The article presents a variety of paper accordion leaves, templates and step-by-step instructions for creating a particular leaf. Such leaves can be in very different colors, for example, if they are dedicated to autumn events, it is better to use colored paper in yellow, orange and red colors; for spring events, leaves of light green and light green shades would be a good option. Even for winter celebrations, you can make leaves from silver or white paper.
For work you will need the following materials:
- Colored paper of various colors suitable for leaves;
- Scissors, glue stick, simple pencil.
Paper accordion leaves step by step: 8 options with templates
Option 1. Accordion paper maple leaf
You will need yellow or green colored paper. Cut an arbitrary rectangle from it.
Fold it in half.
Draw or print the template for yourself. Cut it out and attach it to the colored paper folded in half, taking into account that the straight long side on the template falls on the fold.
Trace with a pencil. In the photo the fold is on the left. And in the future, all stages presented with paper folded in half will be folded on the left.
Cut out the workpiece, carefully cutting off all wavy lines.
Now open it. You should end up with a similar piece, with symmetrical edges.
At this stage, it's time to make a paper accordion. It is better to start from the bottom, widest side. Fold a small fold, no more than 7 mm wide, but extending over the entire area of the sheet. Press carefully and then fold the same fold in the other direction. Repeat this process until all the paper has turned into an accordion.
For convenience, turn the accordion over with the long side up.
Find the middle and fold it in half. Press well, especially in the area of the bottom fold, and glue the inside sides together. In the photo this area is shown with arrows.
Depending on the structure of the paper, sometimes it becomes necessary to glue the bottom two or three folds of the sheet. Most often they come apart in very thin paper. Dense holds all the folds together well without glue.
The accordion paper maple leaf is ready, straighten its folds and glue a thin stem.
Option 2. Autumn leaf made of accordion paper
Of course, it can be not only autumn. If you make it from green paper, the leaf will look like spring or summer.
To create it you also need a rectangular piece of paper.
As in the first option, the paper needs to be folded in half.
Then you should use a template or draw a simple zigzag line, reminiscent of one part of a Christmas tree. 
This line should start from the fold of the paper and end at the bottom.
Cut out the drawing obtained using a template or your own efforts.
Open the sides.
Make small folds, length from one side to the other, and width of 5-7 mm. If the sheet is large or the children are small, the folds may be larger.
The accordion is made; for convenience, turn it wide side up.
Mark the middle and carefully fold it in half. Press down, especially at the very bottom.
Apply glue to one of the inner sides and glue them together. In the photo this area is shown with arrows. If necessary, glue a few folds at the very bottom of the leaf.
At the end, straighten the accordion sheet a little and glue the petiole, which is a thin strip of colored paper from which the sheet itself is made. But such a stem is not strong, it can only complement the leaf, and, for example, gluing leaves to a homemade tree will not work. It is better for these purposes to use colored cardboard, or colored paper, twisted into a flagellum and threaded through a hole in the bottom of the sheet.
Option 3. Oak sheet of accordion paper
The outline of this leaf is similar to that of an oak leaf, only the longitudinal folds slightly worsen this definition. But for variety, this version of the leaf will also come in handy, especially in those jobs or events where you need a lot of leaves of various shapes.
Cut out a square from paper.
Fold it in half, the fold is on my left.
Use a template or draw large waves yourself, starting from the fold side and reaching the bottom side. 
Cut the part through two sides at once, but without touching the left one. She must be whole.
Open the paper.
And, as always, make thin folds, starting with the widest part of the paper. Carefully fold all the paper into an accordion, one fold in one direction, the next in the other. For convenience, the paper can be turned over during operation. As a last resort, draw light longitudinal lines with a simple pencil and fold the leaf along them.
Place the resulting accordion with the longest side facing up.
Find the middle and fold the accordion in half. Glue the inside sides together.
Straighten the folds, glue the petiole and the accordion-shaped oak leaf is ready.
4 version of accordion paper sheet
This species looks like a hornbeam or beech leaf. And on the leaves of many other trees. The main thing is that it does not require any templates; it is extremely simple to make.
To make this oblong leaf, you need triangular shaped paper. You can first cut a square out of paper.
Fold in half, connecting opposite corners.
Cut in half and you get two triangles.
You will need one triangle per sheet. Turn it wide side down and start making folds there, like an accordion.
Turn the entire triangle into an accordion.
For convenience, turn it over with the longest side facing up.
Find the middle and fold exactly in half, bringing the ends together. In the middle, apply glue to one side and glue the side parts together.
Straighten it a little and glue the stem. The sheet is ready.
5 version of accordion paper sheet
The most common type, the shape resembles the leaves of poplar, linden, and birch. For variety, let it be green, although the leaf in the autumn, yellow-orange version is no less interesting.
It requires a not very wide paper rectangle.
Fold the rectangle in half, the fold in the photo on the left.
Use a template or draw a convex line yourself, the beginning of which is from the side of the fold, and the sloping slope reaches the bottom side of the sheet folded in half. 
There are no exact proportions or markings here. If you want a more prominent narrow tip, the indentation on the line can be made more pronounced.
Cut out the design without touching the left side.
Open the paper.
