Discover the best method to preserve fall leaves’ vibrant color! We tested 4 techniques, including Mod Podge, a microwave press, vegetable glycerin, and silica gel. Find out which works best.
As the vibrant colors of fall begin to paint the landscape, there’s nothing quite like capturing that beauty by preserving autumn leaves.
Whether you’re looking to use them in crafts, home decor, or simply want to hold onto a piece of the season, finding the best method to maintain their rich hues can be a challenge.
I decided to put four popular leaf preservation techniques to the test: Mod Podge, silica gel, microwave pressing, and vegetable glycerin oil. The goal? To determine which method works best to keep those beautiful colors lasting longer.
And as far as I’m concerned, there was a clear winner (hint: it’s the last method in this post).
In this post, I’ll share the results of my experiment, so you can choose the most effective way to preserve your fall leaves and keep the essence of autumn alive all year ’round.
Methods for Preserving Fall Foliage
A little research made it easy to find out what people are trying, and I wanted in on the action. As said, the goal of my experiment was to see which preserved the colors the best.
For all four methods below, you’ll need to make the leaves are dry before preservation. I used paper towels and pressed them gently.
You should also preserve leaves (and flowers) shortly after you pick them. Foliage can start to lose color quickly, so you’ll want to capture it before it fades.
Now let’s get into the methods.
Mod Podge
The first method tried was Mod Podge. Of course I had to start there, because that is a question I get asked quite often during the fall – can Mod Podge preserve leaves?
For this method, all I did was paint Mod Podge on the leaves and allow them to dry. Then I let the leaves age naturally.
PROCESS TIME: I gave the leaves one week to dry.
RESULT: As you can see, the leaves stayed intact – but the red color almost completely disappears. So the answer is no, Mod Podge is not great for leaf preservation. While it might keep the leaves from crumbling, it doesn’t retain the color.
This is no surprise to me. The reason is because Mod Podge is an acrylic, waterbased product. It can’t stop the chemical process of chlorophyll from breaking down inside the leaf.
Glycerin Bath
The second method I tried was glycerin, which involves putting leaves into a mixture of two parts water to one part vegetable glycerin. The mixture started to look questionable very quickly as color was released from the leaves.
Here are the resulting leaves after several days in the bath:
PROCESS TIME: 3 – 5 days.
RESULT: The leaves stayed intact but retained no color. The glycerin replaces the moisture in the leaves, making them very flexible. So if you don’t mind brown leaves . . . this could be your solution. However for me, it’s an absolute NO for crafting.
Silica Gel
Silica gel is commonly used to dry flowers, so of course I had to see how it worked on leaves! The process is simply. You’re going to find a container to house the gel (which is like sand) and sandwich the leaves down in it for several days.
Once the time is up, you’re going to gently remove the leaves from the silica gel.
PROCESS TIME: 4 – 7 days.
RESULT: This method was my #2 method, as it allowed a lot of color to stay in the leaves, especially for the oranges. So the color was preserved reasonably.
The problem with this method is the fragility of the leaves. When pulling them out of the silica gel, they were fragile. Some of the tips and ends broke off of the more intricate leaves (as you can see in the photo).
I recommend this method – however, if you’re going to use it, keep in mind the fragility of the leaves when placing them in (and removing) the gel.
Microwave Press
I saved the best for last! I’ll just come out and say it – the microwave press is my favorite method for preserving the color in leaves. I use it for flowers, too.
The method is simple – you’ll purchase a microwave press like this one and sandwich the leaves between the layers. You heat the leaves in 25 – 30 second bursts, rather than one long session.
Check the leaves between heating. After a few minutes, the leaves will be completely dry. And the press can hold several layers at once!
The leaves come out beautifully and they *still* haven’t changed color months after the test:
PROCESS TIME: Minutes, or one hour tops.
RESULT: This was my favorite method! As you can see, the leaves retained their color fabulously. While they are a little bit fragile, it’s not as much as the silica gel. They are perfect for using in crafts.
And because Mod Podge is great for keeping the leaves from crumbling, you can paint a layer over the front and back to keep them together.
Have you ever dried leaves? What is your favorite method? This post is part of our Dollar Tree fall crafts. If you like seasonal projects, here are a few other autumn ideas with Mod Podge you might like to try:
Ella Willower
Thursday 7th of November 2024
How well would just normally pressing the leaves in a book work compared to these methods? I don't really have any equipment like this, and have tried to press them in a book, but I am not sure how well it actually works. This is really cool though! :)
Amy
Friday 8th of November 2024
Pressing the leaves would be fine. I'll add that to the methods. It worked okay but took a long time!
Kelley
Thursday 10th of November 2022
One thing to add. I found some BEAUTIFUL leaves that were already dry and starting to get crunchy. I soaked them in a sink of water and rehydrated them. They were as good as new!!
FallFairy
Sunday 24th of November 2024
@Kelley, thank you, I’m going to try this!
Ella Willower
Friday 8th of November 2024
@Kelley, quick question: how long did you soak them? I tried this and it did not work very well, so I am wondering how you did it.
Kelley
Thursday 10th of November 2022
Can you press them after they have mod podged? Or can they be framed under glass to make a wall hanging?
Amy
Saturday 26th of November 2022
If you press them after Mod Podging, use wax paper so nothing sticks. And yes, they can be framed under glass.
Becca
Saturday 22nd of October 2022
Hello - I did this with fresh magnolia leaves last night. However, this morning, most of the leaves had turned brown. It was a bummer. Any idea why?
Amy
Wednesday 26th of October 2022
Depending on the leaves, they may still lose their color. Some more than others and magnolia leaves must just turn brown!
Pat
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
What is the best Mod Podge to use to preserve the leaves. Will it work on dried leaves pasted into a book
Amy
Saturday 9th of July 2022
Gloss or Matte is fine! Yes, but the pages can be tacky and stick together so I'd do a clear acrylic sealer over the top. Or use the Matte version of Mod Podge.