Origami Leaf Garland
/Who’s ready for Fall? Learn how to make these origami paper leaves and turn them into the cutest garland.
Quick and easy to fold they make a lovely Fall origami decoration. Add them to a wreath, drape across a mantel or tie them on a package.
Perfect for decorating your home this Autumn and Winter.
Origami Garland DIY.
Autumn is my absolute favourite season. I love the crisp air and the changing leaves and of course, nothing beats bonfires and roasted chestnuts. Yep, definitely my favourite.
To celebrate my favourite season I decided to make an Autumn leaf garland. You know how I feel about garlands. DIY garlands are my favourite to decorate for a new season. You can never have too many!
Last year I made this origami pumpkin garland that a lot of you seemed to love. I even had a few friends and family members make one which is always extra special.
This origami leaf one is perfect as a Fall decoration for the home or maybe a party. I have mine hanging from the fireplace right now and it looks really pretty.
Paper Leaf Garland.
One of my favourite things about origami is how quickly you can turn a simple flat piece of paper into a cute decoration. This paper leaf is a fantastic example.
You can easily make a garland like this in an afternoon. You can customise it to match ant theme. Green for a natural look, oranges and reds for a Halloween/Thanksgiving party or pretty metallics like I did for a Winter/New Year theme.
Origami Fall Decorations.
I used the same silver embossed paper from Sostrene Grene that I used in my woven paper wall art and origami envelopes. If you’ve got a store near you I definitely recommend checking them out. They make beautiful things including these really pretty papers that I think would look just as lovely in Winter as in Spring.
Origami Leaf.
These paper leaves are so easy to fold. I’m calling them origami leaves but as there’s some glueing involved in the final step they’re probably more of a paper folding project.
Once you have all your paper triangles cut and ready to go each leaf takes less than a minute. It’s a simple concertina fold so if you ever made a paper fan as a child then you’ll have no problem making these.
And don’t think you have to use these leaves as only a garland. They can be used in so many Fall and Autumn craft projects.
You can add them to a wreath, fill a glass bowl with them, tie them to a gift or pop them on a card. Drape across a mantel, over a door or even just tape to a wall. Change up the paper depending on the season and they’d made a great decoration all year round.
Check out the easy instructions below.
Supplies:
Origami Paper or Decorative Patterned Paper.
I used silver embossed decorative paper from Sostrene Grene that is sadly no longer available but keep your eye out for similar papers in the store.
Scissors
Glue
Tapestry Needle and Thread
Any thin paper like origami paper will work well for these leaves. Be careful not to use thick paper as it will extremely difficult to thread a needle and thread through the end.
Don’t have any origami paper? Here are a few alternatives that you probably already have on hand.
Regular Printer Paper,
Magazines,
Old Books,
And Maps.
I even have some printable origami paper you can download and use for FREE. Simply download, print and cut into 7x7-inch squares.
How to make Origami Leaves.
1. Take your square and fold it in half along the diagonal.
2. Cut along this crease to make two triangles.
Each triangle makes a leaf.
3. Lay your triangle of paper pattern side down with the widest point at the bottom.
4. Start folding the bottom edge up by around 1/2 cm (5mm).
5. Flip your paper over and repeat.
6. Keep flipping and folding to make a concertina (accordion) fold until there’s no paper left to fold. Just like making one of those paper fans when you were a kid.
7. Fold your concertinaed triangle in half.
8. Apply glue to the inside and stick together.
9. Keep folding leaves until you have enough for a garland.
10. Pull your triangle apart slightly to shape.
11. Thread onto some cotton using a tapestry needle.
Depending on how thick your paper is this part might be a bit tricky. Using a thimble to protect your fingers could help.
12. Hang from the fireplace or wall to for a pretty origami fall decoration.
Aren’t they simply stunning? I’m so pleased with how they turned out. The sparkly paper definitely adds another dimension to them and I can’t wait to see how they look in the evening with some pretty candlelight flickering around.
