Skeleton leaves are the perfect craft medium, colourful, versatile and intricate. Hopefully this brief tutorial will inspire you to make your very own skeleton leaf creation.

For my red Bodhi leaf bowl I used about 30 red Bodhi leaves, 6cm (2.5") size from Skeleton Leaf - Just The Leaves,  but you can make yours with any colour, type or size of skeleton leaf. The quantity you need depends purely on how large you want to make your bowl.

You will need the following:

  • Bowl (size of your choice)
  • Skeleton Leaves
  • PVA Glue
  • Cling Film
  • Glue spreader or brush
  • Scissors

Step 1

First, cover the outside of your bowl of choice (I used a cereal bowl) with cling film, wrapping it tightly, and be sure to cover the brim of the bowl too.

Plain Bowl

Step 2

I suggest you cover your work surface with newspaper in order to protect it from any subsequent mess.  You can now coat the outside of your cling film covered bowl with PVA glue.

Step 3

Arrange your leaves starting at the top of the bowl and working towards the base. After that, firmly press each one into the glue with a brush before coating with more glue. Furthermore, be sure to make your leaves overlap otherwise the creation will fall apart.

Put Leaves on Bowl

Step 4

Allow your newly created Bodhi leaf bowl to dry overnight.

Allow Leaves to Dry

Step 5

When it has all dried fully, remove the cling film along with your new leaf creation from the bowl. I also used a rubber spatula to help with this.

Step 6

Finally, cut the excess cling film away from the top of the bowl to leave a well defined leaf tip edge to your bowl and at last enjoy your beautiful skeleton leaf creation.

Finished Bodhi Leaf Bowl

Blog and Original Concept by Cat Lyth.

If you liked this article, you may also enjoy reading about how our leaves are made. Click here.