Pretty Fall Crafts with Leaves

Fall decorating ideas don't have to be time-consuming or expensive. An accent as simple as a colorful branch is perfect for pairing with more neutral pieces. Pick out the prettiest branches and sprigs from the yard, and add them to a fall mantel display to bring some color to your decor.

Set a stunning table with these handmade place cards. Use a metallic paint marker to write your guest's name on the underside of a magnolia leaf. Display the finished piece on a simple white napkin and patterned dishware. Finish decorating your holiday table with a handmade magnolia garland centerpiece.

You have fall door decor covered. What about when your visitors look down? Complete your outdoor fall decor with this DIY fall leaf craft. A scattering of stenciled leaves creates the border for this handmade fall welcome mat. Spend an afternoon painting a plain doormat, and you'll have a seasonal welcome that will last through Thanksgiving.

Learn how to make the fall door mat.

Stunning shades of gold, copper, and silver shine in this handmade wreath. You won't believe how easy it is to make. It comes together in just three steps: paint, attach, and hang. That's it! Why buy when you can DIY for less?

Learn how to make a magnolia wreath.

You'll need to head to the hardware store to make this pretty fall place setting. Create a metallic place card using a fall leaf and plain window screening. Once you've traced and cut the shape, accent it with painted veins.

These small dishes are an easy fall leaf craft to bring the beauty of colorful fall leaves into your kitchen without the mess. We use this simple DIY fall home decor to hold salt or spices.

To make, roll out air-dry clay on a textured fabric like linen. Cut out leaf shapes with cookie cutters. Let leaves dry completely with the pattern side up. Paint dry leaves with a mixture of 2 parts liquid fabric dye to 1 part water.

A long leaf garland is the perfect decorating hack for all those small fall pieces you love but aren't sure where to put. A base of pretty greenery is the perfect way to tie together pumpkins, candles, florals, and other fall accents.

Bright, shiny copper leaves are the perfect accent piece for your indoor and outdoor fall decor—just picturing a copper wreath has us excited! They're also a great alternative to a fall color palette if traditional reds and oranges don't fit your scheme. Use copper leaf (or any color metallic leafing material) to dress up plain leaves in any of your favorite fall leaf crafts. Grab a few leaves from the yard and start copper leaf-ing!

Learn how to make it.

Don't feel like raking that pile of leaves in the yard? Try one of our favorite fall decorating ideas: Turn them into an easy fall wreath instead! Use florists wire, tape, or pins to attach bundles of bright leaves to a wreath form. Mix the leaf colors in each bundle, or separate them to create an ombré look for easily customized outdoor fall decor.

Another favorite DIY fall home decor craft: Instead of a fall centerpiece, make a stunning DIY tabletop garland. Magnolia leaves, seasonal greenery, and clementines are wired together to create a draped garland that's sure to wow. Add fragrance and texture with cinnamon sticks.

Learn how to make the centerpiece.

Fall leaf crafts and glitter? We think yes. This outdoor fall decor adds a little glam to your fall front door with a glittery hanging display. To make, coat leaves with crafts glue and sprinkle with glitter (easy). Let dry completely. Once dry, hot-glue a ribbon to the end of each piece (super easy). Gather them together and hang in a sparkly bunch.

Mix and match leaves for a mantel full of DIY fall home decor. We like the option of turning these fall leaf crafts into the opportunity to repurpose something old. Here we have an old cigar box showcasing a multi-hue leaf display. On the wall, leafy greens seemingly grow out of a pair of birch photo frames.

This simple DIY fall home decor is one of the easiest fall leaf crafts for fresh fall decor. Preserve the vibrant hues of fall foliage between two pieces of glass for DIY framed art using decorative leaves. First, press leaves between the pages of a book. When the leaves are completely dry, simply place a pressed leaf (or two or three) between two pieces of glass. (Have the pieces cut to the desired size by a local glass cutter or home improvement store.) Wrap colored linen book cloth tape around the edges of the glass to secure.

Freshly fallen leaves are beautiful all on their own. Showcase their natural beauty with simple patterns made using paint pens. We love how these work as place cards, or use them as part of a fall table centerpiece. Try this easy kids craft to get the whole family involved in this year's DIY fall home decor.

Switch up the color scheme when decorating with live fall leaves—that's right, these decorative leaves are still fresh. Opt-out of fall decorating ideas that use bright reds and oranges and opt-in for several sprigs of pretty, fresh greenery wrapped and pinned to a wreath form. Eucalyptus is a perfect leafy green for this project—and it smells amazing, too! Add berries or a colored ribbon to tie in the wreath with your existing decor.

These no-carve pumpkins will last from Halloween through Thanksgiving. Step 1: Gather leaves from your yard and decoupage them onto pumpkins. Step 2: Place the decorated pumpkins around your house to enjoy throughout the fall season. Step 3: Applaud yourself for your fantastic DIY fall home decor.

Attach decorative leaves onto plain heavyweight paper with glue and fold into cute boxes. They make perfect gift boxes or accent pieces on a shelf.

Even simple storage can be stylish fall home decor. Using decoupage medium, adhere pressed leaves to the surface of storage boxes, and then stack inside a bookcase for a fun falling-leaf effect.

