How To Decorate With Leaves All Year Round
Decorating with leaves is the perfect option for those who want a fresh, natural style for their decor. Leaf motifs are depicted on a variety of home décor items such as vases, curtains, and furniture. The print could be used for almost any home aesthetic ranging from traditional to modern. Whether your style is free-flowing boho or you trend toward biophilic design, centering your decor around leaf motifs can add a sense of life and nature to your space.
While most people associate leaves with fall decor, you can accessorize with leaves at any time of year, in a variety of ways. Whether you love the maximalist effect of huge tropical leaves or a more classic, muted leaf pattern, you're sure to find something in the following ideas that fits your home, your preferences, and your personality perfectly. It can be a simple as showcasing leaves from your yard or neighborhood in vases, as demonstrated by Sand & Sisal, though there are also plenty of ways to get crafty in pursuit of that perfect leafy look.
Make DIY pressed leaf placemats
A placemat made of leaves is a fun, simple way to bring greenery into your home, according to toDIYfor. Purchase faux leaves from a dollar store or craft store and pull their stems apart so only the leaf remains. After the leaves have been pulled apart, use Mod Podge to coat their fronts and backs. Spread cling wrap on both the front and the back to make the placemat.
You can also work with real leaves to create a leaf placemat (via Play It Forward Therapy). Go outside and choose leaves in an assortment of colors. Place a paper towel on the top and on the bottom of the leaves as well with books as added weight to wick away any moisture. Once the leaves have dried, glue them onto construction paper. Cut out the leaves precisely so as not to have any misshapen leaves. Use contact paper or a laminator to make a leaf placemat.
These projects are both simple, inexpensive ways to bring a fresh, organic look to your dining table. As Breegan Jane notes, adding natural materials such as plants adds a cozy, laid-back vibe to your space, which is perfect for an area where you spend time feasting with family and friends.
Decorate with leaf window clings
A straightforward way to have leaf decorations in the home would be to use decals, notes Best of Signs. Decals have adhesive on their backs that allows them to stick to flat surfaces, and could be utilized for a variety of purposes including decorations, murals, and quotes. Static window clings are another option. They're able to stick by using the static between the window and actual cling. Make sure the window area is clean by dusting the windows with a spray cleaner and a rag. Store clings inside plastic protectors in a binder for later use.
Go with these Place & Time Gel Clings – Fall, Leaves & Acorns to stick onto windows in the living room, or on the front door's entryway windows. Gel clings work for people who don't want to commit to having something permanent on their windows, but the leaf clings do add a touch of design without being too obvious. Be unique by putting leaves and other motifs on kitchen cabinets and refrigerators to establish a naturalistic vibe. Using leaf motifs in this way can be as subtle or as showy as you wish, depending on the look you're going for.
Make a leaf garland
Having a leaf garland to hang around the fireplace mantel is a surefire way to establish a leaf aesthetic within the home. Craft a leaf garland with a couple of steps, as outlined by The Pink Envelope. The first step would be to gather leaves outdoors and tie five to 10 leaves together with long floral wire around the stems, and then continue to tie together leaf bunches. Tie a piece of string to the front and the back of the floral wire project to enable easy placement when hanging. Think of different ways to use your garlands, advises Angela Neal per SF Gate. "Not only can they be used around doorways and windows, but along mantels, across the tops of large pieces of furniture, down staircase railings, or as an oblong centerpiece for a holiday table or buffet."
Make a leaf garland from the paper with old books (via Hallmark Channel). Grab pieces of brown paper to twist into tree branches. Baling wire could be used to keep leaves intact. Trace leaves onto old book pages, and use a hobby knife to cut out the leaf shapes. Spray paint them red, orange, yellow, or green. Use a hole punch to create holes in all the leaves to pull through the string to wrap around the brown paper branch. These branches could be hung on walls or around entryways. This classic application can add a formal, casual, or boho vibe to the space, depending on the color and material of the leaves you use, which means that you can totally adapt this idea to your style.
Have children make leaf crafts
For parents who have children, doing leaf crafts allows your children to get creative while also adding a personal touch to your space, as stated by The Dad Lab. One project would be to grab a brown paper grocery bag and cut long strips. Bunch up the strips and twist the ends to create branches. The bottom of the brown bag represents the tree trunk. Glue small leaves onto the ends of the branches. This is a great centerpiece to have on top of a kitchen table.
Crafts enable children to gain confidence, Amber Gravenell notes for Kent-Teach.com. "Being able to channel thoughts and feelings into their artwork will, in turn, help them feel more confident in communicating how they are feeling." And when you display your children's artwork, not only do you get a personal, decorative item for your home, but you also support your child's efforts and encourage their creativity (via Cubby Care).
Create a leaf centerpiece
Need to beautify a plain dining room table? Make a leaf centerpiece with felt, as noted by Shabby Fabrics at Home. Before beginning the project, purchase felt material in green sage at a local craft store. Don't forget to find acrylic leaf templates to trace onto the material. Use an erasable pen to trace the templates. After cutting out the felt leaves, grab a hot gun glue to secure the sides of the stems pinched together. Make a few dozen of these felt sage leaves. The next step would be to cut two long strips out of the felt material that measure a half-inch wide and 18 inches long. Once the strips are cut out of the material, glue the smaller felt sage leaves on either side of the strips. Glue the two strips together to complete the centerpiece.
Contrary to neon green or kelly green, sage is a beautiful color to work with because it's not too in-your-face or harsh. Corban De La Vega of Woman & Home explained how sage invokes feelings of restfulness: "Sage green has elements of nature and calmness and encourages connecting with your environment. It adds a softness to any room." This centerpiece would fit in with spring and summer seasons when plants and flowers are in full bloom. Want to make your own leaf centerpiece? Check out this Autumn Sage Leaf Centerpiece Kit.
