How to make Paper Leaves: DIY Paper Banana Leaf Wreath

Learn how to make paper leaves and turn them into this cute DIY paper banana leaf wreath. This tropical leaf is perfect for summer and sunny days! I originally shared this post at Darice, and it may contain affiliate links, which help to support this site. 

Who needs a new summer wreath?? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ If you are raising your hand right now, then I have the perfect project for you today!

We are going to be making a nice pile of beautiful crepe paper banana leaves, and then turn them into a pretty summer wreath! Fun, right?

You could also use these leaves for tons of other fun, non-wreath projects.

Can you say perfect summer party decor? Right? These crepe paper leaves would be just gorgeous paired with some blush pink balloons, no? And what about some of the super cute tropical gift bags pictured below as well?

Kind of great, right?

All of this tropical foliage plus pink is just making me think of Troop Beverly Hills, which was my favorite movie as a kid, and I’m still kind of obsessed with it. (As evidenced by that one time my daughter had a summer camp birthday party, and I couldn’t help but throw in a bunch of Troop Beverly Hills references even if no one appreciated them but me. 😂)

Just in case you are not familiar with this *amazing* piece of film, part of the film takes place in the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, which means I have always had a soft spot for its pink and green stripes and banana leaf wall paper.

I think that’s why I’ve been so excited about the tropical foliage trend going on lately. I wanted to try a crafty take on the trend, and this DIY tropical wreath made from crepe paper leaves is what I came up with.

P.S. If you love paper crafts like me, don’t miss my other paper craft projects over here.

DIY Paper Banana Leaf Wreath

Paper Leaf Wreath Supplies:

• Crepe Paper Sheets in a couple of colors
• Floral Tape
• Stem Wires
• 18″ Wire Wreath Form
• Glue
• Wire Cutters
• Hot Glue Gun

The first step in putting together your wreath is to make a whole bunch of crepe paper banana leaves, so let’s talk crepe paper leaves!

How to Make Paper Leaves

I made my banana leaves out of crepe paper sheets, which basically long pieces of crepe paper, you know the wrinkly stuff used to make those streamers from your childhood parties?

The crepe paper sheets I used were 20 inches wide by 7.5 feet long. The crepe paper gives the leaves a nice texture, and you can stretch the paper to give your leaves a natural curve as well.

Paper Leaves Step One. Cut out Shapes.

First, let’s cut out some oval shapes for the base of our leaves. I folded my crepe paper so I could cut four leaves at a time.

Be sure to cut your leaves perpendicular to the lines in the paper to make the leaves look more realistic.

After cutting out the oval shapes, clip little triangle shapes from along the edges of the oval shapes.

Viola! Totally look like banana leaves, right? Just a few more steps for an even more realistic look.

Paper Leaves Step Two. Glue in Stems.

Next, fold the leaf in half lengthwise and put a line of glue along the bottom half of the leaf in the crease as show in the image below.

Place a stem wire into the glue and fold the paper in half over the glue. Let it dry like this.

When the glue is dry, you can open up the leaf.

Ta-Da!

Pretty soon you will have a big pile of paper leaves. I made a wreath with mine, but a garland would be really pretty too. Or maybe a few big ones stuck in a vase?

I decided to make some in black as well to add some dimension and depth to the wreath. They kind of act like shadows I think.

How to Assemble the Wreath

If you are using your paper leaves to make a wreath, I will walk you through that process too. It’s super easy!

To attach the leaves to the wreath form, wrap the stem wires around the wreath form’s wires.

Cover the wire and the bottom of the leaf with floral tape. Pull the floral tape slightly as you wrap to activate the adhesive.

Try to vary the size and color of the leaves as you attach them to the wire. I liked the look of the folded leaves too, so I left some that way.

When you have the leaves all in place, use small drops of hot glue to keep them where they belong.

And that’s it! Hang your new wreath up and enjoy!

What do you think? Fun and summery right? What will you be making now that you know how to make crepe paper leaves??

I think they would also be great for a tropical themed party or other summer celebration. What would you use them for?

Until next time, Happy Making!