Autumn Homemade Pen Holder

Before and After

The park was filled with different leaves. Each leaf has a unique texture, shape and colour.

I ended up carrying a huge pile of gorgeous leaves. 

With a brand-new glue brush and a pile of washed leaves (I washed them from dirt or whatever might be on them), I started creating my autumn pen holder.

The first step was applying a thick layer of PVC glue on the cup.

Then, I added the leaf I wanted to glue, set it in the position I wanted and added a thick layer of glue on top of the leaf, both for sealing and for placing another leaf on top.

I noticed that all the red coloured leaves were harder to control in terms of bending them to the cup's shape.

My husband soaked them in hot water and it gave them a nice softness. Only then I could use them properly.

After glueing each leaf, I dried it with a hairdryer. As the cup was still warm from the hairdryer, I could move the leaf a bit if it was needed.

Some leaves were so gorgeous I had to stop and admire the nature's creation

After I finished adding all the leaves I wanted, I applied another thick layer of PVC glue as a sealer. If I was back home, I would use "Mod-Podge Matte Finish" for a nice finish, but unfortunately, I don't have it here.

I created fine lines with my yellow-gold coloured marker both on the top and bottom of the cup.

My husband helped me with creating a solid firm line on the bottom.

He was holding the brush firmly in one hand, while his dominant hand was rotating the cup. I filled the gap with my black Stabilo Jambo brush, which on top of a coloured surface turns to a nice soft black. I added the black to create a sense of "gravity" to the cup.

After a couple of minutes under the heat of the hairdryer, it was ready for use. 

As I sat down to do my homework, I enjoyed rotating it every hour or so. Enjoying the leaves over-lapses from different angles.

I just love autumn!