Easy Leaf Garland for Your Mantel or Table Bringing leaves — or at least the leaf shape — inside is a great way to decorate in fall and winter, and this garland is an easy way to do just that. Using felt, burlap and a bit of fabric glue, it’s no-sew, colorful and easy enough that kids can help you make it. 
Hi there! I’m Sarah E. White from Our Daily Craft, and I’m so excited to share this super-simple project with you. It’s one of those that you can do just as I’ve done it or easily personalize and embellish in a load of different ways. Let’s get started, shall we?
What You’ll Need
- pieces of felt in different colors (I used red, yellow, orange and two shades of brown)
- leaf shapes or actual leaves (I used an oak leaf and a maple leaf from my yard)
- felt-tip pen or marker, optional, for drawing shapes onto felt
- fabric scissors
- burlap ribbon or other ribbon of your choice (mine came from the floral department at JoAnn)
- fabric glue
What You’ll Do
- Trace the leaf shapes on the felt if you want. I did one of each shape in each color, for 10 leaves total. Cut out the shapes.
- Decide how long you want your swag to be. I just took the ribbon and draped it in front of my fireplace to see how long it needed to be. Trim to that length (I used pinking shears, but it doesn’t really matter).
- Arrange your leaves at random along the burlap and glue down with fabric glue. Allow to dry.
- Hang over your fireplace, or use as a table runner, a bunting in the doorway to the dining room, or wherever else you’d like.
Project Ideas
As mentioned above, there are a lot of different ways you could take this project:
- Use fabric instead of felt, or instead of burlap
- Use ribbon or yarn instead of burlap
- Add more leaves or different leaf shapes
- Allow the kids to cut out leaf shapes, and don’t worry if they are shapes or colors not found in nature
- Use glitter glue to draw “veins” on the leaves and add a bit of sparkle
- Use different shapes to make swags for different times of year (Christmas trees or holly leaves, simple flower shapes, etc.)
I hope you’ll come visit at Our Daily Craft for more ideas for crafting with and for kids, creativity for moms and more. See our felt Christmas tree from last year, an easy gift idea using foam board and my super list of rainy day activities for toddlers that’s perfect for any sort of foul weather. Thanks for having me, Mandy!
