If you have a precious house plant with just one leaf - don’t punch it. There are so many others to choose from. Pick them up off the ground, or select plants with loads of leaves they plan to lose with the seasons anyhow.
What to punch?
The best plants for leaf punching have relatively large leaves with even edges, smooth texture, lots of foliage, and are not too fibrous. Ligustrum, Bay, Pecan, Elaeagnus, English Ivy, and Mountain Laurel are some of our favorites. They’re common in our neighborhood. Leaves with high moisture content, like succulents, don't fare well. Test out your veggie garden leaves. We’ve had great luck with long lasting smiles on strawberries and cucumber plants! Round Eucalyptus leaves work wonderfully in a bouquet.
Don’t hurt my plants!
Making Smiling Leaves is a fun activity, but not on every plant and every leaf. The good news is that many leaves, by nature, are designed to grow, fall, and regrow with the life cycle of the plant. It's best to use them on fallen leaves, and leaves you plan to prune anyhow.
Smiling Leaf punches are not sharp enough for use on paper. Paper waste makes more than a few holes in a leaf- it tears holes through entire ecosystems.
Our best advice is this: Make Smiling Leaves in places where it's allowed, on leaves that don't mind.
If you still don’t feel great about making holes in a living leaf, please pick one up off the ground. As long as it’s not too crumpled up and the edges haven’t curled, you’ll be able to create adorable little faces with ease.
Enjoy your time outside. Don’t forget to share your #SmilingLeaves with us!