How to Make DIY Paper Leaves: 5 Easy Fall Decor Projects

Nothing says fall like leaves – so why not bring them indoors? These five DIY paper leaves projects are easy, budget-friendly, and endlessly adaptable, and I’ll walk you through every one, from a welcoming wreath to pretty place cards.

Fall is the perfect time to slow down and make something with your hands. Before the season fills up with activities, these DIY paper leaves are a simple, satisfying way to start decorating your home for autumn – and you probably have most of the supplies on hand already.

I couldn’t stop at just one idea. Once I made my first project, I kept going until I had five different ways to use paper leaves: a wreath, a leaf “tree,” falling leaves on a mirror, a garland, and place cards. You can make them with a Cricut or cut them by hand, mix the shapes and colors however you like, and use them all over the house.

And don’t miss the FREE PRINTABLE below for designing a beautiful fall mantel in five easy steps.

These paper leaves are a fun and creative project to begin your fall home decor. So, grab your crafting supplies, and let’s get started on these charming fall decorations using paper leaves!

I couldn’t just start a fall DIY project with one idea. After I made one project with paper leaves, I just kept going, and suddenly I had five fall leaf projects to fill your “end-of-summer” productivity list. I’ve created these paper leaf projects for use in the dining room, the entry, and the living room. But you can mix and match them to fit your needs.

Here is what we are going to make with the paper leaves:

• fall leaf wreath
• fall “tree” with paper leaves
• falling fall leaves
• paper leaf garland
• paper leaf placecards

Supplies for Making Paper Leaves

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The supply list you need for making paper leaves is short and sweet. Since I’m sharing five different ways to use paper leaves, this list covers supplies for all five options.

I’ve include specific supplies for each paper leaf project below.

• cardstock, scrapbook paper or craft paper in assorted fall colors and patterns
• adhesive or double-stick tape
• glue gun and glue sticks
• fine-medium tip marker in dark brown
• small sharp scissors – these are my favorite craft scissors
• Cricut cutting machine (with spatula – part of Cricut accessories). If you don’t have a Cricut, you can hand-draw the leaves and cut them with scissors

Making Your Paper Leaves with a Cricut

First, I know that not everyone has a Cricut or other cutting machine.

I love using my Cricut for paper projects because it makes choosing, sizing, and cutting paper so easy and efficient. It also speeds up the process considerably and is easier on your hands if that’s a consideration for you.

In addition to a Cricut, you can find fall leaf images online, in coloring books or other resources.

If that is the route you use to make these fall leaves, you will need a pattern, pencil, and small, sharp craft scissors for cutting out each leaf.

TIP: Search on Google: I used “images of fall leaves clip art” and came up with dozens of leaf images. Just make sure you can copy them.

NOTE: If you do have a Cricut, then let’s make some leaves. If you don’t have a Cricut, you can also cut out leaves with scissors.

FYI: I subscribe to Cricut Design Space for $10/month. It is the most cost-effective way to access all of the features and designs on the platform.

Step 1 – In Cricut Design Space, click on NEW PROJECT in the upper right-hand corner.

Step 2 – On the left menu bar, click on IMAGES. Enter FALL LEAVES in the search bar.

NOTE: There will be thousands of options. Choose simple outlines without cutouts. You want a solid leaf for these projects. Don’t worry about the colors. The paper you use determines that.

Step 3 – Choose 3 – 5 different leaf patterns. This will give you variety for your projects. I chose these three leaf shapes.

Step 4 – For each leaf, size it as you like. I made mine about 5 X 5 inches. Then duplicate the leaf. I made four leaves per page.

Step 5 – Follow the Cricut prompts to cut out your leaves. I should have used a darker color paper for this example.

For my first leaf, I used brown craft paper, which is lighter-weight paper. It curls up, which I like. Then I used light cardstock in solid colors (already in my paper stash) to make the other leaf shapes.

TIP: If you want your leaves to curl, wrap your leaf around an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll. You could also use a thick marker.

Step 6 – Optional – Use your dark brown marker to make veins in the leaves. I used my favorite Flair marker pens.

I made 32 cardstock leaves and 16 craft paper leaves for a total of 48 leaves in different colors to use on projects.

Now, are you ready to use your leaves in different projects?

