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DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

by Chelsea Foy

Every year after Christmas, my mom and I are so bummed to take down all of the decorations. So this year I decided that we needed some transition decorations that wouldn’t make us so sad to take down the tree at her house. My mom insisted on keeping up a few twinkly lights, and I got started on a surprisingly simple little magnolia leaf garland! I love that it feels wintery but doesn’t necessarily scream “holiday,” and that it’s pretty cost-effective, especially if you have a magnolia tree in your neighborhood. Let’s get started!

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

DIY Magnolia Garland Supplies

  • fresh magnolia leaves
  • floral wire
  • rope or thick twine
  • wire cutters
  • gloves

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

Start by gathering your magnolia leaves. For this project, estimate about 20 or 25 magnolia leaves per foot, depending on how full you’d like your garland to be. Wipe down all the leaves to rid them of excess dirt.

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

Put your gloves on to protect your hands while you’re working with the floral wire. Gather three or four leaves and arrange them in a fan, then wrap a 3″ portion of floral wire around the stems to hold them together. I alternated three and four leaves in these bunches just to change the texture of the garland a bit. You’ll be attaching these little bundles to the rope at about 3″ intervals, so make enough of them to accommodate your entire garland.

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

Using another 3″ length of floral wire, wrap the first bundle to the rope. I recommend starting on the left end of the rope and having the stems of the leaves pointing to the right; that way you aren’t working backward as you attach more bundles to the rope.

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

Keep attaching the leaves as you see fit until the rope is full! This particular method is for a garland that will be laying or hanging flat against a surface. If your garland will be visible from both sides, repeat the process with the leaf bundles on the other side of the rope so that it’s completely hidden.

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

We set our garlands out over a little hutch and hanging on some french doors, but you could put these in a zillion places. I love the fresh look and that it takes the place of some of the holiday decorations that will be packed away for next year! Wishing you all a wonderful new year, and happy making! xoxo

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland

[Photos by Lovely Indeed for The Sweetest Occasion.]

The fine print: Please link with love! As with all of our posts, DIY projects featured on The Sweetest Occasion may not be copied, distributed or reproduced without express written permission. Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the DIY tutorial and do not include the instructions in your own post. Thanks so much! xoxo

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Nel

Sunday 9th of June 2019

How long does this garland stay nice?

Cyd Converse

Tuesday 11th of June 2019

Hi Nel! I think it can stay nice for weeks. It does dry out over time, but it still looks beautiful for a long while. I hope this helps!

Mallory

Monday 2nd of June 2014

I love this idea so much! Do you know of any other leaves that would work well without wilting almost immediately? I have an event coming up and just wondering if lemon tree leaves might work. Unfortunately I don't have a magnolia tree :-(

Victoria

Thursday 9th of January 2014

These magnolia leaves make such a gorgeous garland, such a great idea for fresh foliage after the tree comes down!

Plum Pretty Sugar

Tuesday 7th of January 2014

Gorgeous! Such a beautiful garland, we can just imagine the fresh aroma!

xo

Ivana @ Macarons and Pearls

Tuesday 7th of January 2014

What a lovely and inspiring idea! Unfortunately, I have no magnolia tree in my vicinity (no leaves in winter), but I'll definitely keep this idea on my mind (and on my Pinterest). It looks lovely: festive, but not overly Christmassy. I think it's the best remedy against the post-holiday let down :)

xx Ivana

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