Cut or pull off the leaves you'd like to use, separating them from the bunch.
Remove the plastic ribs from the leaves if they have any. Usually this plastic peels off easily, but sometimes you'll need to use your fingernail to scrape them off. Make sure you've also picked off any dried glue from the leaves.
Iron the leaves on medium temperature, removing any creases and flattening them down. If you feel any kind of waxy or plastic texture, be sure to iron your leaves between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
Step 2: Add leaves to balloon
Blow up a balloon and tie a knot in the neck.Place the balloon in a bowl, neck down. You need a bowl that is deep enough and wide enough to hold at least 1/3 of the balloon so it doesn't move around while you work on it.
Add around 1/4 cup of fabric stiffening glue to a bowl or plate.
Brush a thin layer of fabric stiffening glue over the top part of the balloon.
Place a fabric leaf in the center of the balloon. This will be the center bottom of your bowl.
Add a layer of fabric stiffener over top of the leaf.
Now add a second leaf, overlapping the first one. Place this leaf with the points down. Brush more fabric stiffener on top.
Continue this pattern, working around the balloon and adding more leaves with the points down.Make sure you have a layer of fabric stiffener underneath and on top of every leaf you place.
Keep adding leaves until you're happy with the depth of the bowl.Once you've finished, double check that all the leaves are stuck down well, and add more fabric stiffener where needed.
Allow the bowl to dry for about 3 hours or until it's dry to the touch.
Step 3: Deflate balloon
Remove the balloon from the bowl.
Cut a small hole in the balloon close to the knot.
Allow the balloon to deflate slowly, peeling the leaf bowl away from the balloon.
Once you've removed the balloon you can also remove the excess dried fabric stiffener from around the top of the bowl.Most of it is easily removed just by picking it off with your fingers, but some you may want to cut with scissors.
Re-shape the bowl so it's nice and round.
Your leaf bowl is complete!
Video
Notes
If your bowl (that holds the balloon) is lightweight you can tape it to your working surface to help stabilize it - it's so much easier to work on the balloon when the bowl isn't sliding around!Choose a balloon colour that contrasts with the leaf colours so you can easily make sure there aren't any gaps between the leaves.