Leaf Skeleton

Here's a photo by Matt Whitwell the caption reads..."Skeleton leaf placed in a slide projector."  Pretty amazing and it got me thinking about leaf skeletons. You can find them in ponds and puddles at the end of the season, or you can make your own.
  
To make a leaf skeleton you will need...
Sodium Carbonate (washing soda)
4 cups of water
a pot
some green leaves (not dead)


Here's what to do...
Place 3/4 cup of washing soda into a pot with four cups of water and the leaves you have collected. Heat on the stove. Simmer for about 1 hour and 45 mins. Remove the leaves from the pot and gently rinse in a shallow pan of water.  Remove any leaf bits that remain with a soft paint brush.  Let dry. Frame your leaf skeletons or use them to make a homemade card. Or like Matt Whitwell...place them in a slide projector and enjoy the show.