After casting your leaves you may want to alter their appearance by adding color or a finish to the leaf.
Try these...
Paint the leaf with acrylic paints purchased at your local hobby store. You can water down the paint creating a "wash" or apply the paint directly for a more saturated color. Try reds, green, golds, browns or any color you would find in nature. However, you can also dabble with bright hues in turquoise, pink, purples, etc.
After painting the leaf with acrylic paints you will need to seal the paint for outdoor use or to add sheen. An easy method is using an oil based wood stain purchased at your favorite home improvement center. A small can will do and stains are available in a wide color range. Apply a brown toned stain over bright leaves to tone down the color and to accentuate the natural veining of the leaf.
A metallic wash can be applied over a base coat of acrylic paint by diluting metallic acrylic paints with water and brushing on the paint quickly. Then immediately wiping away some of the paint with a soft cloth.
A spray polyurethane can also be purchased at your local home improvement store in spray cans. Look for quick drying formulas and select your finish. Do you prefer shiny, gloss or matte finish? Follow the instructions on the can for best results.
A cast leaf will cure and season out on its own if left in a natural concrete finish.
Do not put a raw leaf in your birdbath until is has leached some of the alkalinity by soaking the leaf in a bucket of water for several days or allowing Mother Nature to do the job for you by allowing the leaf to be sprinkled as it rains. The high alkalinity of the concrete will leach out into your birdbath water which is not good for bird enthusiasts.
