Bring about not bid to gloss fresh palm leaves.
Wait two hours before flipping the palm leaf over. Paint the other side. Let the leaf dry for two hours.
Instructions
1. Ensure that the palm leaves are fully dry; do not attempt to paint green palm leaves, or the finish will crack as the plant dehydrates and shrinks.
2. Place the palm leaf on a canvas drop cloth.
3. Coat one side of the palm leaf with an oil-based primer. Tilt the spraying nozzle at varying angles to ensure that the entire leaf is coated. Apply a light coat to prevent ugly sagging. For best results, hold an 8-inch distance between the leaf and primer can. Prevent the palm leaf from sticking to the drop cloth by gently sliding it forward about an inch after 15 minutes. Wait an hour before flipping the palm leaf over. Prime the other side; wait two hours before painting.
4. Finish the palm leaf with acrylic spray paint. Apply the paint in the same manner as the primer coat.If you try to paint directly over a palm leaf, you'll have little chance at achieving adequate adhesion. A bonding primer can improve adhesion; however, because palm leaves are coated with a natural waxy film, they'll eventually reject ordinary latex and acrylic primers. To ensure the best possible adhesion, use a petroleum-based primer that dries quickly and sticks well to surfaces that normally reject new finishes. Apply this primer and your painted finish using techniques that will prevent ugly, sagging results.
