Paper Bag Leaf Garland

Hi friends! It’s August and since it’s been raining the last few days, I am getting in the mood for fall. I had a big pile of paper bags under our kitchen sink and I thought instead of throwing them in the recycling bin, why not make something out of them for fall? The warm brown hues and the rough paper texture seemed perfect for fall!

Upcycle Paper Bags into Craft Projects

I had so much fun creating paper snowflakes last Christmas that I have been looking for another project to se paper bags for and this one is so easy! So instead of throwing those paper grocery store bags away or in your recycling can, save them to make crafts with!

Paper Bag Leaf Garland is a Free Project

I love a free project! It feels kind of magical turning trash into something to display. I found items around my house for this project so it doesn’t cost anything!

Where Can You Display a Paper bag Leaf Garland?

I created this garland to go on my mantel, but the beauty of this idea is that you can make this project to go almost anywhere in your home. You can display this on a shelf, above a cabinet or instead of glueing the paper leaves to a branch, glue them to a string and hang it over a doorway or over a bed to welcome fall !

Supplies to Make a Paper Bag Leaf Garland

All you need to make this project are:

• 8-10 paper grocery store bags
• 1-2 branches from your yard (or heavy cord if you don’t want to use a branch)
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Metallic paint (optional)

How to Make a Paper Bag Leaf Garland

• The first thing I did was cut my bags apart so I had the front and back of the bag as a flat surface.
• Trace a leaf on a bag. I have included a template if you want to use mine. Just print it off, cut around the leaf template and use it to trace and cut out leaves on your paper bags. I included three different sizes.
• Cut out your leaves. I cut out the larger leaves first.
• Then take the scraps and cut out the smaller leaves.
• Arrange your branches on your mantel or shelf.
• Hot glue leaves to the branches. Start with the large leaves and fill in with the medium and small leaves, layering as you go.
• Optional – add a little shine to your leaves by adding veining with metallic paint and outlining some of the leaves.

Paper Leaf Templates

Here are some hand-drawn leaves if you want to print them off and use them as your template! Right-click on the images below and click on “opin image in new tab”. Then go into that tab and right-click and click on “print” to print them off!

Large Leaf Template

Small Leaf Templates

Enjoy Your Fall Paper Bag Leaf Garland!

I hope you made one of these easy garlands! I’d love it if you tagged me on Instagram at @tatertotsandjello so I can share yours! If we haven’t connected on Instagram, I’d love to have you join my community there where I share behind-the-scenes projects in real time. I also have videos of making this project saved on my highlights there under “paper garand” if you want to see the video tutorials!

Pin This Idea for Later!

Pin this idea so you can make it when you’re ready! And share it with your friends. I would be so grateful if you shared this idea. I love seeing everyone’s creative ideas in their homes! Thanks, friends!

More Paper Crafting Ideas

I love using paper to create pretty ideas. Here are a few other ways to decorate using paper!

Autumn Paper Wreath with Template

Here’s a fun paper wreath and I included a template to make it super easy!

Easy Paper Pumpkin-Shaped Garland

Easy Paper Pumpkin-Shaped Garland. Turn a couple of sheets of scrapbook paper and some wood beads into a gorgeous 3-D Pumpkin-shaped garland for Fall! I also used paper and embroidery hoops to create the pumpkins on the mantel!

Have a Beautiful Day!

xoxo

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Egg Carton Spring Centerpiece

I love upcycling old tired items and giving them a new life. I’ve been doing it for years. I turned an old thrift-store picnic basket into a chic boho basket and old t-shirts into a t-shirt quilt last year. Since Spring and Easter are all about decorating with eggs, I thought it might be fun to create a centerpiece where we can showcase those pretty eggs. And what better idea than taking egg cartons and upcycling them into a gorgeous centerpiece?

