Fiber Art
Leaf Printing in the Steam Box
Course Overview
Eco-prints are one-of-a-kind prints made by steaming leaves against paper. No inks, dyes or paints are used to create them—the colors come just from the plants themselves. The colors are sepia-toned, the patterns are beautiful, and the process is non-toxic. Leaves are collected, pressed, arranged on paper, stacked and tightly bound together. The bundles are put to steam in the steam box. When the bundles are opened, unpredictable images and complex patterns remain, a faint memory of the leaves themselves. With a bit of folding, tearing, and sewing, and the use of brads to bolt the whole thing together, several of the prints will be used as a cover for a simple signature journal we will bind as the rest of our bundles steam away.