Bright leaves to put outside

Dried leaves are an excellent material for creating simple, elegant, and useful outdoor mini-lights. The method is simple, and obviously, you don't need to place the LED light directly on the leaves, but rather illuminate them from behind. 

How to make luminous leaves 

• • The most important thing is to select the leaves carefully, choosing solid ones, with still bright colors, and suitable for this simple DIY project. 
  • This is the method to follow, step by step. 
    • Collect well-dried, whole leaves that are not too fragile.
    • Press them between books for a few days, so they become flat.
    • Spray them with clear acrylic varnish to make them more resistant.
    • Place a very small LED microlight or mini LED string light behind each leaf. Copper wire or small, cool-light bulbs are best.
    • Secure the light to the back with a tiny dot of hot glue or clear tape.
    • You can mount them on a dry branch, creating a sort of tree of luminous leaves.
    If you want the entire leaf to be evenly illuminated, you can apply a very thin layer of white tissue paper or translucent material to the back. The light will diffuse instead of appearing as a single dot.
  • As an alternative to dried leaves, you can use fake ones with this procedure.

Necessary material

• fake leaves (preferably plastic or fabric)
• a battery-powered or USB-powered LED micro-chain
• thin metal wire
• clear tape or hot glue
• possibly clear spray paint.

Method

1. Choose leaves that are sturdy enough and have a natural shape.
2. Attach a small LED light to the back of each leaf.
3. Hide the thread by running it along the central vein of the leaf.
4. Group 5–10 leaves on an artificial branch.
5. Place the battery pack in a place protected from water.
6. For outdoors, use only lights and connections with a degree of protection suitable for outdoor use (for example IP44 or higher).

Whatever foliage you choose to use, the lights you create must be protected from rain or wind and stored during the winter before being relocated outdoors in spring.