You'll need a pressed leaf or flower, plain thin paper, a paperweight, and crayons or colored pencil sticks.

The Art of Botanical Rubbings
Turn ephemeral elements of the outdoors into long-lasting decorations. Collect leaves and flowers you like. Thicker leaves, such as those from magnolias or geraniums, work best; many flowers are too delicate, but hydrangeas and Queen Anne's lace are sturdy enough. Flatten your selections in a phone book or between sheets of newsprint under a heavy object. Then use Japanese rice paper or tissue paper to make framed art, a calendar, an album, or wrapping paper.

Plant Calendar
A plant evocative of each month -- pine needles in January, sugar-maple leaves in September -- reveals itself on the petal-thin pages of a handmade calendar. We worked with 13-by-19-inch Japanese rice paper, available at art-supply stores. For the February winterberry, only a branch was used -- berries were drawn in with a crayon. A single hydrangea bloom was repeated for August; a stem of lily of the valley for May. We cheated on September, with green leaves colored to suit the month. To assemble the calendar, punch two holes 5 inches apart and 1 inch from top of each page. Tie with ribbon, and hang.

How to Make a Rubbing
You'll need a pressed leaf or flower, plain thin paper, a paperweight, and crayons or colored pencil sticks.
Place paper on specimen, and secure with paperweight. Rub one section at a time with crayon or pencil stick, holding paper with free hand. (For large elements, such as leaves, hold utensil on its side; for small parts, such as stems, use its tip.) Fill in details, such as small flowers, with crayons.

How to Make the Calendar Dates
Download and print out calendar template
Make the plant rubbing on Japanese rice paper, then position the calendar template under the paper. Use a colored pencil to trace the days, then add the dates for that month using the template's lines as a guide. Add the name of the month. When stacking the pages, slip blank sheets in between if the next month's design is showing through.

Calendar Template