DIY Autumn Leaf Garland (A Simple Book-Inspired Craft for Kids!)
Capture ALL the fall vibes with this beautiful, easy DIY Autumn Leaf Garland. This project uses items you probably have at home right now AND it’s a great project to do with kids of any age; even toddlers can help! I’m also sharing my favorite fall picture book to inspire little leaf-gatherers. Now let’s get to reading and crafting!
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Fletcher and the Falling Leaves is a beautifully illustrated and very sweet story about a young fox who worries when “his” tree starts losing its leaves in the fall. Thinking the tree is sick, he does everything he can to help fasten the fallen leaves back onto the tree. When that fails, he takes the last leaf home to his den. The next day, he finds the tree covered with sparkling icicles and looking more beautiful than ever. After a little reassurance that the tree really is going to be okay, he heads home to a warm breakfast with his mama.
Although you can absolutely make this autumn leaf garland without reading a story first, thinking of little Fletcher as you and your young helper(s) fasten each leaf is sure to make the process extra sweet.
Displaying Your Autumn Leaf Garland
We are hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, so I hung this garland from the curtain rod in my dining room, but it would be beautiful anywhere–a fireplace mantle, bookshelf, bulletin board, bed frame… the possibilities are endless. That said, it is a bit fragile, so if you have young children or pets, hanging it out of reach is best. It is also flammable, of course, so choose your display location carefully.
Supplies You’ll Need
- Construction paper, scrapbooking paper, or old artwork/coloring pages
- This is the paper I used, but if you have a creative kiddo, this is a great way to repurpose and display some of their art…just make sure they don’t mind cutting it up!
- Crayons, watercolors, and/or other art supplies of your choice
- We used leaf-shaped rubber stamps and an orange inkpad, but that’s totally optional.
- Scissors
- Hole puncher (preferably a single-hole puncher)
- String or twine
- Fallen leaves
- Look for a variety of shapes and colors.
- Freshly fallen leaves will be easier to work with; they become more fragile as they dry.
- If you have the time and desire, you can preserve your leaves with wax, as shown in this post from Woodlark Blog. I personally didn’t bother with this step, but I would recommend giving it a try if you want to save and re-use your garland next year.
- Tape or mini clothespins
- We used gold washi tape for some extra pizzazz. Any tape will work, though.
How to Construct Your Garland: Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Paint, color, and/or stamp patterns onto the paper
If you’re starting with blank paper, add some texture with whatever art supplies you’d like. We used watercolors, crayons, rubber stamps (and fingerprints) on a variety of colored paper. Since the papers will be cut up in the next step, this step is mostly about the process rather than the product.
As I mentioned earlier, this project would also be a great way to repurpose scraps or other papers that your child has already colored or painted. If you’re repurposing artwork, you may still want to add additional autumn color with watercolors or another method of your choice.
2. Use scissors to cut out leaf shapes
Each leaf can (and should) be a slightly different size and shape, so I didn’t trace them ahead of time or use any kind of template. That said, I did this step on my own during nap time. If you have older children who are ready to help with cutting, you may want to sketch leaf shapes onto the paper ahead of time.
You can maximize the number of leaves you cut from each paper by starting or ending each leaf at an existing corner.
3. Crease the paper leaves and punch holes
To give the leaves some dimension and make them look a little more lifelike, fold them in half and crease them about 2/3 of the way across.
Then, while they are folded, punch through both halves (thereby creating two holes). Be sure to position your hole punch far enough away from the edges.
4. Cut the string to your desired length, then thread it through the holes
First, wrap the end of the string with a piece of tape to stiffen it and make it easier to thread. 
Next, pull the string through both holes, starting and ending on the back side of the leaf. 
To keep extra string from tangling, wind it around a pom pom, balled up sock, or other small item. 
Threading the leaves onto the string is great practice for little ones’ fine motor control.
5. Hang the garland in your desired display location (maybe)
Once you attach the natural fallen leaves, the garland will be more fragile, so this is a good time to hang the garland in its display location. If you’d rather hang it after it is totally complete, at least keep it stretched out so that it does not become tangled.
6. Attach natural fallen leaves using tape or mini clothespins
Point some leaves up, some down. Rather than trying to attach the fallen leaves to the string, tape them to the paper leaves. This gives the garland a more organic shape and creates the illusion of “falling leaves.”
Metallic washi tape catches the light, which adds a nice glittery effect, but you can also tape the leaves from behind to hide the tape entirely. Or, if you have mini clothespins (like these), you can clip the leaves to the garland instead.
I hope you enjoy making this fall leaf garland with your bambino(s)! Oh, and if you have a favorite fall picture book, please share it in the comments!
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