8 AMAZING Egg Decorating Tutorials

I am excited to show you this fun tutorial. But first, I am thrilled to share that I have some friends who are all sharing awesome egg-decorating tutorials! Be sure to see them all at the bottom of the post and click over to see their tutorials. And pin their ideas so you can make them!!

Save Your Old Egg Cartons

You can make the egg carton wreath any size you want. The one I made uses 28 egg cartons, cut into 4-egg and 3-egg sections. But you can make any shape you want. For example,, you could make a wreath using 2-egg pieces or any combination you want. This wreath has 4 4-egg sections and 4 3-egg sections.

Trim the Edges

After you have cut out the sections for your wreath, cut around the outsides of the cartons to round them off. I also cut out the middle pieces so there are bigger holes in the middle.

Hot Glue the Sections

Arrange your egg sections into a circle. Then hot glue the sections together. After I hot glued the sections and they cooled, I flipped the whole thing over and hot glue the sections from the back. This makes the whole wreath much stronger.

Add a Base Underneath

If you are using this arrangement as a centerpiece you don’t have to reinforce the wreath. It’s pretty fragile, but I transferred it from my craft table to my dining room table by lifting it gently up and then put it on a cookie sheet to transfer the wreath. If you want to hang this wreath up you should get a chipboard wreath form and glue the wreath onto that form so it can be hung up.

Spray Paint the Wreath

This is optional. If you want a more organic look you can leave the wreath brown. Or you can also use white egg cartons. My egg cartons were the basic brown color so I spray painted my egg cartons white. I spray painted the front, then flipped it over once it was dry and spray painted the whole thing from the bottom.

Add Decorative Elements

You can add whatever you want. I added some silk flowers, some faux succulents and I even added some paper butterflies.

Add Eggs

Now you can add your eggs that you want to display.

Gild Your Eggs

I gilded some of my eggs. It’s so easy to do! I bought some Martha Stewart Gilding and brushed it onto the eggs. This is so much easier than using gold or silver leaf material and having to seal it. With this gilding paint all you have to do is paint the eggs and you are done! The paint is oil-based so use a cheap brush that you can throw away.

Hot Glue Your Elements

If you are going to hang your wreath up, now is the time to hot glue everything into the egg sections. But if you are using the wreath as a centerpiece you don’t have to hot glue the elements. You can just place them inside the egg sections and that way you can change them out each time you use it!

Add a Base and Hang it Up

I made another egg carton spring wreath and added a chipboard base. I hope glued the egg crates onto the chipboard base and then I hot glued the elements inside of the cart and hung it up!

And here are 8 other BEAUTIFUL Egg-Decorating tutorials. Be sure to HOP over and see how to make these eggs! Just click on the link under each picture to go directly to each tutorial!

These patterned brown eggs are adorable that my sister Ashley  created!

Decorating Brown Eggs for Easter @Modern Glam Home 

Isn’t this Easter Egg Wreath so pretty that Rhonda is sharing?

Easter Egg Wreath @Hallstrom Home 

Christina created these adorable Bunny Easter Eggs with Crowns. They are so whimsical and cute!

Easter Bunny Eggs with Tiny Floral Crowns @The DIY Mommy 

Aren’t these Easter images sweet that Janine put on her eggs? She’s sharing the images and the details on how to do it!

9 Unique Easter Egg Ideas @Happy Happy Nester 

I love blue and white, especially for Easter! Tana is sharing how to decoupage these beautiful eggs!

How to Decoupage Blue and White Eggs @Your Marketing BFF 

I love the look of natural eggs and Jackie is sharing this gorgeous wood egg wreath!

Natural Wood Egg Wreath @Finding Lovely 

I love all of the pretty details of the vintage flowers on Janet’s Millinery Egg Boxes!

Millinery Egg Boxes with Vintage Flowers @Shabby Fu Fu 

And aren’t these marbled Easter Eggs so beautiful that Leslie is sharing?

How to Color Easert Eggs @My 100 Year Old Home

I am getting so excited for Easter! 

Have a Creative Day! 

xoxo

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