Easy DIY Fall Decoupage Chargers with an Autumn Leaf Design

Fall entertaining doesn’t have to break the bank to look beautiful. If you’ve been eyeing those gorgeous seasonal charger plates at home decor stores, but can’t justify spending $15-25 per plate, I have the perfect solution for you. With just a few dollars in supplies, you can create stunning DIY fall decoupage chargers with an autumn leaf design that rival any expensive store-bought version.

This budget-friendly DIY project transforms plain, inexpensive glass or plastic chargers into elegant seasonal table decor that your guests will think you splurged on.

Whether you’re having friends over for a cozy fall gathering or hosting Thanksgiving dinner these handcrafted chargers will elevate your table setting in a few months without the hefty price tag. If you want to bring some autumn warmth to your everyday dining, these chargers are a simple, budget-friendly solution.

The best part? You probably already have most of the supplies at home, and you can complete the entire project in just a few hours. Plus, you can customize the leaf colors and arrangements to perfectly match your existing fall decor.

Let’s dive into how to make these beautiful chargers for a fraction of what you’d pay at the store.

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Benefits of Making DIY Decoupage Home Decor Accessories

Decoupage is one of my favorite craft projects. Creating decoupage home decor accessories offers numerous advantages beyond just saving money.

If you have never tried your hand at this easy craft, here are several reasons why you should.

Budget-Friendly Decorating – You can transform inexpensive, plain items into stunning decorative pieces for a fraction of the cost of store-bought alternatives. With basic supplies like Mod Podge, brushes, and decorative paper or napkins, you can create high-end-looking accessories without the premium price tag.

Complete Customization Control  – You can match your exact color scheme, style preferences, and existing decor perfectly. Unlike mass-produced items, decoupage allows you to choose every design element, from colors and patterns to themes and textures, ensuring your pieces complement your space flawlessly.

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly – You can breathe new life into items you already own or repurpose thrift store finds instead of buying new. This reduces waste while creating something beautiful, making it an environmentally conscious decorating choice.

Beginner-Friendly Craft – Decoupage is an easy DIY project. No special artistic skills required – if you can cut and glue, you can decoupage. The forgiving nature of the technique means even mistakes can often be incorporated into the design or easily corrected.

Seasonal Versatility – You can easily update your decor for different seasons and holidays without major expense. Create spring florals, summer themes, autumn leaves, or winter magic by simply changing your paper choices on the same base items.

Therapeutic and Relaxing – Like most craft projects, the repetitive, meditative nature of cutting, arranging, and layering provides stress relief and a relaxing focus. I think decoupage is a calming activity that helps me unwind after busy days.

Unique Personal Expression – You can create one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect your personality and style. Your decoupage accessories will be conversation starters that guests won’t find in anyone else’s home.

Gift-Giving Potential – Handmade decoupage items make thoughtful, personalized gifts that show extra care and effort. Your friends will appreciate the time and creativity that you invested in custom pieces made specifically for them.

Skill Building and Confidence – Decoupage is an excellent gateway craft for beginners. Success with simple decoupage projects builds crafting confidence and often leads to exploring more advanced techniques and larger projects. 

Instant Gratification – Most decoupage projects can be completed in a single crafting session, providing quick results and immediate satisfaction. You can transform a plain item into something beautiful in just a few hours.

I hope you are now curious and ready to see how easy this project is and how little time it takes.

This post contains affiliate links to products used to create this project. If you should order any item from this site, I may receive compensation, but you do not pay a penny more. Your purchase is greatly appreciated as it helps support the continued publication of this site.

Supplies for Any Decoupage Project

One of the great things about decoupage is the small number of supplies you need – that helps you save money on this craft, too.

• Mod Podge – the glue that is the staple of decoupage. It comes in several varieties, such as Gloss and Matte, and ones for different surfaces.
• Brush – it can be a sponge brush or a designated Mod Podge brush.
• Paper napkins – the most common choice is 2-or 3-ply napkins. They are so popular because they come in 100s of patterns, different sizes, and are inexpensive. Here are two other designs that would be lovely on a fall-to-Thanksgiving charger: this pale orange leaf dinner napkin and this autumn-colored chinoiserie-themed napkin. Which one is your favorite?
• Sharp craft scissors – indispensable for trimming napkins and cutting them when necessary. This pair is my favorite.
• A plastic cup – optional, but used to hold your brush in water between craft “sessions”.
• Plastic, disposable containers – for pouring your Mod Podge into. I use these inexpensive plastic nacho ones. I like them because there is room for the glue and the brush.
• Surface to decoupage – any hard surface will do. I have decoupaged glass, ceramics, terra cotta, wood, and plastic. I found my chargers at Hobby Lobby, but these chargers are very similar: they have the gold trim, but are 13 inches in diameter.

