This project is not going to plan.
After collecting leaves, an easy task in autumn when they litter the ground, they were dried before spraying some with varnish, others left bare. Then painted with electric paint, the varnished ones were not so easy as the paint didn't want to stick, but it was meant to stop contamination of the electrolyte.
Once, dry, I rigged up a basic electrical circuit of no more than 5 amps using an old mobile 'phone charger, a couple of crocodile clips and a glass jar. Creating a solution of mineral water heated in the microwave (keeping metal away from it so no tap water of kettle), I dissolved copper sulphate crystals with salt to aid the process. Stirring with a chop stick.
Then a piece of copper wire was circles around the inside of the jar, the top end fixed to the positive anode of the phone charger wire. The negative end was attached to the leaf.
I think I did everything right, making sure the leaf did not touch the wire inside the jar, and yet the results were very disappointing. Electroplating did occur, but it was slight and dull. The photograph looks better than the real life version, and so I need to come up with a plan to make metal leaves another way. Wush me luck.