Fall Leaves DIY Home Decor

Bring the beautiful colors of fall leaves inside with this quick and easy DIY home decor project. I used 4 in. square slate coasters (these were in the bargain bins at Target) along with stencils and metallic paints to create this banner to welcome guests at my front door this fall.

Materials:

• 4 Slate coasters or tiles, 4in square
• Metallic paints, gold and bronze
• Fall leaves stencils (these are from Joanne’s)
• Small sponge brushes
• 2.5 in ribbon, 24 inches
• Sturdy twig
• Twine, 6 inches
• Scissors
• Glue Gun
• Hair dryer (optional)

Directions:

Stencil Tips: If you’re new to stenciling, you’ll want to practice on some scrap paper first. The trick is to have only a little bit of paint on your brush – too much makes everything splotchy. Dip your brush in the paint, then dab it on some newspaper until most of the paint is worked into the sponge. When you stencil, use a pouncing motion to add the color, going back over sections until you’re happy with the results.

• Begin by using gold paint to stencil a leaf of your choice on one of the coasters. Allow to dry (the hair dryer is helpful here). Replace the stencil and use the bronze paint to add a few highlights.
• Repeat with a different leaf pattern on the second coaster.
• For the third and fourth coasters, use the bronze paint for the base and highlight with gold. Allow paint to dry completely.
• Lay out the coasters in the arrangement you like best. Cut a length of ribbon about 4 inches longer than the coasters when laid out.
• Turn the coasters over and apply hot glue to the back. Immediately press the ribbon into place, being sure to glue the coasters to the front of the ribbon. (My hot glue cooled so quickly here that I had to work with one coaster at a time, adding more glue and laying down the ribbon as I went.)
• At the top of the ribbon, fold over excess. Apply hot glue to twig and press it in place, then glue the excess ribbon end into place over top.
• Trim the bottom of the ribbon into an inverse “v” shape as shown.
• Tie twine to the the twig ends to create a hanger.