Dress Up Your Autumn Table With Fall Leaves

No centerpiece necessary; add seasonal color to your Thanksgiving table with these fall leaf streamers. They're a snap to make and they beautifully bring the outdoors in.

Fall leaves hanging from dining room chandelier

Fall Leaves Create Focal Point

If there’s no room or no time to create a table centerpiece, look to your chandelier as the focal point of an easy-peasy holiday decorative. For this project, you can collect fall leaves from outside or purchase silk fall leaves in hues of the season. You’ll then connect the leaves from biggest to smallest using fishing line and a glue gun to create gorgeous natural-looking garland that will hang down from your chandelier or pendant lights.

Materials Needed:

  • silk fall leaves or natural leaves gathered outside
  • one spool of 8 lb. fishing line
  • scissors
  • hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
  • wax paper
  • painter's tape
  • measuring tape

Gather Leaves

Take a stroll outdoors to gather especially beautiful fall leaves — or head to your local craft store to buy silk versions. Sort leaves into separate piles by size.

Collection of colorful fall leaves

Gather Leaves

Take a stroll outdoors to gather especially beautiful fall leaves — or head to your local craft store to buy silk versions. Sort leaves into separate piles by size.

Cut Wax Paper

To determine how much wax paper to use for this step, measure the distance between the bottom of your chandelier and the surface of your table. Then, roll out and cut a piece of wax paper that is as long as that measurement.

Sheet of wax paper

Cut Wax Paper

To determine how much wax paper to use for this step, measure the distance between the bottom of your chandelier and the surface of your table. Then, roll out and cut a piece of wax paper that is as long as that measurement.

Attach Fishing Line

Roll out a length of fishing line that's six to eight inches longer than the wax paper. Use painter's tape to secure the fishing line to the top and bottom of the wax paper. Leave the extra six inches of fishing line hanging off the top edge of the wax paper; you'll need this later for tying the line onto your chandelier.

Person using painters tape and fishing line to create garland

Attach Fishing Line

Roll out a length of fishing line that's six to eight inches longer than the wax paper. Use painter's tape to secure the fishing line to the top and bottom of the wax paper. Leave the extra six inches of fishing line hanging off the top edge of the wax paper; you'll need this later for tying the line onto your chandelier.

Arrange Leaves

Starting at the top piece of painter's tape, arrange the leaves (face down and largest to smallest) a few inches apart, under the fishing line, all the way down to the piece of painter's tape at the bottom. Once you're happy with the arrangement, secure the backs of the leaves to the fishing line with hot glue and let dry. Repeat these steps to make as many streamers as you'd like, remove them from the wax paper then tie them to your chandelier.

Person attaching leaves with hot glue

Arrange Leaves

Starting at the top piece of painter's tape, arrange the leaves (face down and largest to smallest) a few inches apart, under the fishing line, all the way down to the piece of painter's tape at the bottom. Once you're happy with the arrangement, secure the backs of the leaves to the fishing line with hot glue and let dry. Repeat these steps to make as many streamers as you'd like, remove them from the wax paper then tie them to your chandelier.

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