DIY Laminated Leaf Bookmarks

Easy DIY laminated leaves for those without an electric laminator. I use them for bookmarks, or for just preserving a really neat leaf that I find. I like to magnet them to the fridge as well.

You'll need clear tape, scissors, and leaves. Trail mix and orange juice optional. My leaves have been pressed and dried in this big book for about 2 years. You can use fresh leaves right off the tree too, no problem.

Lay out strips of tape, sticky side up, slightly overlapping the tape so they stay together. The needed number of strips will depend on the width of your tape and the size of your leaves. Once you get some tape down, start laying some leaves on top and press your leaf into the adhesive. Avoid putting your finger in the stickyness as it leaves some gnarly fingerprints. Keep enough room between leaves so you have room to cut.

The next layer of tape needs to go sticky side down, and in a different direction than the bottom tape. I highlighted the edges of the tape in a few pics for reference. Very little room for error here, so take your time, make sure you have plenty of light so you can see the edges of the tape, and be sure to overlap the edges ever so slightly. Honestly I've goofed this part up a few times and still managed to peel the tape apart and save the leaf, at least with the packing tape I'm using. Depending on what tape you're using, the application may be more permanent in your case.

Before taking the scissors to your leaves, make sure you've flattened out the tape really well and sealed it up nice. Start cutting around your leaves, making sure you leave a good gap around the edges so there's plenty of adhesive sealing them in. If you didn't cut your leaf stems short the ends will be sort of thick, so you'll need plenty of extra gap there to get a good seal. Once the leaf is cut out, go ahead and press your finger around the perimeter and give it a good seal.

I love my leaf bookmarks.