DIY Fall Decor – Autumn Tree

Autumn is my favorite season. I love the changes of the leaves and the crispness in the air. Living in the south we get some changing leaf colors but not many. Not like back in Michigan where the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, yellow and orange until you get that rainstorm and the next day all the leaves are laying on the ground. Fall doesn’t last long enough. That’s why I wanted to create this DIY fall decor tree. You can enjoy the colors of this autumn tree if you live somewhere that doesn’t change or without fear of the rain washing away the leaves if you are in the north.

I have some future plans for this fall DIY. The great thing about it is how cheap it was to create since I had everything but the leaves. Being a military family and moving often, it helps to have decorations that are cheap and can be left behind.

Creating Your DIY Fall Decor

Supplies:

• Fake autumn leaves
• A strand of fairy lights- bonus if they have a timer.
• Branch from a tree
• A container to put the tree in
• Something to keep the tree standing and give the container weight

I purchased two packs of the autumn leaves from my local dollar tree but you can also find them at Wal-Mart and Amazon. Use leaves from floral picks or garland if that’s what you have on hand. The fairy light length is going to depend on what branch you choose and whether you want a lot of lights or fewer. I really like that mine have a timer and are indoor or outdoor. You’ll want a dead branch that fits in the space you are trying to set it up at. Don’t forget to clean it off and make sure it’s bug free. You can trim the branches to suit your needs. You’ll also need a container for your tree. I found mine at a thrift store. I used a beach towel and a decorative throw blanket to weigh my container down and secure the branch inside.

Assembly:

1. First you’ll want to weigh your container down and provide security to your branch. I did this with a beach towel and a blanket. I wrapped the beach towel in a circle around the bottom of my container leaving a small gap in the center which allows me to slide the branch to through. I then repeated this step with the blanket over the towel.
2. Now you can slide the branch in being sure to adjust the towel and blanket so you have a nice fit.
3. Next wrap the fairy lights up the branch and around the stems. I started at the bottom and hid the battery pack in the blanket. After you wrap the lights test how they look by turning them on before moving on.
4. Lastly, with the hot glue gun on low, very carefully glue the leaves to the branches.

Customizing your DIY Fall Decor

There are tons of ways this fall DIY tree can be customized. Use whatever variety of container to suite your décor style. I’ve seen other types of faux leaves that could also be used instead of the fall colored maple leaves. You could go with a specific color of fairy lights. Try spray painting your branch and or the leaves for something different. Make a big tree or opt for something smaller that will fit in a vase. Do whatever you like that will make you happy.

Try it!

I’m pleased with how it turned out. I love the warm glow of it in the evening especially as the days grow shorter, and how it gives a lot of height to the corner of my dining room.  It was very fast to create and inexpensive. I plan on turning it into a grateful tree for Thanksgiving so check in soon to see how I do that. I hope you enjoy how customizable this DIY fall decor is. I’d love to see what you recreate so be sure to tag me on Instagram!