the right searches.

Old_Joe

Worth remembering that kitchen greaseproof paper is a useful and cheap substitute for tracing paper.

balletshoes

my daughter usually spends a week or sometimes 2 with my relatives in Scotland over the Summer school holidays, she has done since she was about 5. What works for them is having something to do every day, even if its only going to the shop with 50p for sweets or an ice cream, or going out for lunch to a cafe.

The park, the beach (so for you guys, the walks), going swimming at the nearest pool, and maybe once a week a trip out to the wildlife park or childrens playcentre a short drive away, and she and her cousins are happy and occupied. Most of these don't cost a lot of money.

If your niece has a short attention span, get her to help you prepare all your meals together too, make it fun and it will keep her occupied for part of the day at least.

Callie22

If you're only going to be pressing small leaves maybe you could use the wax paper circles you get for making jam? They're not dear and you'd get loads for a couple of pounds.