Fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year. I love the food, the clothes, the weather, the festivals and of course, the decor.
Acorns and pumpkins and leaves — what’s not to love?
I’m working on decorating my fall mantel with a mix of rustic and metallic elements. I made this oversized fall leaf garland to use on the fireplace, and it cost me a grand total of $5, plus some paint and supplies I already had on hand!
I picked up these acorn and leaf signs at the Dollar Tree.
To prep them for painting, I removed the twine hangers and raffia and leaves that were glued on them. This will leave a glue residue, but I have a trick for removing that.
Next, I painted the acorns and leaves with DecoArt Americana Decor Metallics paint in Antique Bronze, which is a nice coppery color.
It took three light coats of paint to cover the printed signs.
Once the paint was completely dry, I took the signs to my bathroom and zapped the glue spots with my hair dryer on the hottest setting. That softened the glue just enough to allow me to peel away residue without damaging the burlap. I didn’t even burn my fingers while doing it, but you will want to be careful.
Next I cut a length of twine — the exact measurement will depend on the size of your mantel or space where you plan to hang the garland. I also cut five 6-inch pieces of twine to string the fall leaf garland.
I used a thicker twine, the same thing I used to make my macrame plant hanger.
With an oversized garland like this one, I found it helpful to tie the acorns and leaves to the twine rather than just stringing it. I wanted them evenly spaced, and I didn’t want them to move when I hung the garland. Double knots ensured everything stayed in place.
Use small Command hooks, decorating clips or push pins to hang the fall leaf banner.
If you like metallics for fall, be sure to check out these other projects:
Metallic Wooden Beaded Bracelets
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