Paper Leaf Wreath: Cut, Score and Layer Cardstock Leaves

Three shades of green cardstock, a hand-drawn template and a scored center line are the whole recipe for a paper leaf wreath. Each leaf is cut, scored down the middle and folded slightly so its two halves lift, then glued onto a flat ring so that it covers the base of the leaf before it. Repeated all the way around, that overlap hides every dot of glue and the ring itself.

The work is simple but repetitive, and the result depends on two habits: scoring before you fold, and keeping every leaf pointing the same way.

What You Need

• Cardstock in three greens, such as a dark forest, a soft sage and a blue-green
• A flat cardboard ring about 10 in (25 cm) across the outside and 7 in (18 cm) across the inside, or a thin flat hoop
• Scrap card for templates
• A pencil, scissors and a ruler
• A bone folder, or an empty ballpoint pen
• Thick craft glue
• Terracotta paper for berries (optional)
• Ribbon or twine for hanging

You can cut the ring from a box in the same way as the base for the paper flower wreath. Three greens matter more than they seem to. A single green looks flat, however carefully the leaves are folded, and three give the layers depth.

Leaf Sizes and Template

Draw half a leaf against the folded edge of a piece of scrap card, cut it out and unfold it. That gives a symmetrical template with a center crease already marked. Keep the shape plain: a pointed oval, widest just below the middle. Make two templates.

The number of leaves depends on how closely you overlap them. About forty large and twenty small is a reasonable first batch for this ring, divided across the three greens. Cut more as needed until the base is covered.

How to Cut, Score and Fold a Leaf

1. Trace the template. Lay it on the cardstock and draw around it lightly with a pencil. Fit the outlines close together to save paper, and trace on the back if the pencil shows.
2. Cut and score. Cut the leaf out. Lay the ruler from tip to base and draw the bone folder along it with firm pressure, so it leaves a dent down the center without cutting through.
3. Fold slightly. Fold the leaf along the scored line, then open it until the two halves sit in a shallow V.

Scoring is the step that separates a crisp leaf from a crumpled one. It compresses the card fibers along one line, so the fold follows that line exactly. Cardstock folded without a score buckles and cracks, and the vein wanders off center.

Layering the Leaves in One Direction

Decide which way the tips will point, for example clockwise. You then work around the ring the opposite way, because each new leaf is laid with its tip over the glued base of the leaf before it.

1. Glue the first leaf. Put glue only on the bottom third of the back of a large leaf. Press it onto the ring at a slight slant, with its tip toward the outer edge.
2. Add the second leaf. Place it so its tip covers the glued base of the first, and slant it the other way, toward the inner edge.
3. Keep alternating. Continue with one leaf slightly left of the middle of the ring and the next slightly right, changing green each time. Every tip overlaps the previous base.
4. Close the circle. When you reach the first leaf, lift its free tip and slide the last bases underneath it, so the join looks like every other part of the ring.
5. Fill in with small leaves. Tuck small leaves under the large ones wherever cardboard shows, mostly along the inner edge.

Gluing only the base keeps the tips free, and free tips are what make the wreath look layered. The alternating slant widens the band of leaves so it covers both edges of the ring. For more on direction and flow, see the guide to wreath composition.

Optional Paper Berries

Berries add a small spot of contrast. Cut circles about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across from terracotta paper and glue them in groups of three, tucked partly under a leaf tip. Three clusters spaced unevenly around the ring are enough. More than that starts to compete with the leaves.

Common Problems

• Leaves point in different directions. It usually happens after a break. Before gluing, check the last three leaves and match their slant.
• The fold cracks. The score was too light, or the card is very heavy. Press harder, or score on the back and fold away from the score.
• The ring shows at the inner edge. Add small leaves there, angled inward.
• Leaves lie flat. There is glue too far up the leaf. Keep it on the bottom third.

Hanging and Displaying It

Glue a ribbon loop to the back of the ring. With the leaf tips overhanging, a 10 in (25 cm) ring gives a finished wreath about 13 in (33 cm) across. It is light, and a small hook will usually do, but follow the hook maker’s weight rating and surface instructions. The guide on hanging a wreath without nails covers walls, doors and mirrors.

For a seasonal change, cut the same leaves in mustard, terracotta and plum for fall, or in white and pale gray for winter.