Project 1 – Fall Wreath with Paper Leaves

My first project with leaves was to create an easy fall wreath that welcomes guests with a burst of autumn colors. I made this simple new wreath for our front entry.

Supplies for the Paper Leaf Wreath

• wreath form – grapevine, straw or styrofoam
• double-stick adhesive
• ribbon for hanging wreath

Making your Paper Leaf Wreath

Step 1 – Decide on your wreath base. I wanted a rustic, natural look, so I used my favorite grapevine wreath. It still had some moss and wired twine wrapped around it from the last time I used it. I removed those things first.

Step 2 – Use your adhesive to attach the paper leaves to the wreath. I used a random pattern of my five leaf patterns and put them fairly close together.

NOTE: I did not want to use a glue gun because I wanted to reuse the wreath for future seasonal decor. I started out using glue dots on the back of the leaves.

Unfortunately, the leaves didn’t stay put with the glue dots. I switched to using double-stick tape and that worked great.

FYI – I used 14 leaves to cover my wreath. I had plenty left over for other projects.

Step 3 – Hang Your Wreath with Ribbon. I had a piece of leftover gold and white gingham ribbon. I didn’t have enough for a bow, so I just tied it at the top. We have a small nail at the top of our mirror frame, perfect for hanging wreaths or other seasonal decorations.

The wreath has been up for a couple of weeks, and all the leaves are staying put, and it looks great.

This paper leaf wreath provides an inviting touch of fall in our entry. You could hang a paper leaf wreath anywhere in your home!

Project 2 – Fall Tree with Paper Leaves

This next project, using paper leaves, was inspired by two large glass jars I found at Home Goods.

The taller one is about 2 1/2 feet and the shorter one is about 2 feet. They would be perfect on our very tall fireplace and mantel.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the ones I bought at HomeGoods on their website, but I did find this pretty set of 2 decorative jars.

Making Your Tree Branch

My idea was to make a magical-looking fall tree with my extra paper leaves.

Step 1 – You can use real branches from your yard or faux branches. I used a combination.

Because of the height of these jars, I would need tall branches as the base of my tree. I found two in the creek bed below our backyard.

With a bit of clipping and trimming, they fit perfectly.

Step 2 – To make the top of my tree fuller and give the leaves more room, I attached faux bendable branches I bought last year. I had one package left over. This package contains three stems.

Unwound the faux branches and spread each branch and stem apart.

Step 3 – Attach your faux stems to the real branches.

I ordered brown duct tape (painter’s tape would work, but I didn’t think blue or green or silver would look good on my fall tree), and it blended in very well. I have enough left over to duct tape the Titanic.

Decide where you want to connect the faux branches to the real branches. Cut off 6-inch pieces of the duct tape. Wrap it tightly around the stems where they come together. I needed multiple pieces of duct tape because each “attachment” was about 6 inches long.

FYI: I used one faux stem on one of the trees and two stems on the other.

The duct tape was very visible up close, but once the jars were on the mantel, you don’t notice it at all.

Step 4 – Adjust the bendable faux leaves so that one side of your branch is flat (up against the fireplace).

Attaching Your Paper Leaves

I had plenty of solid leaves left over from the fall wreath, but for the leaf tree, I wanted more variety, color and pattern.

I didn’t have the right colors in my stash, so I found scrapbook paper in some cute fall colors and patterns. All the cardstock and scrapbook papers were on sale for 60% off.

I thought these leaves would give my tree a more whimsical look. I ended up not using the brown leaf pattern.

Then I cut the three remaining papers in the same leaf patterns as the solid colors.

To attach the leaves to the branches, I used my Ryobi hot glue gun. This part was really easy. I used a random pattern of leaves on the branches, mixing the solids and the patterns.

A few DIY pumpkins made with fabric and decoupage.

The leaves and branches nicely complement the wood and stencil pumpkins I made the year before.

I absolutely loved how the paper leaf tree branches came out. They provide the height and color contrast against the white fireplace that is so needed. They are also a great focal point. It was a fun project that was easy, too.

Your selection of colors and patterns is what will make your fall tree unique and special.

Project 3 – Fall Leaves on the Mirror

Falling leaves are great to use as decorations on mirrors, walls, doors and more. I had plenty of leaves, so I attached several to the large mirror on the mantel.

