How to make a leaf mandala papercraft

Leaf Mandala Paper Craft Wall Art

Today you will learn how to make a beautiful leaf mandala wall decor. It is an easy papercraft project with free templates. The perfect weekend craft for beginners.

I love nature. When I have a little time, I try to go outside in the forest. A walk in the woods is relaxing and full of good vibes. My favorite color is green, possibly because of my love for nature. I also adore mandalas! I like to draw, to make, to sew mandalas in every size and style.

Just like nature, they calm me. That’s why I chose to make a mandala art.

You may think: but mandalas are detailed and complicated to draw, how will you make a papercraft within an afternoon? Well a find it that layering leaves and topping it with a cover with cut-outs makes the magic.

But let’s get started and see how to make this stunning paper wall art!

What is a mandala?

Mandalas are spiritual symbols; they mean circle and represent the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. Coloring pages are known for their relaxing effects. Ancient Indians used mandalas to create spaces for relaxation and meditation.

Why I chose a leaf mandala?

I love green color. People often use green color in decorating for its calming effects. They believe green helps to relieve stress and helps to heal.

One of the trends in home decor this year is tropical leaves inspired decoration. So I decided to make a nature-inspired mandala, to be more specific a leaf mandala. I call it the forest mandala or the leaf mandala.

Supplies you will need for the leaf mandala:

You won’t need anything specific for this papercraft. If you’re a regular crafter, I think you will have most of them at hand already.

craft knife
scissor
ruler
craft cutting board or a thick cardboard
double-sided adhesive foam tape
the free printable templates
three sheets of green paper (different tones) – size A4
one sheet white drawing paper
one sheet black paper
a 20×20 cm frame
hole puncher (optional)

What colored paper to choose?

I used colored printer paper for this craft, you can also stick with. They are easy to cut with the craft knife, but harder to handle while layering the leaves because they bend easily.

You can also choose colored cardstock. But be aware that some printers can’t handle cardstock, so you may not be able to print the templates on them. However, if you still decide to use cardstock, you can try other photo transferring methods to get the designs (for example with transfer paper or clear contact paper).

The creation process

Step 1 – Preparations

Print out the leaves on the green papers. Every leaf type should be on a different colored green paper. You should print leaf #1 on the darkest green paper, #2 on the medium green, and the #3 on the lightest green paper. Print out the mandala “frame” on the white drawing paper.

Step 2 -Cutting

Put one of the green papers on the cutting board or cardboard. Carefully cut out the leaves with the craft knife.

On the mandala, I used a leather hole puncher. I don’t have a single hole puncher for paper, but my leather hole puncher worked just fine.

If you don’t own a hole puncher, you can cut the holes out with the craft knife, but it’s more time-consuming. You can get a hole puncher in almost any craft store and they are not expensive.

Cut your black paper to the size of the frame.

Step 3 – Gluing

Arrange your leaves. Take the #1 leaves and put small pieces of double-sided tape on the back of the leaves. Stick all four of them on the black paper like this.

Repeat with #2 and #3 leaves. Be careful when you put #3 on the other layers. The small thin pieces are challenging to place symmetrically and even.

Take your mandala sheet and put tape alongside the edges. Place your mandala sheet on top.

Step 4 – Finishing

Put it in the frame. I had a wood frame from a thrift store. I painted it black, with my matte acrylic paint to create contrast.

TIP! If you don’t have matte acrylic paint at home, mix regular acrylic paint with cornstarch to get the matte effect.

Tips and Tricks:

When you cut with the craft knife, you have to hold the paper steady. Cut slowly, to prevent ripping the paper.
Cutting precisely makes this art high quality looking. So be sure to accord time while preparing the leaves.
Put more small tape pieces to keep the layers separated nicely.
If you don’t own a craft knife, you can use sharp and pointy scissors.

Conclusion about the leaf mandala craft

This project is effortless and fast; You don’t need any special skills or knowledge. If you have a couple of hours and some basic supplies and tools, you are good to go.

I love this leaf mandala wall art because it’s easy to incorporate into any home decor style. You can also customize the colors of the leaves to match your taste.

I’ve found a collection of cool paper wall art ideas (with free templates) by Homesthetics. Check it out here.

Did you like this craft? Would you like to see more paper crafts? Leave a comment below.