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DIY Sheet Music Watercolor Fall Leaves

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These DIY sheet music watercolor fall leaves are so thrifty and simple to make. They’re a fun addition to any fall decor

mantel with cathedral window and diy watercolor sheet music leaves

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Hey, friends! Are you enjoying fall temps and adding fall decor to your home? Fall is my favorite time of year because the house feels cozy and warm and the leaves on the trees are so beautiful. 

Today I’m sharing an easy tutorial for making some leaves out of sheet music. I’ve just joined a talented team of bloggers, organized by Julie at Redhead Can Decorate, who all have amazing ideas for thrifty decor and are sharing some budget friendly ideas for you. The projects are at the bottom of the post so keep scrolling after my tutorial to see them all.

All of our ideas are made with items that are thrifted, second hand, or found and they’re so creative and original. And thrifty, of course!

Let’s get started on my super simple and thrifty project!

DIY Watercolor Sheet Music Leaves

I found a stack of vintage sheet music books a few weeks ago at our local Re-store for a whopping .55¢.  I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do with them, but I love old sheet music and knew I’d come up with something.

I decided that they’d be perfect for some fall leaves on our family room mantel. (You can see the rest of the mantel and family room decor here → Fall Family Room Decor)

Supplies Needed

vintage sheet music and glue gun with leaves cut by cricut machine

How to make the watercolor sheet music leaves

1. Cut the pages into leaf shapes

I used my Cricut maker and a free leaf design from the cricut design space for the leaves. Since the sheet music was a little delicate I used the light grip mat. I tried the regular grip mat first but the paper tore as I was trying to remove it.

sheet music cut into leaf shapes with cricut machine

NOTE: You could easily cut out some leaves by hand if you don’t have a cutting machine. The machine just makes it a little quicker and easier, and I’m all about that!

2. Add color to the leaves with watercolor paint or pencils

After the leaf shapes were cut, I used my watercolor pencils to add color to them. It took a couple of minutes per leaf to get the colors I wanted. This was really simple to do and I made a little video while I was painting the leaves. You can view it on my youtube channel here: DIY Watercolor Leaves Video

3. Attach the leaves to branches

I used my hot glue gun to attach the leaves to a couple of branches that I had found out in our yard. I made the first branch with soft golden yellow and orange-y leaves but decided to add more color with the second branch. 

mantel with diy watercolor music sheet leaves and vintage books with baby boo pumpkins

More reds and blues were used to create the second branch. They turned out a little more pink than I wanted, but I can always add more yellow or orange to change the hue. 

I added the branches to a vintage German beer bottle that was a freebie from a family friend. It made the perfect fall vase! 

mantel decor with diy watercolor sheet music leaves and vintage items

So what do you think? Not bad for spending .55¢, huh? Plus I still have lots of pages left for future thrifty projects. What would you do with them? I’m looking for ideas and am all ears!

diy watercolor sheet music leaves attached to branches

Be sure to keep scrolling to see all of this month’s thrifty decorating ideas! And watch for more ideas each month.

Thrifty Spooky Halloween Corner from Redhead Can Decorate

Framed Mirror Tray from 2 Bees in a Pod

Step Stool Makeover from Bliss Ranch

Fall Leaf Candleholders from Chatfield Court

Thrifty Homemade Candles from Cottage at the Crossroads

Painting an Antique Cabinet in a Bold Blue from DIY Beautify

Fall Crafts Using Spray Paint from Duke Manor Farm

Fishing Basket Turned Fall Door Decor from I Should Be Mopping the Floor

DIY Hanging Basket from a Placemat from Jennifer Rizzo

DIY Watercolor Sheet Music Leaves from Postcards from the Ridge

Tomato Cage Pumpkin from Salvage Sister and Mister

Embroidery Hoop Halloween Wreath from The Creek Line House

Vintage Kitchen Counter Step Stool Makeover from The DIY Village

Halloween Letter Board Ghost from The How To Home

DIY Halloween Candy Dispenser with Jack O’ Lantern Eyes Printable from Unskinny Boppy

Simple Eucalyptus Garland from What Meegan Makes

20 Comments

  1. These are beautiful, but I can't get your video to open. I probably would not spend that much on the pencils, but I see on line there are a number of options at lesser prices. Thanks for sharing your creativity.

    1. Thanks, Teddee. Maybe try on a different browser for the video. I'm on chrome and it opens for me. And yes, there are different options for the watercolor pencils. You could also use regular watercolor paint. I find that I have a little better control with the pencils, but either would give you the same look. Thanks for dropping by!

    1. Thank you, Christina! They're really quick and easy. And extremely thrifty. Have a great weekend!

  2. I really like the colors and the beautiful vintage pages. You did a fabulous job. Watercolor pencils are my favorite! Thanks for the tutorial, Angie.

    1. Thanks, Meegan! I love using the watercolor pencils too. They're so much easier for me to control than an artists' brush.

  3. Angie, I'm so glad you joined the team because you always have the best ideas! I think the pink leaves blend beautifully with all the other colors on your mantel. I have not tried watercolor pencils so I will have to check them out!

    1. Aw, thanks Jane. I'm so happy to be a part of this super creative team and can't wait to see what everyone contributes each month.

  4. Hi,
    I searched in you blog to find your videos but I failed, also I was not able to get you on YouTube! I believe I am doing something wrong. Is it possible to send me the link please. I loved your crackles mostly among your other beautiful projects.
    Thank you for sharing and teaching us to be creative. My best wishes. Zappa

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