A simple book page garland is one of the easiest ways to bring in a long-lasting accent to your home.

There are so many wonderful variations of a book page garland and this is my Fall Leaf version. It’s fast, easy and free – my favorite three craft qualifications. 😉

Fall is hands-down my most favorite time of year. Maybe because I’m a Fall baby, maybe because it’s just a welcome reprieve after a sweltering summer…either way, it’s my fave.

Most years, it’s all I can do to make myself wait until September 1 before I dig out all my Autumnal decorating goodness. Garlands, wreaths, branches, leaves and pumpkins galore!

 

While I have my trusty stand-bys that I use every season, it’s also fun to add a few new elements each year. This year, I decided to create a simple Fall leaf garland using vintage book pages. I’ve got a thing for using old book pages and I knew this would be a fun project.

Now, I’ve seen some really gorgeous, intricate fall leaf garlands made out of book pages, but I’ll be honest. I have neither the time nor the patience to spend days on an elaborate garland. But THIS. This, I can do.

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Supplies Needed for Book Page Garland

• old book
• leaf template of your choice (options explained below)
• pencil
• scissors
• jute, ribbon or white twine
• mini clothespins
• small thumbtacks, tiny nails or sticky tack

 

Book Page Garland Beginnings

Any old book that you have on hand will work for this project as it’s completely customizable. I’ll be honest, I get attached to my books, so I went to a thrift store and purchased this giant old encyclopedia for 5 cents. Five cents is still free to me. 😉

This way, I have no attachment to the book and have no issue ripping out it’s pages.

• First, remove the pages from the book, being sure to remove the majority of the page. You could certainly use a small razor if a clean edge is important to you. I didn’t do this (again with the lack of patience for small details that won’t make a difference in the end product). I simply tore the pages out as close to the binding as I could, not wasting too much time caring about rough edges.

 

• You’ll want a leaf template of some sort and this could really be anything you like. There are lots of options for this step. You could choose to free-hand your leaf shapes, or do a quick search online for a free leaf template or you could simply walk outside; find a few leaves that have the shape you’re going for and trace them out onto your book pages. This is your call – feel free to let your creativity run wild.

• Once you’ve got the leaf shapes you like traced onto your book pages, pour yourself a hot cuppa, sit back, relax and just enjoy the process of cutting out your leaves. It’ll take you right back to grade school – cutting out shapes from construction paper! 😉 You can do as many or as few as your little heart desires.

Assembling the Garland

Once again, there are lots of different “string” options for your fall leaf garland. You could use a medium-weight jute, a lovely fall-colored ribbon or (my personal favorite) simple white twine.

 

This is the part that goes fast – are you ready?

• Unwind enough of your garland string/ribbon/what-have-you for the length of the area over which you want to hang it.
• Tie the ends into a loop for ease of hanging.
• Then, using these super cute, tiny clothespins, simply clip your book page leaves onto your garland – spacing them in whatever way makes your heart happy. Some people like symmetry, others will like a mish-mash or random order. There is no right or wrong way here, so don’t let perfectionism paralyze you at the point.
• Once your leaves are all clipped onto your garland, go ahead and hang it wherever you like.
• You’re DONE!

Super quick and easy!

 

You might find yourself hanging these adorable garlands all over your house! Mantels and window frames are obvious choices – but what about going up an open staircase? Or over doorways? Hanging in your windows? Attached to rarely-used dressers or desks? French doors? Across the tops of pianos?

As you can see here, I attached my garland to this cute dresser that sits in my office that I recently overhauled for under $100. (I used a small bit of sticky tack to hold the garland in place as I wasn’t about to put holes in my dresser. 😉

Let your creativity run wild and have fun with this…after all, creating a warm and cozy home is a simple way to love on everyone who comes through your door. And making a beautiful home need not cost a fortune.

Don’t forget to pin for later!

This post first appeared as a contributor post on Sweet Tea and Saving Grace.