Bring your favorite fall hues inside with this stunning DIY fall wreath. Autumn foliage and seasonal faux flowers are the stars of this easy fall leaf craft. We'll show you how to transform a $5 twig wreath into a beautiful piece of fall outdoor decor.

Learn how to make the fall wreath.

Place fall-tone candles in clear votive holders, and set them atop silk or real decorative leaves in coordinating hues. It's an easy fall decorating idea to add color to any table.

A simple pressed fern branch makes a seasonal art statement. Place a dry (but not brittle) fern branch between layers of newspaper, then top with several heavy books to press. Glue photocopies of pages from old books or newspapers to the backing of a picture frame. Decoupage the pressed branch to the page background and place in the picture frame, then hang your work of art.

Create a unique piece of fall home decor from a plain vase. Using acrylic paint markers in two shades of brown, draw bare tree branches. For leaves, cut out pieces of pressed leaves and adhere to the vase using glue. Of all the fall leaf crafts, this is really an art piece that can be out all year.

Craft a striking wreath that incorporates all the colors of fall. Layer brown leaves and pinecones with vibrant mums and yarrow in shades of red and yellow. Pick up fresh finds on a nature walk, or use artificial items from a crafts store.

Turn an ordinary white tablecloth into a fall sensation. Center the tablecloth on your table. Just below the top edge of the table, hot-glue or pin grosgrain ribbon onto the tablecloth. From fall-color cardstock and decorative paper, trace various leaves; cut out. Glue them in clusters to the ribbon. Glue just the centers of the leaves so the edges curl up to mimic natural leaves.

Create a modern piece of wall art by wrapping fall-theme paper around everyday mailing tubes. Attach the tubes together and hang from a single hanger, or try staggering individual tubes on the wall with adhesive dots for a unique look.

For a quick seasonal update, grab a few glass jars or old florists vases. Attach dried leaves to pieces of cardstock, and curl the papers inside the jars to display. Heavy jars make fantastic bookends.

Accentuate a beautiful frame with some fall foliage. First, string ribbon across an empty frame through S hooks, then hang pressed leaves on the ribbon. This easy DIY project makes a great accent piece.

DIY fall home decor can fit any nook in any room with these fun leaf decals. Arrange pressed leaves in a falling pattern and attach to the wall with tape. Or try photocopying leaves and tracing them onto cardstock for a different look.

Swap your traditional round wreath for a leafy monogram. Paint a papier-mâché letter and let dry. Hot-glue dried or silk leaves to the front. Shape a piece of wire into a hanging loop and hot-glue it to the back of the letter.

This parade of fall leaves proves that handmade garlands aren't just for the Christmas season. The holiday classic can be adapted for any celebration, and this one is just right for autumn, Halloween, or Thanksgiving. Gather an assortment of colorful fall leaves (we used oak leaves) and use a needle to thread them onto a string; secure with knots at the ends. Tack your garland onto the edge of a table, across a stair rail, or around a door frame.

For fun labels, trace the outline of a leaf onto cardstock and cut out. Host a wine-tasting party and use these festive labels to help guests identify their favorites.

As ornaments or handmade gift tags, these transformed leaves are sure to delight. Use spray adhesive to adhere pressed, varnished leaves to cardstock. Trim around the edges, leaving a 1/4-inch space. Punch a hole at the top and tie pretty ribbon through.

To dress up any bookshelf for fall, just add colorful leaves. Fill vases with dried leaves, or adhere a dried fern frond to a platter with spray adhesive to create a simple platter display.

Turn a short tree branch into a striking autumnal centerpiece. Weight a pot with stones and fill with dry florists foam to secure the branch, then wrap the pot in a drawstring jute bag and flank with arrangements in fall-inspired colors.

How cool is this?! This festive leaf wreath idea from Alisa Burke's Blog is super fun to make, and you can add a personal touch with any color paint you like. This also makes a great centerpiece: Just place a few tall candles inside the ring, and you're ready to throw an autumn-theme party!

Create this naturally beautiful art piece and you'll be set for the fall season—from Halloween to Thanksgiving. It starts with an inexpensive crafts store picture frame and some favorite fall finds. Adhere acorn caps to the frame using hot glue. Cover the backing of the frame with a piece of burlap. Glue a vibrant fall leaf and a petite twig to the burlap in the center of the frame.

A maple leaf takes flight when it turns into artwork. Trim a butterfly head from the top point of a maple leaf. Press the leaf in a book until dry; spray the leaf with varnish to preserve its color. Mount it in a floating frame as a sentiment of the season.

Surround a warm greeting in a basic picture frame. Using a computer, print "Welcome" onto a sheet of paper to fit your frame. (You also can handwrite the word or spell it out with letter stickers.) Gently adhere leaves to the paper using double-stick tape. Place the finished greeting in a frame, and prop it on an entry table or hang it on the front door to greet guests.

Showcase the meaning of the season with this pretty (and sentimental!) fall craft. Use a framed cork board to display cut paper leaves. Write what you're thankful for on each leaf and use as part of your Thanksgiving decor.