How to Make a Paper Wreath With Layered Leaves

A paper wreath built from leaves has an advantage over most seasonal decorations: change the colors and it belongs to any month. Deep greens suit winter, ochre and rust suit fall, and pale gray-greens look right on an interior wall all year. The method is simple. A flat cardboard ring is covered with overlapping paper leaves, each one creased down the middle so it stands slightly proud of the surface. It takes patience more than skill, and most of the time goes into cutting.

The plan at a glance

The base is a ring with a 10 in (25 cm) outer diameter and a 7 in (18 cm) inner diameter, which leaves a band 1.5 in (4 cm) wide. Leaves are glued on in three rows, all pointing the same way around the circle. Because they overhang both edges of the ring, the finished piece measures roughly 12 in (30 cm) across.

These counts assume each leaf is set about 1 in (2.5 cm) further around the ring than the last. Tighter spacing gives a fuller look and uses more leaves, so cut a few extra of each size before you start gluing.

Paper that behaves like a leaf

A 65 lb (176 gsm) cardstock is a good choice. It holds a center crease, keeps its lift once glued, and cuts cleanly with scissors. Text-weight paper droops within days. Very heavy cover stock makes the cutting tiring and the leaves look thick at the edges. For more on matching weight to purpose, see the guide to choosing craft paper.

Three or four close shades are more convincing than a single flat color. Five or six US Letter or A4 sheets in total leaves room for mistakes. Solid-core paper is worth seeking out, because the cut edges of every leaf will be visible.

For the ring, use corrugated cardboard from a shipping box, or mat board for a thinner profile. It will be completely covered, so appearance does not matter, but it must be flat.

Cut the ring

1. Draw two circles. Using a compass, or a pencil tied to a pin with string, draw a circle with a 5 in (12.5 cm) radius on the cardboard. From the same center point, draw a second circle with a 3.5 in (9 cm) radius.
2. Cut out the band. Cut along both lines with a craft knife in several light passes. Small wobbles are fine; the leaves will hide the edges.
3. Add a hanger now. Glue a loop of ribbon or twine to the back of the ring at what will be the top. It is much easier to do before the front is covered.

Make the leaves

4. Make three templates. On scrap card, draw a pointed oval for each size in the table, wide in the middle and tapering to a point at both ends. Cut them out.
5. Trace and score. Trace the templates onto your paper, fitting them close together. Before cutting, score a straight line from tip to tip on each leaf. If scoring is unfamiliar, the walkthrough on how to score and fold paper shows the method.
6. Cut and crease. Cut out the leaves, then pinch each one along its scored line into a shallow V. Do not flatten the fold completely. The leaf should rest at an open angle, like a book left slightly ajar.

Cover the ring

7. Begin with the outer row. Put a dot of tacky glue on the lower third of a large leaf, on the underside, and press it to the ring so the leaf angles outward, with roughly half its length beyond the outer edge. Glue the next leaf so its tip covers the glued base of the first. Continue all the way around in the same direction.
8. Add the inner row. Repeat with the small leaves along the inner edge, angled toward the center of the ring and pointing the same way around the circle as the outer row.
9. Fill the middle. Glue the medium leaves down the center of the band, roughly following the curve, so they cover the bases of both rows and any cardboard still showing.
10. Close the circle. When you reach the starting point, lift the tips of the first few leaves and tuck the bases of the last ones underneath.
11. Check from a distance. Prop the wreath upright, step back, and fill any thin spots with spare leaves.

Common problems

• Flat, lifeless leaves. Gluing the whole underside presses the crease out. Glue only the base and let the tip float free.
• Cardboard showing through. The spacing is too wide or the middle row was skipped. Extra medium leaves solve it.
• A visible join. The last leaves were laid on top of the first rather than tucked under.
• A warped ring. Wet glue applied in quantity can bow thin board. Small dots of a thick glue are enough.

Hanging and keeping it

A paper wreath is an indoor piece. Hang it from a removable adhesive hook or a small nail, on a wall, a mirror, or the inside of a door. Rain, steam and strong sun will all spoil it, so avoid exterior doors, bathrooms and south-facing windows. Between seasons, store it flat in a shallow box with tissue laid loosely over the top, with nothing stacked on it.

Ways to change the look

Shifting from one shade to another around the circle gives a quiet gradient. A half wreath, with leaves on only the lower two-thirds of a ring wrapped in paper or ribbon, looks more modern and takes less time. A scattering of leaves in metallic paper adds a festive note without glitter. Leftover leaves need not go to waste: threaded onto twine, they make a simple paper garland to hang nearby, and a few accordion-fold rosettes in the same colors complete a mantel arrangement.