Work with leaf wall art
Fill empty room walls with leaf wall art by making impressive painted canvas works of art, advises Rachael Eve. Find a big green leaf outdoors and place it onto a white canvas board. Take the green paint and spread it over the leaf with a large paintbrush to create an outline. Pull the leaf away from the canvas and begin filling in the leaf with lighter green by dipping a small paintbrush into a cup of water. Use the brush to spread paint from the outer edges into the center of the imprint.
Another way to make leaf wall art by canvas painting would be to sketch out a leaf on a white canvas. Use a dark paint color to trace over the outline. Once again, use a smaller brush to spread paint from the outer lines into the center of the drawn imprint. These canvas paintings would look pleasant in frames hanging on guest bathroom walls to add some interest to an otherwise ordinary space. For using elaborate leaf hangings as statement wall pieces, check out the Asense Tree Leaf Metal Wall Hanging, or the Touch of Class Brilliance Metal Wall Sculpture. Residential Interiors Associate Rupert Martineau told Mansion Global that, "Statement walls are a great way to maximize your space, especially in small rooms. They have the ability to completely change the appearance and scale of your space."
Sleep with leaf bedding
Get cozy with nicely printed leaf bedding. According to She Gave It a Go, it's pertinent to keep the foundation of the bedding neutral, then add splashes of seasonal colors and textures. Lucas Eilers Cofounder Sarah Eilers told Chairish that having a comfortable mattress with high thread count sheets is as important as coordinating colors and textures, "I generally use white or ivory linens that coordinate nicely with any palette and then weave in color through a contrasting embroidery or appliqué that complements fun decorative shams and other patterns applied throughout the room."
An idea would be to purchase leaf-printed sheets with white texturized comforters and pillow shams. Keep window curtains neutral to not clash with bold colors. Supply dark colors to the mix by having a navy blue throw rug or forest green throw rug folded at the end of the bed.
Leaf candles and holders
Go subtle with leaf motifs by DIYing leaf candles and holders, advises Mud + Bloom. Gather a small collection of leaves outside and dry them off with paper towels inside of the home. To ensure that the leaves remain flat, place them between two pieces of paper towels inside a book. Find a couple of plain white candles to wrap the leaves around by having waxed paper wrapped around the bodies of the candles. Use spoons that have been dipped into hot water to press down on the paper. After a while, the leaves should stay put on the candle. These handmade printed candles would look elegant on bookshelves or on the desk of an at-home office.
Try crafting something adorable with mason jars and leaves. All you need is some Mod Podge, a sponge brush, faux leaves, and a handful of mason jars (via Wonderful DIY). Take the sponge brush and dip it into the Mod Podge to spread it all over the mason jars. Press the leaves into the Mod Podge in whatever arrangement looks best to you. Once dried, take ribbon or twine to wrap around the body of the mason jars for extra flair.
Hang leaf mobiles or wind chimes
Decorating with leaf mobiles could add that special touch to a well-designed space. All that is needed is outdoor leaves and craft supplies. Grab a couple dozen of leaves outside and place the leaves between two sheets of wax paper. Place a bath towel on top of the paper and iron. Repeat this method on both sides. Carefully peel the leaves off from the wax sheets. Take twine to wrap around an embroidery hoop and tie off the ends. Cut sewing thread into eight three-foot-tall pieces. Tie the leaves by their stems onto the thread and space them evenly on the hoop. Cut three pieces of thread that measure a foot each to tie on top of the hoop. Take the pieces to tie together on top. Grab a hook to hang the finished project wherever you want a light, natural touch in your home.
Stefanie Waldek from Hunker said the sounds wind chimes make entices positive energy within the home. "For specific feng shui purposes, place the chimes near the main entryway to circulate and improve energy for all aspects of life." Wind chimes also produce pretty sounds to block out frustrating outdoor noises like car alarms and sirens. Check out this Green Leaves Glass Wind Chime to place on a tree near a garden to add extra greenery. For fall, this Autumn Colors Glass Leaves Wind Chime on Driftwood Stick would look gorgeous hanging outdoors as well.
Decorate with leaf plates
Decorative plates are becoming more common in home décor. Milan designer J.J. Martin told Architectural Digest that she created her own tableware line after working in fashion to show off her true love of patterned prints. "For those of us who don't have unlimited budgets or unlimited art collections, it's fun to get creative with how you decorate the walls. This stuff is meant to be enjoyed, ogled, and eaten visually." To stay with the leaf aesthetic, look at these Leaf Appetizer Plates. They could be used seasonally during Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner parties, or as regular decorative plates to go above the wall of the kitchen's stove.
Designer Laurel Bernin notes that plates work especially well as decorative items when combined with artwork to add interest and texture to a space. Using leaf-themed plates in this way adds a sense of nature that would work well with any decorative style.
Use leaf prints in the batroom
Bathrooms are another perfect place to add some leaf-themed decor. Not only can you find towels, shower curtains, and other items that feature the leaf theme, but you can even add a touch of nature with leaf-shaped soaps if you really want to go leaf crazy. But it's not just about decorative items: Bathrooms, with their steady supply of humidity thanks to showers and baths, are perfect environments for growing a variety of houseplants.
Bring a gorgeous touch of nature into the bathroom by adding potted plants on bathroom shelves. An article on Steam Therapy said the presence of greenery alleviates stress and depression. "If your home has proximity to natural landscapes, you may emphasize the view from your bathroom. If you have access to natural light, consider bringing the greenery indoors by adding houseplants." With some artwork and accessories, designing with leaf decorations does create an open presence that's sure to work for all seasons.