Rhubarb leaf bath for your feathered friends

By Renae Ronquist The Woman Today

I’vebeen wanting to make one of these ever since I planted my rhubarb three years ago! My plant finally grew leaves large enough, so I did my research, purchased my cement mix and set out to gather my leaves.

After harvesting the perfect leaves for my cast, I set up an area in our garage, placed the opened cardboard box on the floor, and made a mound of sand on top of the cardboard. Mold the sand into a bowl shape to set the leaf in, so that later, when the project is complete, if you fill it with water or bird feed, it will not spill out. I used the leaf as a guide to see how big the mound needed to be. I was making two leaves and realized I didn’t have quite enough sand to do both, so I tucked some old towels under the sand layer so I could get a deeper bowl shape. It took a little time to mold the bowl shape like I wanted, so take your time getting the perfect shape! Once the sand was molded I covered it with plastic wrap, which kept the sand from getting cement on it. That way you can reuse the sand for another project.

Once you have your mold ready, place your leaf, top side facing down, on the sand. Now you’re ready to mix up the cement, which is really heavy! I used a big plastic bushel barrel tub to mix it in. You’ll want to have a helper for this part. Did I mention, it’s HEAVY?! Plus, you want to mix it as quickly as possible because it starts to dry and harden SOON after you add water. Taking turns stirring with a second person makes it easier. Using the shovel, start stirring in water a little at a time. Careful not to use too much water. You don’t want it soupy, or it will slide off the leaf mold. Once you have mixed the cement to a pasty consistency, it’s ready to put on the leaf mold.

I used rubber gloves to protect my hands because the sand and cement mix are really rough on your skin. Take handfuls of the mix and carefully

Materials

• Large rhubarb leafs

• Bag of cement mix

(I used fast-setting Quikrete)

• Bag of sand

• Water

• Cardboard box

• Plastic wrap

• Old towels

• Latex paint

• Clear coat water sealer

Tools

• Rubber gloves

• Shovel

• Large plastic tub or wheel barrel

• Paint brushes

(small and medium sizes) mush it on the leaf. Take care not to tear the leaf. You will want to put a good inch or two-inch-thick layer over the whole leaf. The thicker the layer the stronger it will be. Just a precaution, it will make it very heavy to move! Also, I would plan ahead as to where you are going to put your finished project. You may want to smooth out a flat surface in the cement if you plan to place it on a stand or column. Let the cement cure for the time required by the product’s instructions.

Once the cement has finished curing you can turn it over and peel off the leaf. This may take some time to get all the surface of the leaf and stems out of the grooves left behind from the vines of the leaf. All the veining makes it beautiful and look like it’s the actual leaf.

When you have all the remains of the leaf picked off, it’s time to paint! I’ve seen all different colors of these. Some are painted to look like the natural rhubarb leaf and others are crazy beautiful colors. Have fun with it! I chose a darker color for the veining (to make them stand out) and a blend of blues. When you have it all painted, let it dry thoroughly. I finished it up by sealing it with two layers of clear coat water sealer on both sides of the leaf.

Things I would do differently next time: I will try putting mesh wire, like chicken wire, in the cement to reenforce the cement. The edges did tend to break when I picked it up or after a slight bump. Also, I recommend planning ahead ‒ know where you want to place your leaf and how it will be displayed, taking into account the weight of the leaf.

This was a really fun project and turned out beautifully! I hope the birds will love it as much as I do! D

Continued from page 47 they share. A large common space on that floor houses the family’s computer.

“As we were getting into framing up the structure, the homeowners decided to add a third bedroom to the upper level and our team came together to make that happen quickly and efficiently,” said Robert Bruckelmyer.

A lower level includes bedrooms for the two older girls, a large family room, and a spacious storage room.

Beautiful wood staircases leading to the upper and lower levels were handbuilt by the Bruckelmyers.

Home sweet home

Although building their new home on the hill presented some challenges, the homeowners know that they found the right location.

“We knew it was the place for us,” said the husband. “Once we started the process, we didn’t look back. We connected with Bruckelmyers, and they were there from start to finish. We’re very happy with how everything turned out.”

“We’re pretty thankful that we can get up to Hawks Ridge from a trail just across the street,” said the wife. “We can go out the door and get on a trail.”