Make an accordion, starting with the straight, longest side. As usual, the width of the folds is ideal in the region of 5-7 mm.
Turn the accordion over with the straight side facing up.
Fold in half and glue the inside sides together. If necessary, glue the bottom folds.
Spread the leaf and glue the stem.
Option 6. Another maple leaf made from accordion paper
There are quite a few varieties of maple leaves made from folded paper. It all depends on the template. There are very simple ones that can be drawn almost arbitrarily, and more complex patterns that it is still advisable to follow as accurately as possible. In the second case, the maple leaves are more perfect, closer to the original.
Despite the fact that I was the first to show one type of maple leaf, I still can’t resist and show you another one that I really liked.
For this you will need square colored paper.
This square then needs to be folded in half.
Print the template and carefully reproduce its lines on colored paper, taking into account that the fold is on the left. 
Then everything is as usual. Unfold the paper piece.
Make narrow folds, starting from the straight, wide side and up to the very top.
Find the middle and fold the accordion-folded paper in half. Here you can see that this yellow paper is thinner than the previous ones; at the very bottom the folds are not held together. Therefore, they need to be forced to do this with glue. You can safely apply glue at the fold on the three lower folds. And, of course, glue the inner two sides together, where shown by the arrows.
Straighten the folds a little, glue the stem and the beautiful, accordion-style autumn maple leaf in this version is ready.
7 version of accordion leaves
A simple round shaped leaf. There can be a variety of colors inherent in the leaves.
You will need a rectangular piece.
Fold it in half.
Using a compass or something suitable round, draw a rounded line connecting the sides of the paper. The fold is in the photo on the left.
Cut along the outline.
Open it up and you will have an even semicircle.
Make small folds, starting from the straight side of the semicircle and to the very top.
Turn the accordion piece over so the long, straight side is facing up.
Fold in half and glue the inside sides together.
Carefully straighten and glue the stem. The round sheet is ready.
Option 8. Thin oblong accordion leaves
The shape is inherent in the leaves of willow, olive and some others.
To make such a sheet, you need a rectangular, rather narrow strip of paper. The narrower it is, the thinner the leaf, although it is more difficult to make very thin ones.
Fold the strip in half.
Draw a slanting line. Please note that in the photo the fold of the paper is on the left.
Cut along the line to create a double triangle.
Reveal its parts.
Fold into a shallow fold. As you can see, it is problematic to make even folds on very narrow paper, but this will not appear on the sheet.
Turn the long side up and bend the accordion in half. Glue the middle.
You will get this narrow sheet of accordion paper.
Describing autumn leaves, poets find many epithets and metaphors, and this is not surprising, because they amaze everyone with their variety of shapes and colors. Yellow, red, crimson, green leaves can become a highlight in the decor, decoration for various products and even accessories. Of course, you can collect them during leaf fall, but, unfortunately, sooner or later they lose color and shape. We suggest making autumn leaves, and then they will delight the eye in their original form for a very long time, because they were made with your own hands.
Learn how to make autumn leaves with your own hands using the origami technique
Anyone, even a child, can make cute autumn leaves using origami.
For this you need fairly cheap material:
- multi-colored paper;
- glue;
- scissors.
A variety of colors are suitable - green, red, yellow, orange, it is best if it is painted on both sides. You can take white paper, then color the leaves with paints, pencils or felt-tip pens.
- Take a sheet of the chosen color and fold it in half.
- Draw a diagonal from one corner to another, cut along this line.
- We fold the resulting triangle like an accordion.
- From the remaining piece of paper, cut a strip and twist the flagellum to form a stem.
- Glue the stem to the leaf.
If you cut a “herringbone” in place of the diagonal, you will get a maple leaf.
Using the described method, you can make leaves from corrugated paper; from this material they turn out textured. You can also use a simpler method: cut out double leaves using templates and glue a cutting of floral wire inside.
These leaves can be used in flower arrangements, as well as to create autumn wreaths for heads and doors.
Making simple and bright leaves using the quilling technique
Let's consider another option for making autumn leaves from paper, only in this case the quilling technique will be used, which allows you to create three-dimensional products.
Required materials:
- paper strips for quilling in red, yellow, orange, brown colors;
- thick paper or cardboard for the base;
- toothpick;
- PVA glue.
We twist dense spirals from multi-colored circles, fix the tip with glue, use our fingers to shape “eyes”, and also make several “triangles”. We glue the elements together, as in the photo. You need to make five such blanks.
We assemble the resulting blanks into a maple leaf, glue the elements together, fill the middle with “triangles,” and add a stem.
Let's consider creating autumn leaves from foamiran
Unusually beautiful and natural autumn leaves can be made from foamiran. We will prepare for them:
- sheets of foamiran of a suitable color (yellow, red, green, brown);
- scissors;
- mold with leaf texture;
- sponge;
- oil paints;
- floral wire;
- iron.
- Download from the Internet or draw templates of the required leaves on paper and cut them out.
- We trace the templates on foamiran and carefully cut out the leaves using them.
- Using a sponge we add shades to the leaves; you can do this by looking at a living leaf or in a photo.
- We heat up the iron, apply a piece of paper to it for a couple of seconds, then press the workpiece to the mold. Now the product has natural veins.
- