The spicy colors of fall add a wonderful, warm atmosphere to the home. The most beautiful colors of fall are reflected in the leaves as they change color--they are easy to pick up and bring inside, but don’t last long before they fade. For colorful leaves inside the house, turn to the readily available silk leaves from discount stores.
Buying a fall garland can be expensive for decorators on a budget. Making a silk leaf garland to hang over a window is quick, easy, and inexpensive and will add the beautiful fall colors to the home at a fraction of the price crafters would spend on a similar item.
Things you’ll need
- An inexpensive bouquet of leaves, available at stores such as Wal Mart, K Mart or Target. These usually run from $3-$4 and come with approximately 50-60 leaves in each bunch, enough for a three to six foot wide windows.
- Light weight craft wire, 18-22 gauge, that is very bendable, cut in the length of the window, plus at least fourteen inches
- A set of fifty white Christmas lights, optional
- Curtain rod for hanging garland
Getting Started
Remove the leaves from their base by pulling them off of their faux branches. They should remove easily, in pairs, with a small hole between where they were attached to the stems.
Discard any plastic pieces that are removed when detaching the leaves. They can be dangerous to small children and pets.
Once all the leaves are removed, begin to string them on the wire.
Make a hook at one end of the wire, to prevent leaves from falling off that end. Don’t worry about spacing them until the garland is finished.
Hanging The Garland
Wrap one end of the wire around the end of the curtain rod, tightening it securely. Before winding the wire around the curtain rod, divide the leaves evenly into sections according to window size. Three for a three foot window, (one at each end, one in the middle), four sections for a four foot window, and six sections for a six foot window.
Wind the garland around the rod approximately every twelve inches, until reaching the other end of the rod. Wrap around the end and tighten securely. Arrange the leaves in an attractive display, turning them so that the fronts show.
As an option, wind a string of white Christmas lights onto the rod and through the leaves for an added glow to the beautiful fall leaf garland.
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