Get ready to embrace autumn with this easy step-by-step guide to making a DIY book page leaf garland for fall.
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Early Fall Inspiration Blog Hop
Can you believe it? We’re just over a month away from the first day of fall. So today, I’m joining a few friends to share 17 different DIY and decor ideas to give you plenty of beautiful autumn inspiration for the season ahead.
A big thanks to my good friend Pasha from Pasha Is Home for hosting this hop. If you haven’t visited Pasha’s blog yet, stop by and see her picks for the best fall foliage.
And welcome to those of you who are stopping by from Wendy’s blog, WM Design House. I adore her DIY fall tree and am over here plotting and planning how to make my own!
Each of today’s posts is linked at the bottom of the page, so be sure to take some time to see them all.
How To Make A Book Page Fall Leaf Garland
Decorating your home for fall doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Today I’m going to show you how to use book pages into a rustic leaf garland for fall in just three easy steps.
For this autumn craft, all you need is an old book, some twine, and a bit of tape.
The entire cost of my garland was under $5. Better yet, you may already have all the supplies at home, making this fall craft cost-free!
It’s a great DIY project for beginners, and perfect for anyone wanting to add bits of rustic fall charm to your home without breaking the bank.
Let’s dive into my step-by-step guide to making a fall book page leaf garland.
Tools And Materials You’ll Need To Make A Fall Book Page Leaf Garland
- Old Book Pages
- Twine
- Tape
- Scissors
- Marker or Pen
Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Fall Paper Book Page Leaf Garland
Step 1: Create Some Patterns
To begin, you’ll want to trace a few leaves to create patterns for your garland. First, grab a pen and scrap paper or card stock. Now it’s time to get yourself some leaves!
To create variation in my garland, I used two different-sized leaves – one large and one small. I just plucked them off of a faux floral stem. But, if you don’t have any faux florals handy, you can also use real leaves, a cookie cutter, or even print some leaf shapes online.
Once you’ve selected a few leaves, carefully trace around each one. Then cut them out to create your patterns.
Step 2: Trace And Cut Out Your Leaves
Now that you have your patterns, it’s time to trace and cut out some leaves.
First, gently tear out a few pages from an old book. (Note: if you don’t have one, thrift stores are a great place to score one for cheap!)
Lay your patterns flat on a page and use a pencil to trace around the leaf shapes.
Once you’ve traced your leaves, stack several book pages. (I stacked anywhere from 3-5 pages at a time). Then grab your scissors, and carefully cut out your leaves.
Stacking pages is a great time-saving hack for this fall craft and reduces how many times you need to trace and cut apart a book page for your leaf garland!
Cut as many fall leaves as needed to create your book page leaf garland. For me, this was about 35 leaves ( 15 large and 20 small) to cover 60″ of twine.
Oh, and don’t worry about perfection – a slightly uneven edge here and there adds to the character of your garland!
Step 3: Assemble Your Leaf Garland
Now you’re ready to assemble your garland. First, lay one of your paper leaves face down. Then, using a small piece of tape, secure the leaf to the end of your twine.
The tape will hold the leaves in place without detracting from their vintage and rustic charm. You can use tacky glue to make your book page fall leaf garland, but I prefer tape for two reasons – tape makes it easier to adjust the spacing of your leaves as you go, and there’s no waiting for glue to dry.
(Oh, and there’s no sticky mess either!)
After the first leaf is attached, grab a second leaf of the same size. Place it on top of the first, and tape it to the twine to create a double-sided garland.
Layering the leaves like this helps not only helps to create depth but gives your garland the appearance of being fuller.
Repeat this step and continue attaching leaves to the twine – alternating leaf sizes and orientations as you go to give your fall paper garland a more natural look.
After you’ve covered the entire length of the twine, add extra leaves as you’d like to fill in any bare spots on the garland.
Once done, you’re ready to display your fall book page leaf garland and enjoy!
Where To Hang Your Garland
I draped my fall garland across a vintage leaded glass window in our dining room.
Not only is it one of my favorite vintage pieces in our home, but as a focal point of the room, it makes the perfect spot to display my garland.
If you’re not sure where to display a fall book page leaf garland in your home, here are a few other seasonal decorating ideas.
- Drape it across your fireplace mantel
- Display it in a window or swag it from a doorway
- Hang it over a vintage mirror
- Swag it from a shelf or peg rail
How To Make A Book Page Fall Leaf Garland
And that’s it! A beautiful and budget-friendly book page leaf garland for fall.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Don’t forget to follow along on Pinterest to see all the latest things I’m loving for the season, and check out all my favorite fall decor and craft projects here.
More Early Fall DIY And Decor Inspiration
Next, go visit my friend Brendt at She Gave It A Go to see her tips for cozying up your kitchen for fall.
Then don’t forget to visit all of the bloggers to see their autumn decor and DIY ideas linked below!
More Fall Inspiration from Midwest Life and Style
If you loved this fall craft, you might also like these other seasonal decor ideas.
