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DIY Fall Garland With Waxed Leaves

By Rachel
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Last Updated on September 28, 2023 by Rachel Granholm

Learn how to make a DIY fall garland with waxed leaves!

Fall is an inspiring season in many ways. It’s a time for renewal and change, for slowing down and letting go. For me, a change in seasons also sparks my imagination because I’ve been feeling super creative lately! I’m sharing an extremely simple, versatile, and worthwhile craft today. This DIY fall garland with waxed leaves is so gorgeous and complements any decor, fall or otherwise. Follow along as I show you to make one for your own home!

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a diy fall garland with waxed leaves this post

I will preface this tutorial by telling you that you will need to go outside and collect fresh leaves. I took my dog for a nice fall walk in the woods the day before I made this and just kept the leaves in a tightly sealed Ziploc bag overnight so they wouldn’t dry out.

You guys, this is one of the coolest projects that I’ve ever seen! The wax on the leaves makes them feel super whimsical. Once the wax melted, I was able to create my garland in 30 minutes flat.

You can find many of the materials at the thrift store or dollar store, making this DIY very affordable. All in, I spent around $9 on supplies for this. I think you are really going to love this one, so let’s get into it!

a collection of fall leaves

Materials Needed

Gulf Wax used for making a fall leaf garland

DIY Fall Garland With Waxed Leaves

Step 1: Melt The Wax

I found this miniature crockpot at my local thrift store for $4.00. It’s perfect to use for the many crafts I have going on around here this time of year.

I plugged it in, placed one bar of Gulf Wax in it and put the lid on.

wax in a small crockpot for melting

I will say that it took my wax around 45 minutes to fully melt. So, start melting your wax earlier rather than later.

Depending on your crockpot or stove, your wax may melt quicker than mine. Basically, I just let it melt and stirred it once in a while using a plastic spoon.

You can prepare your other materials while you are waiting. I laid out wax paper on my table, organized my leaves, and gathered the other supplies. Once the wax is melted, you can move on to the next step!

Step 2: Dip Your Leaves In Wax

Grab one leaf and dip it in the wax.

Smoosh it around in there really well to make sure the leaf is fully coated with wax.

dip fall leaf into wax for a garland

I was a little worried that my large Maple leaves wouldn’t fit in the little pot but no fear!

Since the fresh leaves are pliable and soft, I just moved it around in the wax, turning it often to coat all the sides of it.

a large Maple leaf used for a fall garland

Once the leaf is coated, shake any excess wax off over the crockpot. Then, place it on wax paper to dry.

Repeat this same process until you have enough leaves to use for a garland. I waxed around 30 leaves.

Step 3: Let Leaves Dry

This wax dries SO fast. Like, within thirty seconds, the leaves are fully dry.

Tip: As you are dipping leaves and moving them to the wax paper, try not to drip that wax on any dried ones. I had to throw out a few of my waxed leaves because they got so many drips on them that they were just too spotted and over-waxed!

waxed fall leaves used for a garland

The leaves look so neat with wax on them! They feel so soft and smooth.

Tip: You might see some dried wax coming off over the tips of the leaves and that’s totally okay. Just slowly pull the excess off with your fingers.

a pile of waxed leaves for a fall garland

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Step 4: Build The Garland

Next, you will start to build the garland.

I cut a piece of thin ribbon that was roughly 3 feet long. You can make yours longer or shorter depending on your space.

ribbon for a fall garland

Leave some room at the starting end to be able to attach or tie it to whatever you are going to be hanging your garland from.

ribbon used for a fall garland

You can build your garland in any way that you like. I chose to do a pattern of two Maple leaves to one Aspen leaf.

However you choose, start by tying one leaf on and knotting it at the top.

a fall leaf tied onto a ribbon for a garland

It’s easier to tie a knot right in the middle of the stem first and then slide the knot up or down according to your preference.

Continue this process, spacing out the leaves in a way that looks pleasing to you.

fall leaves tied onto a ribbon for a garland

Leave a few inches of ribbon at the end like you did on the other side to be able to attach it. All in all, I was able to fit about 11 leaves on my ribbon. This number may differ for you depending on the size of your leaves and how long you want your garland to be.

You can make it 6 feet if you want, which would enable you to use closer to 30 leaves.

waxed leaves on ribbon as a garland

Step 5: Display The Garland

I had an open spot on my milk glass shelf to hang my garland from.

The colors of the Fall leaves pop beautifully against the white glass!

a DIY waxed leaf fall garland

I had some extra leaves leftover after my garland was finished. They are too pretty to throw away so I stuck a few in the wreath that hangs on my front door.

The leaves coordinate so nicely with the plaid. It really adds a beautiful touch of the harvest season to this wreath and is so welcoming!

waxed leaves tucked into a wreath for fall

Another idea is to stick some leaves into a vintage vessel for a pretty centerpiece.

Using the remaining leaves, I tucked them into my small copper watering can and set that on top of a vintage cheese box. The different textures paired with the deep, moody colors is just stunning!

waxed fall leaves in a vintage copper watering can

Closing Tidbits

I truly hope that this DIY fall garland with waxed leaves is something that you will want to create for your home! You can literally do anything with these leaves by preserving them in wax. The possibilities are endless! Find joy in creating this autumn season and be encouraged to create a cozy home, full of hope and life.

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Let me know in the comments how this craft turns out for you and where you display it!

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a diy waxed leaf garland on a shelf

If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!

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Hello I’m Rachel.

I’m so glad you are here! Old things are my jam. Antique malls and thrift stores are my happy places.

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