DIY Fall Leaf Tree
Make a sweet fall leaf tree for your autumn home decor using real leaves and poster board! A super easy craft that you can make in a flash! For more fall projects see my Fall+ Thanksgiving page.
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We had high winds here in North Carolina this week. The leaves are changing and started falling so rapidly. They were everywhere on my porch and looked so beautiful!
Then we had a little snowstorm and it knocked a ton of leaves off the trees and all over our yard.
I woke up to a huge pile on my deck this morning and just couldn’t resist making something great out of them!
I threw together this super easy craft Fall Leaf Tree from leaf remnants from all my porch piles!
Here’s how I did it, so you can make one too!
Fall Leaf Tree
Supplies:
- Leaves in various sizes from long to short and thin to wide
- 1 Sheet of Poster Board
- Brown Spray Paint
- Scissors
- Hot Glue and Gun
Instructions:
Roll the poster board into a cone shape and decide the thickness and length. Hot glue the outer flap edge to the cone.
Trim across the bottom of the cone to make it stand straight and level. Spray paint the cone with brown spray paint and let it dry.
Separate the leaves into sizes and shapes.
Start gluing the leaves around the bottom of the cone. I used short wide leaves on the bottom edge and intertwine them to cover the cone.
The next layer I used larger leaves. Add them in a row to cover the areas where the stems are for the last row. Repeat.
Think of this like a puzzle, placing leaves in between each other to fill the gaps. About halfway up the cone, I used long thin leaves, placing them really close together.
Near the top of the tree, I used small leaves. Fill in any gaps with pieces of leaves to cover areas where the cone shines through.
For the tree top, I folded two leaves that naturally curled inward and glued them together. And that’s it!!
I love it! It’s so pretty on my mantle. Too bad I will have to take it down for the holidays! Who knows, I may just add some snow and repurpose it for my holiday decor! Enjoy!
Love it? Pin it!
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Check out more of my Fall Craft Projects~
Love it!!! I just made your tree using red leaves from the sugar maple trees on my street and it turned out great!
I got a candle holder from the thrift store thanks to your suggestion. Going to try spraying it with lacquer to see if we can keep the colors! Fingers crossed!!!!
It sounds so pretty with maple leaves! I am glad you tried my project!
Kim
I wish I could send you a photo!
I sent you an email to send me a pic.
Kim
How resourceful! Who knew fallen leaves could be so decorative?! Great project!
Thanks so much for linking up to Your Whims Wednesday, I featured this on my blog tonight! Come stop by and grab a featured button :)
I featured this today on Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life.
It’s beautiful. Since it’s shaped like a Christmas tree, I’m going to add it to a collection of other trees use at Christmas. I’m betting it will generate some great conversations.
What a great idea, and a wonderful way to transition between fall and winter! Thanks for sharing at the Pinworthy Project Party at Planned in Pencil
This is so pretty! You are so dang creative, girl! Love it! XO
This is awesome! I love it!!
I saw your feature at Thriftiness Miss and just had to visit your blog! This project is lovely! There are lots of leaves on the ground here in Arkansas, too! Guess what I plan to do this weekend! YOUR TREE! Thanks for a lovely Fall idea! -Marci
Wow, Kim! What a beautiful project. I absolutely love how it turned out. I’ve pinned and added this to my to-do list for next year!
I love this! I would totally try and repurpose it for your winter mantel! Thank you for linking up at Making Monday, I’m going to be pinning this to our pin board!!
Very beautiful! Thanks for the idea. Thanks for posting on the Four Seasons Blog Hop! Please come back!
Love this. Featured it on The Patriotic Pam link party this weekend. It goes live tonight at 7pm(EST). Thanks for sharing.
Pam
This is so lovely! We have to try it! We live in the country and there are tons of leaves! We found you at Moonlight and Mason Jars linkup and we would love it if you came over to our blog and linked up here: https://rosevinecottagegirls.blogspot.com/2013/11/cottage-link-up.html to share with all of our friends there! Hope to see you!!!
Featuring on Friday!
This is so pretty and versatile. I love that you can use it for fall, but still keep it out as Christmas decor. Great job!
What a cute and cheap decoration!! I would have never thought about using real leaves!! Great idea!! I’m pinning this to our talent board! Thanks for sharing on DIY Sunday Showcase!!
Shelly from MinettesMaze
Thanks for sharing your fall leaf tree at The Pin Junkie. It was featured in today’s fall craft roundup. Don’t forget to link up your Christmas decorating ideas tomorrow for another chance to be featured! https://www.thepinjunkie.com/2013/11/fall-crafts-roundup.html
I love this! This is so pretty and original! We have tons of leaves in our yard and I’ve always wanted to do something with them but the only crafty thing I can think of is pressing them between wax paper.
Wow how cute! My husband just blew away a whole pile of oak leaves that blew up next to the house from the storms. I could see that sprayed white with some sparkly snow added to it for a 2nd season of enjoyment! Very nicely crafted!
I am crushing on your tree Kim! Thanks for linking up to Tickled Pink Times Two.
Sharing your Fall Leaf Tree on my FB page right now :)
Make it a pink day!
This is beautiful! Great idea. Thanks so much for linking up to The DIY’ers!
What a great idea! It’s beautiful…
You’re tree is amazing !!
LOVE this…seriously sending the kiddo’s outside to gather leaves at this very moment =)
2 of my very favorite things! Leaves and trees. I LOVE THIS! I can’t believe you already have brown oak leaves where you are. I’m pinning this to use in my fall decor next year (unless a get a fire under my *** and do it this year!)
Great idea! I love it when craft “supplies” are right outside the door ;-)
What is the base?
I just saw then answer below. Sorry.
Hi Kim,
Your tree turned out wonderful. We are overloaded with fallen leaves in the yard, so I just may have to give your idea a try.
Thanks for sharing,
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes
Very cute !!
I love this, very beautiful!
Tania
What a terrific idea! I love making trees, but hadn’t thought of this yet :) Saw your link at Link Party Palooza.
Did you wax your leaves first using wax paper to preserve the leaves first? I love this idea! I think it would look lovely with fake snow and maybe a birds best on the tree somewhere with cranberry wrapped around the tree. Pretty! Thanks for sharing :)
No, I did not wax them. I’ve never heard of that. They are pretty brittle so, I don’t know if it would keep until next year if left this way without some lacquer type finish. But, I plan on making this into a Christmas decoration by painting it and that should preserve it. Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you liked it!
Kim
Real cute! What did you use for the base???
A long candlestick holder I had fit right inside of the cone. Thanks!
LOVE!!!!!
Pinned this simple beauty. Thanks for sharing.
<3 Christina @ I Gotta Create!
I love this, I thought about transitioning it into Christmas too. I will make it look like snow is on the leaves . I love the idea both for fall and Christmas decorations.
This is so pretty, Kim! I think I can still salvage some leaves from the backyard. Think I’ll try this tomorrow. TFS!
Oh Kim!! this is great!!! I can’t believe what a brilliant idea this is and looks amazing!!! pinned it and I really hope you share this on my link party tomorrow morning. I have so gotta give this a try and i’ll let the kids make their own mini versions too
Natasha @ Serenity you