I hope someone answers quickly. I'm having a concrete leaf workshop at my home tomorrow. I've never added latex paint and don't have any information about it on my step-by-step handout. Are you doing concrete or hypertufa?

Try searching "workshop" on this forum, there are a few prior threads on this topic. Good luck with your workshops, post pictures if you get a chance, you're braver than I am!

I offer workshops through a couple places and also at my home. I am not sure what information you want. I do have a hand out of how to, and I DO NOT hand this out at the beginning. I found out quickly in the first couple workshops that there will always be the Evelyn Wood speed reader who reads the entire sheet of material and has questions beyond where you are.
I make a quick sample hosta leaf. I usually have a leaf that I have made the day prior, to show how easily the hosta leaf comes off, and often I will then break the leaf, to get the point across that PATIENCE is very important.
Then they go out and get their leaves from the garden, and start the process for them selves. I usually offer two leaves to be made up during a class, I have them set up for each leaf prior to making the first one. I encourage making a hosta first about hand width 7-8" so they gain an understandning of how the mix goes on. And they also make a two hand width 14-16" leaf, which requires use of re-inforcement (fiber wll tape). My mix does include a little bit of bonding agent (similar to the latex paint mentioned above), however I explain this is OPTIONAL. The handout I have is printed front and back, with space at the end to make your own notes, so that it can be put into a plastic notebook sleeve and used when the person is making their leaves at home.
How many people are you doing the workshop for, do you know these people? Are they familiar with cast leaves? Are they to bring their own leaves, do you have enough space for each person at a table or wherever you are setting up, what if it rains are you prepared?
Happy casting,
Dena

Dena: thanks for the great info, I'm gonna need it. Yes, I know them fairly well from work and they are all very sweet. We will have fun whatever happens :) One of them will be helping me as she has done some lovely pots on her own. I dont' think there will be more than 5-6 "students", some want to do leaves and some pots and some may want to do both. My helper will help them with pots and I will do the leaves. I have warned them all repeatedly that they can't peek for at least a week. I will have tables set up with snow saucers for the sand hills. I'm asking them to bring a plastic dish pan and some kind of old garden trowel for mixing, they are nurses so there will be plenty of rubber gloves and masks to go around :). I have a barn area for rain but the weather says 69/44 partly cloudy. We won't start until 6pm so I was worried about mosquitos more than anything but if it gets that cold it might help. The rhubarb looks good right now and I've found that the %$@%$^@ BURDOCKS make decent castings also. And I have a brand new bag of portland!
I'm not familiar with the use of tape...I know I'm going to have to go back over a lot of these threads. For leaves I have used a sand mixture of 3 to 1 of portland and they come out pretty heavy. The ones I've seen at craft shows are much lighter and thinner than mine and they have been painted quite nicely. I kind of like mine natural. Someday I would like to try water color just for fun.

Burdock leaves make great castings.
Sounds like you will have lots of fun.

I use fiberwall tape as a minimal reinforcement on leaves that are over about 14". Setting up the leaf for casting the same as any other leaf. Lay part of your mix on then lay a sort of Xcross pattern then more mix on top. Sandwiching the tape in the mix.
Happy casting,
Dena

I just finished a workshop for 9 ladies. Each contributed $4.00 to cover the cost of the cement, sand, drywall tape and a 10"X20" plastic nursery flat with a 1/4" plywood insert for easy transportation. I provided everything else. I had a copy of the Garden Gate Birdbath article and a handout of step-by-step instructions available for everyone. I also had a two day old cast that I de-leafed. Some ladies made one large leaf in the flat, others made two smaller ones. The leftover sand, tape and cement was divided among the participants so when their first leaf is finished, they can charge right ahead and make more. A good time was had by all and we'll share the outcome when we next meet.

Dena thanks for the info and tip about the "Evelyn Woods reader". I too am doing a workshop--11 people on Monday & Tuesday evening. The first night we will make a one or two pots. The second night we will unmold and clean up. I'm bringing in several of my planters so show different type planters & the molds I used to get those planters. I've put some handouts together, pictures of planters I've given away or really cool ones I've seen, etc. My class is strickly tufa planters but I'm bring my leaf casting to see if there is any interest for a class on that topic.

My class will be at a local school. Part of the class will be indoors for the lecture part--what is hypertufa, how is it made, etc) and the hands on portion will be outdoors. This forum has been a great source of information and inspiration. Thanks all! I plan to take pictures during the class and let the group know of this website.

Good luck with your class irmgaard. Let us know how the class went.

SereneSeen

OMG yes, thank you all for the encouragment and suggestions, I will be sure and take pictures but posting them will be more of a challenge than casting leaves haha.
The first leaf I ever saw done this way was in the Garden Junk forum long before it came out in the Garden Gate mag. It was huge, looked like 3 feet, the guy had it standing up in the garden, it was painted and gorgeous. When I went back and looked for that thread I couldn't find it, but I remember being stunned when I saw it. Talk about an inspiration!
I think I'll see if I can find some quickwall and that tape and do a small leave tonight to experiment with.
Thans again