Fall weather has finally made it’s way to coastal Virginia. Just last week our temps dipped into the 70s, with a little relief from the humidity. The (relatively) cooler air has me itching to toss up some autumn decor. Here’s an easy, cheap way to make a fall leaf garland that looks much more expensive than it is!

Start with a couple bags of fabric fall leaves, I found mine at Dollar Tree.

Divide them into thirds, laying 2/3 of them out on a drop cloth in a well ventilated area.

Find the nearest 5-year-old to spraypaint half of them gold and half silver. Spray both sides and let dry. (Songbird loves getting her hands on this easy spray nozzle, especially if it involves making something GOLD!)

Use a long stitch to sew the leaves together, overlapping them slightly. Be sure to alternate the gold, silver, and natural colors and to turn them every which way. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can also use small dabs of hot glue to attach them to a thin ribbon. (don’t worry, my sewing machine has an ultra slow mode and it’s perfect for Songbird to practice)

For just a couple bucks and some spraypaint I already had on hand, this shiny fall leaf garland is just the thing to kick off the new season!