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How To Make A Cheap, Fall Leaf Garland

cheap-fall-leaf-garland

free-fall-decoration-ideas

Here in Iowa, the temperatures are dropping and the leaves are starting to change. As a part of a monthly craft challenge with a few other bloggers (see what I made last month, with felt scraps), I was tasked with making my own garland. It’s usually all I can do to keep the house semi picked up, let alone decorate for the holidays, so I was happy to have a “deadline” for adding some fall cheer. My kids tend to destroy everything so I wanted something low cost and easy to make, coming up with this cheap fall leaf garland!

leaf-garland-idea

At first glance, I wasn’t crazy thrilled with the final result. It has grown on me since I first hung it up – my kids LOVE walking through it and my daughter giggles every time the leaves brush her arm.

free-fall-decorations

I really love being able to use real leaves, my daughter and I picked these all up when visiting a local park so they’re imbued with happy memories.

diy-decorations-for-fall

diy-decorations-for-fall

Some other ideas would be to add beads in between the paper leaf shapes, or to stagger the twine lengths. If we ever get around to building a compost bin, I could just chuck this whole thing right in once Fall is over! I love free decorations, especially when they’re biodegradable.

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Supplies

  • Darning/tapestry needle*
  • Crochet thread or twine*
  • 2 empty toilet paper rolls
  • About 30 leaves that have been dried and pressed overnight to flatten them (I stuck mine under books)
  • 2 clear pushpins or other method of hanging
  • Scissors

Steps

step-1

1- Bend your toilet paper rolls in half and cut strips off, about 1/4 of an inch wide.

step-2

2.-Cut a piece of twine about 35″ long and thread it on to your needle. Knot one end and thread it back to front through a leaf. About 5″ up, form a knot and then pierce the paper shape through on the points, as shown above.

step-3

3- Repeat, alternating paper shapes and leaves and marking off with knots, until you’re towards the top. Repeat to make 5 more vertical strands.

step-4

4- Measure off the doorway or mantle where you’ll be hanging the garland and add a few inches to each side. Tie the twine around on pushpin and secure with a knot. Thread on a few leaves and then tie one of the vertical strands on, repeat until all vertical strands are attached. Tie the twine in a knot around the other pushpin and then secure to the wall!

 

It’s a fun, easy Fall craft to do by yourself or with kids; I opted for the former since mine desperately wanted to crunch all the leaves. We will see how long it lasts, dangling in the doorway! If you’re looking for other leafy and Fall craft ideas, check out my Pinterest board here.

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