I know that we will be entertaining this fall, so I wanted something new for the dining table. I immediately thought of chargers.

On a trip to Hobby Lobby, I found a variety of plastic chargers. I chose one with clear plastic and gold trim. I bought just one to try.

When I went back a week later to buy seven more chargers, I saw a style I liked better – with gold bead trim. These chargers are a nice 15 inches in diameter, which is plenty of room for a standard dinner plate.

Plus, the price was great.

I couldn’t find an exact match for these chargers, but these will do nicely.

For this project, I wanted a fall design that was simple and “soft” fall, not pumpkins or bright colors. I also wanted a design that would look good for Thanksgiving without being too “turkey-ish”. I found this subtle leaf pattern. To get the largest napkin piece, I ordered the guest napkin size. There were 100 napkins in a package!

How to Make DIY Fall Decoupage Chargers for Your Table

Step 1 – Remove any stickers or labels from your surface. If there is any residue, clean the stickiness with alcohol on a cotton ball.

Step 2 – Separate the back white layers of the napkin. The first one will be easy to “peel” off.

Separating the 2nd layer has always been frustrating for me. I went to YouTube and searched how to remove layers from a paper napkin. I found the perfect solution.

All you have to do is rub your fingernail over the back of the napkin at the corner until the little bumps flatten and the layers start separating. This method worked better than any I’d tried before.

And it saves a lot of time.

Step 3 – Set your charger on the napkin. Decide if you want the napkin on the top of the charger on the bottom.

I placed the napkin on the bottom of the charger so you can wipe the top clean with a damp paper towel.

Step 4 – Turn your charger over and place the napkin on the charger with the design facing down. This napkin covers the entire charger surface, so no cutting or tearing is needed.

Step 5 – Using your brush, spread the Mod Podge on the back of the charger.

I spread the Mod Podge all the way to the edge of the charger

Step 6 – Gently place the napkin face down on the charger, making sure that it completely covers the charger.

Step 7 – Use the brush to smooth down the napkin, adhering it to the plastic, all the way to the edge of the charger.

NOTE: Don’t worry about wrinkles. Most of them will disappear as the Mod Podge dries.

Step 8 – Apply more Mod Podge in a thin layer to the back of the napkin, covering the entire surface.

Step 9 – Set the chargers, wet side up, to dry completely.

NOTE: To complete four chargers took about 1 hour.

NOTE: It will take a few hours for the Mod Podge to dry completely. Because I started this project late in the afternoon, I let the chargers sit overnight.

Step 10 – Trim the excess napkin from the edge of the charger. I used my small sharp craft scissors for this task. They work great. I started on the front, and then finished on the other side.

You’re finished. The entire project took about 1 and 15 minutes.

TIP: I would let the chargers “cure” for a few days before stacking or using them.

When I use the fall decoupage chargers for a fall dinner (probably in early October), I plan to use these round woven placemats underneath them.

I love how these DIY fall decoupage chargers turned out. The only supplies I bought were eight chargers for $16.00 ($1.99 each) and the napkins for $16.00 for a package of 100.

NOTE: You can use some of the napkins for other DIY products and use others for guest towels in your powder room bathroom. A group of ten to fifteen tied with a bow would make a nice hostess gift during the fall holidays.

Each napkin costs 16 cents, so each charger costs $2.15 plus tax. Not bad for a nice fall charger you can use over and over.

Since I only used four for this tutorial, I’ll make the rest soon.

DECOR TIP: You can also use one fall charger as a small tray on a side table, kitchen, or bathroom counter to hold a small fall vignette, such as a candle and a bowl of fall-scented potpourri. Use them to hold food items for a charcuterie, one for cheeses, one for fruits, and one for meats, for example.

Caring for and Storing Your Chargers

With a little care, these chargers will be ready for many fall seasons to come.

• When it’s time to put them away, stack them with a paper towel, parchment or wax paper, coffee filter, or piece of felt between each one so the decoupaged surfaces don’t stick together or get scratched.
• Store the stack flat in a cabinet or bin where nothing heavy will press down on top.

Tucked away this way, they’ll be waiting for you the moment you want to set a pretty fall table.

Other Decoupage Projects

Want some other decoupage projects? Try these to be creative, save money, and get custom chargers.

• How to Decoupage a Glass Platter
• How to Make Decorative Chargers for Christmas
• How to Decoupage a Vase for an Updated Decorative Accessory

Ask and Answered

I hope that you will PIN this post to your favorite Pinterest Boards. You may not need fall chargers right now, but you can make them now and save them for your first fall gathering.

Here are a few of mine to check out: Decoupage Projects, Fall DIY Projects, DIY Accessories for the Projects.