For this project, the glue dots worked perfectly. This was the easiest and fastest project. Do you think I need more leaves on the mirror?

I also brought out some of my DIY yarn pumpkins.

Project 4 – Fall Paper Leaf Garland

After viewing the mantel, I decided it wasn’t quite finished. More color and pattern at the base of the mantel would give the mantel a truly finished look. With plenty of leaves left, I thought, why not make a garland?

Originally, I thought I would hot glue the leaves to a piece of jute twine. Then I remembered a bunch of cute little clothespins in a kitchen drawer. I have had these for years and never used them. Why not now?

This approach would also let me remove the leaves and reuse them later.

Step 1 – I measured the width of our mantel, added several inches, and cut my jute twine.

Step 2 – I laid the twine on our kitchen counter and attached the leaves to the twine with the clothespins, spacing them evenly across the twine.

Step 3 – I tied each end of the twine to one of the egg baskets on the mantel. Then I adjusted the leaves for even spacing. It was so easy. You can spread the leaves out if you want a different look.

I did have one more leaf shape that I had made, but not used. It had cut outs and that’s why I didn’t use it in the previous projects.

You could also adjust the length of the garland and hang it on a staircase, across a cabinet or hutch or on a wall. Wherever you hang it, enjoy the whimsical fall atmosphere it creates!

Project 5 – Paper Leaf Placecards

Last year I hosted several neighbors over for a casual lunch. I set our table for fall.

I love to add place cards to a tablescape. They allow you to repeat a theme or color on your table. Guests can take them home if they like.

Step 1 – I picked a leaf design for this project and cut out six leaves using the same process described at the beginning of this post.

Step 2 – I could have just written my guests’ names on the leaves, but that wouldn’t be as much fun as using my Cricut Air Explore. I picked out a font, sized it, and typed in the six names (only 5 shown here).

Step 3 – I had several sheets of metallic-colored vinyl. I picked a bronze shade for my place cards. I followed the Cricut process to cut out the names for the place cards.

For a complete tutorial, see How to Make Vinyl Decals and get the Printable Guide.

Step 4 – Remove the vinyl, leaving the names behind. Use the Cricut weeder to remove the pieces in letters like a, A, o, D, l, etc.

Step 5 – Cover the vinyl names with transfer tape.

Step 6 – Cut the names apart.

Step 7 – Remove the vinyl backing and position the vinyl name on the leaf. Burnish the vinyl and transfer tape with a large Cricut spatula. This step makes sure the vinyl comes off the transfer tape and sticks to the paper.

For a complete tutorial, see How to Cut Vinyl Decals.

Step 8 – Peel off the transfer tape from the vinyl. Repeat with the other paper leaf place cards.

Step 9 – To make the place cards stand up, I used wine corks (we have a big bowl of them). I heated up my glue gun and placed a line of glue across the cork. Then I place the cork on the back of the paper leaves

The final step was to put the place cards on the table. My table is now ready for my guests.

You could add more embellishments on the place. cards, such as stickers, drawings, or smaller paper leaves glued on.

NOTE: If you don’t have a Cricut, use your preferred markers or pens to write the names.

That’s my 5 ways to use paper leaves in your fall home decor. Each one is different and has its own uses, but you can make them all with your Cricut or cut them out individually.

DIY Paper Leaves: Your Questions Answered

If you love working with paper, try one of these paper flower projects. They are so pretty and fun to make.

With your trusty Cricut Air Explore and a dash of creativity, you can craft stunning fall paper leaves that infuse color and pattern into your fall home decor.

From wreaths to garlands, mirrors to place cards, the possibilities are endless. Not only will these projects infuse your home with the warm and welcoming spirit of fall, but they’ll also give you the satisfaction of handcrafting fall decorations for your home.

I hope you liked learning how to use paper leaves in fall decor. Except for the leaves for the place cards, I made all the leaves in one session. I hope they bring warmth and joy to your home this fall.

I hope you will PIN this post to keep all these paper leaf projects. That way, you’ll have all the instructions handy for future use. Also, please check out these Pinterest Boards: Fall DIY Projects, Fall Home Decor, and Fall Mantels.