Let’s talk about garlands, because they are basically the cheat code of fall decor.
Drape one over a mantel, wind it around a doorway or run it down the middle of your table, and suddenly your whole home has “main character” energy (the laundry pile in the corner can stay our little secret).
And no, you do not need to pay a small fortune for a store-bought one that starts shedding by week two.
A few leaves, some twine, and maybe a lucky thrift store find will get you something beautiful in a single afternoon. ZERO crafting skills required, just a glue gun and, shall we say, a very forgiving attitude toward crooked leaves.
Below are 15 easy DIY fall garlands, from classic leaf garlands to vintage-inspired finds, for every budget and every corner of your home.
1. Map Leaf Garland
Old maps are secretly gorgeous, with all those colors, borders, and tiny labels, and they make a leaf garland that actually has personality. Trace a leaf shape on the back, cut it out, poke holes with a small nail, and thread the leaves onto waxed cotton string. An old road map works too, and it’s an easy one to hand to the kids for the cutting.
2. Crepe Paper Leaf Garland
All the color of real fall leaves, with none of the dirt or the surprise bugs. This one uses crepe paper in a mix of browns, golds, oranges, and a pop of magenta, cut from a leaf template and wired together into a long, full garland. It takes a little patience (and a glue gun), but it looks seriously impressive on a mantel.
3. Fall Garland with Mini Pumpkins
Skip the usual red-orange-yellow and go black, white, and blush pink instead. Paint mini foam pumpkins, tip the stems in gold with a paint pen, then tie them onto twine for a garland that looks modern and a little bit fancy. It’s also easy to stretch past the mantel, since it works over a mirror, on a bar cart or down the middle of a table. Budget-friendly, too, with an estimated cost of around $15.
4. Dried Root Vegetable Garland
Yes, vegetables. Slice beets, carrots, daikon radishes and parsnips, dry them in a food dehydrator (it takes about a day) and string them on embroidery thread. Carrots ruffle up, daikon gets pretty stripes and the whole thing looks like it came from a very chic farmers market. When the season’s over, you just compost it. Fair warning: you’ll need a dehydrator, so this is the commitment project of the list.
5. Kawaii Felt Apple Garland
Tiny felt apples with smiley faces. Some are whole, some are cut in half with a slightly worried expression (relatable), and they’re all strung together with little leaf spacers. Embroider the faces or use a dab of acrylic paint if sewing isn’t your thing, and if felt isn’t either, it also works with colored paper. It’s cute enough to make you rethink the whole “fall decor must be moody” thing.
6. Fluffy Yarn and Faux Flower Garland
Three supplies, one hot glue gun, and about one nap time. Glue faux leaves, trailing flowers, and fluffy blooms onto a thick yarn base, layering as you go, and you get a lush, full garland that looks way more expensive than the effort involved. Pick colors to match your home, and lean cozy or spooky depending on your mood.
7. Painted Acorn Garland
Free supplies, courtesy of the nearest oak tree. Forage acorns, wash them and bake them low and slow so they don’t go moldy, then paint the bottoms in shades of orange and cream. Drill tiny holes, thread them onto fishing line, and finish with a tassel on the end. It takes a bit more effort (hello, drill), but the foraging walk makes it feel like a proper fall activity.
8. Paper Mushroom, Acorn, and Leaf Garland
Cottagecore, but make it cardstock. Cut out leaves, acorns, and polka-dotted mushrooms from a free printable template, glue on the details, and attach everything to a length of string. It’s cheap and kid-friendly, and it works on a bedroom door, over a headboard, or on any wall that needs a little fall cheer.
9. Dried Apple Garland
Thin apple slices, a low oven, and a couple of hours are all it takes. Bake the slices at 225°F, flip them every 30 minutes, then thread them onto floral wire (it’s thin enough to go through without a needle) or onto string. It looks pretty on a fall mantel and works with Christmas greenery too, so it earns its keep long past Thanksgiving.
10. Acorn and Paper Oak Leaf Garland
Rustic, a little elegant, and no drill required. Cut oak leaves from cardstock (crinkle them so they look like real leaves, and add a swipe of gold if you’re feeling fancy), thread them onto twine, and knot a real acorn over each one. Foraged acorns make it nearly free, and faux ones work if there’s no oak tree nearby.
11. Gold Leaf Pine Cone Garland
Pine cones get a glam makeover with gold leaf, then hang from jute twine on gold-painted hooks. You control how much shimmer you get by how much adhesive you brush on, and the pine cones can be foraged or picked up at a craft store. It’s a little more supplies than the others (gold leaf, adhesive, sealant), but it looks luxe and carries from fall right into Christmas.
12. Fabric Strip Tie Garland
Scrap fabric, ribbon, and twine are the whole shopping list. Cut strips about 2 by 24 inches, fold each one in half, and knot it onto the twine, alternating prints until the garland is as long as you want. It takes minutes, there’s no sewing, and the kids can help. Pick fall colors for a mantel-ready look, then swap in new fabrics when the season changes.
13. Felt Acorn Garland
Tiny felt acorns, made by popping a felt ball into an acorn cap with a dab of hot glue, then strung between little wood beads for a dainty, handmade garland. The caps can be foraged or faux, so you don’t need an oak tree to pull it off. It’s cute, delicate, and mostly just glue and patience.
14. Sewn Fabric Leaf Garland
For anyone with a sewing machine and a basket of fabric scraps. Layer two fabric leaves around a bit of batting, add decorative stitching (hand quilting, laced running stitch, or even freehand machine “drawing”), zigzag the edges, and hand sew the leaves onto a length of ribbon for a little vertical garland. It takes about an hour and a half, and it’s a good excuse to practice some new stitches.
15. Paper Magnolia Leaf Garland
Think fresh magnolia garland, minus the price tag and the shedding. Paint brown kraft paper mossy green, splatter on a lighter green for texture, then cut out leaves from a template (about 20 per foot) and wire them around a bunched-paper base. Bend the leaves up for a lush, slightly wild look. It costs under $10, hangs over a doorway, mantel or staircase, and lasts for years.
ALSO WORTH A LOOK:
- 21 DIY Fall Signs to Make Your Home Feel Cozy This Season
- 23 DIY Fall Wreaths That Will Make Your Front Door the Best on the Block
- 23 DIY Fall Mason Jar Crafts to Make This Autumn
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