Hi—Jess from Bespoke Bride here. If you enjoyed our printable Chick Flick Game last time, you’ll love this easy DIY: a tropical paper garland that’s perfect for a bridal shower, summer wedding, or any warm-weather celebration. It’s simple to make, colorful, and really helps your decor stand out.
Ready to make one? Gather your supplies and follow the steps below.
DIY Tropical Garland
Total Time: 2–3 hours
Supplies
Leaf templates (three different palm leaf shapes)
Cardstock in shades of green, plus pinks and peaches
Scissors or a craft cutting machine (for example, a Cricut)
White string, cotton, or yarn
Craft glue
Directions
1. Choose how you’ll cut the leaves: trace printed templates by hand or upload the templates to a craft cutting machine.
2. Cutting by hand: print each leaf template on regular paper, cut it out, and use it to trace shapes onto green cardstock. Lightly pencil the outline, then cut the leaves from the cardstock. Repeat until you have enough leaves for your garland.
3. Cutting with a craft machine: upload the leaf files to your machine’s design software and size them to suit your project. For a garland that sits above a table, leaves about 4–6 inches wide work well; increase size for larger installations. Set the machine to cut cardstock and produce a mix of colors for variety.
4. Make paper flowers in complementing peach and pink tones. Use any paper-flower tutorial you like or the machine’s available designs. For this example, a total of about 64 palm leaves and 16 flowers provided a full look.
5. Assemble the garland: cut your string or yarn to the desired length and lay it flat. Add a thin strip of glue to the back of each leaf and press it onto the string, alternating colors and directions to create a natural, layered effect. Staggering the leaves toward each end creates a pleasing cascade.
6. Once the leaves are secured and the glue is dry, flip the garland so the string is hidden and glue flowers on top of the leaves for dimension and color.
7. Hang the garland: tape it to a wall, pin it in place, or drape it over a table edge as a runner. Multiple garlands can be grouped for a fuller installation or a photo booth backdrop.
We love how this garland looks above a feature table, but it also works as a table runner or layered into a backdrop. Make several and mix colors and sizes to suit your event—the possibilities are endless.
PS If you want to complete your party with cactus cupcakes like the ones shown, check the cupcake tutorial by Alana for an easy and charming complement.