Simple Fall Garland & Fall Mantel (Easy DIY in 30 Mins)

Looking for a quick & simple Fall craft idea?  I am sharing how to make this DIY fall garland for the fall fireplace mantel in less then 30 minutes for FREE from start to finish. 

My diy fall garland craft adds so much color to my fall mantel & I love that the garland is shaped like leaves from our backyard.

It also cost me nothing (gotta love free projects) & will last me for many falls to come. 

DIY Fall Garland & Fall Mantel

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Supplies Needed to make a DIY Fall Garland

• Cardstock Paper – (Fall colors – I used 3 different patterned pages)
• a few real leaves ( I used 4)
• a pencil with an eraser
• scissors
• a hole punch
• twine ribbon about 4 feet long

Step by Step Instructions for How to Make Fall Garland

Step ONE – Gather Your Supplies

Find some beautiful intact (not ripped or crumpled) Fall leaves small enough to fit your cardstock paper. 

I used a Japanese Maple leaf, a Norway Maple, a Birch leaf and a Pin Oak leaf all from our property. 

I chose leaves that were very different from each other to add interest to the diy fall garland.

Step TWO – Trace the Leaves on Card Stock

Trace the leaves onto the cardstock. 

I found my cardstock on sale after fall at AC Moore. 

You can find some great fall cardstock at Amazon here.

Step THREE – Cut out your Fall Leaves

Cut out the leaves as carefully as possible & erase any pencil marks left. 

I cut out 12 leaves but in the end only used 9.

Step FOUR – Add a Hole through each Leaf

Add a hole punch through the center of each leaf.

Step FIVE – String Twine through the Leaves

String your twine ribbon or ribbon of your choice through the holes. 

I added an uneven number so it’s easy to determine where the center of the garland should go when hanging. 

You could use thumb tacks to hang the fall garland or in my case I just placed the ends of the ribbon under a few heavier items on my mantel.

See Super Easy!!! 

And Colorful!!! 

Fall Garland Displayed on a Fireplace Mantel

I just love how my DIY leaf fall garland looks on the our living room fireplace mantel.

The orange pops alongside my orange glass pumpkin & candle holder.

The garland looks so pretty under the Pallet wreath we made earlier this year now ready for fall with a few wheat strands. 

I also added candy corn for more pops of orange and yellow even though they won’t last for long with my kiddos and Jason in the house. 🙂 

Believe it or not that jar was refilled almost to the top yesterday.  Yikes!!!

I love making my own decorations to celebrate holidays or changing seasons. 

I hope this encourages you to make a DIY fall garland for your fall fireplace mantel. 

Happy Fall!

by Tara Lehman

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