When the plaster dries, remove the mount from the lid and turn it over. The leaf may now be peeled away from the plaster, leaving a mount of the original leaf. One other method involves placing a leaf on a glass surface and rolling ink over it with a rubber roller. Cover the leaf with another sheet of paper or newspaper and roll over the leaf again with the rubber roller. An image of the leaf is then left on the paper for display.
Most insect collections begin by making a killing jar of fresh specimens.
This is done by dropping the butterfly or insect into a jar that contains a cotton ball soaked in dry cleaning fluid. The spreading board is made with a center channel for the insect's body. Start with a large sheet of cardboard. Glue two strips of the same material to the larger board. Lay the butterfly or insect down with the body in the channel.