Thanks for stopping by today. Until next time!
Xo,
Early Fall Inspiration From Fellow Bloggers
Easy First Touches of Fall Decor // White Arrows Home
Neutral and Natural Fall Home Tour // Willow Bloom Home Blog
Simple and Charming Minimalist Fall Decor Ideas // Eleanor Rose Home
Fall Decorating on a Budget: Easy Ideas for a Cozy Home // Cottage on Bunker Hill
25 Creative Fall Decoration Table Ideas for Your Home // The Ponds Farmhouse
How to Create a Festive Fall Table Setting // Cottage in the Mitten
6 Easy and Affordable Fall Centerpieces That You Can Make Yourself // White Lilac Farmhouse
How to Make a Stunning DIY Faux Fall Tree That Looks Real // WM Design House
How To Make A Fall Book Page Leaf Garland // Midwest Life and Style
5 Ways To Cozy Up Your Kitchen This Fall // She Gave It A Go
Favorite Faux Fall Stems for Your Home this Year // Pasha is Home
Easy Fall Flower Arrangement // Sand Dollar Lane
Easy Fall Pumpkin Pillow Cover DIY Using A Vintage Chenille Bedspread // Southern Crush at Home
Simple Ideas for Decorating Fall Living Room Centerpieces // Robyn’s French Nest
19 Easy Ways to Transition Your Home Decor From Summer To Fall // Shiplap and Shells
Early Fall Decorating // Paint Me Pink Blog
Transition Summer To Fall With Simple Changes // A Stroll Through Life
Easy Fall Wreath For Your Front Door // Amy Sadler
Cindy@CountyRoad407 says
I am looking forward to some down time and sitting to make this. I even have all I need to do so. Thanks for sharing it on Farmhouse Friday! I’m featuring it tomorrow. pinned!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you for the share, Cindy! It really goes fast! Especiall if you can trace once and cut out multiple leaves at a time.
Shawna Liao says
That is just the prettiest leaf garland Jen! I love that it’s neutral and would fit any decor colour scheme. So pretty in your home!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Shawna. I love that it’s neutral too, but the print from the book pages adds interest so it doens’t just blend into the walls.
Kim | Shiplap and Shells says
I love this Jen! It looks like such a fun project, I’m definitely going to have to try it!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Kim! It was fun, and so easy!
Heidi says
This is absolutely adorable Jen! I love how this garland turned out! I want to make one now!!! Thank you for the inspiration!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thakn you, Heidi. I love an easy (and cheap!) fall craft. And this one checks all the boxes.
Tammy says
Jen, how adorable! This garland looks so fun to make. It would be a fun project for me to do with my grands.
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Tammy. Yes, this would be such a fun and easy project to do with littles. In fact, my oldest helped me cut out some of the leaves.
Stacy Ling says
This turned out for beautiful!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Hi Stacy,
Thank you! I love the bit of rustic charm it adds to the space.
Norma says
I love this DIY fall book page garland! It turned out so cute, Jen!!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you so much, Norma!
Jennifer Howard says
This is soooo cute!!! Love, love, love!!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, friend! I’m all about easy projects and this one is perfect of crafters of any level.
Rachel-The Antiqued Journey says
What a fun and pretty craft for Fall, Jen!! It’s so easy and super affordable, too. The book pages bring such a cozy feeling. Pinned! Great job, friend!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Rachel. Yes, this once checks all the boxes when it comes to being easy and affordable. I’m already thinking about how I can make more garlands like this for other seasons!
Robyn Huff says
This garland is so pretty! I love the neutral colors, you can use it anywhere in your fall decor! Amazing job, friend! So thankful we could do this fall tour together!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Robyn. Yes! I love that it’s neutral, but the print from the book pages and the shape still add some interest so the garland doesn’t just blend in and get lost on our white walls or the leaded glass window.
Happy fall, friend!
Wendy McMonigle says
This is such a fun project and a great way to use your old books.
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Wendy! I really enjoyed making the garland and I’m so happy with how it turned out. And I still have almost half of the pages left from this book, so I can make more garlands for other seasons!
Renae Frey says
Super cute, Jen. I need to try this.
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thakn you, Renae. I hope you do! It is so easy…and inexpensive to do!
Marty says
What a fun and creative idea. I can’t wait to make my own. Thanks for the tutorial.
midwestlifeandstyle says
Hi Marty,
Thank you for stopping by. I loved making this garland. I hope you get a chance to make one yourself.
Happy fall!
RACHEL HARPER says
Jen,
This looks like a fun project for fall! Thanks so much for sharing!!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Hi Rachel,
Thank you! It’s a fun craft to make. I’m already thinking about how to make more garlands like this for other seasons.
Kim says
I love this idea! It would be such a fun project to do with my grand! Thanks for sharing and always a joy sharing a hop with you! 💛
midwestlifeandstyle says
Hi Kim,
Yes! I’m sure your grand little would have fun helping you trace and cut out the leaves. You could even make one just for them. Happy fall, friend!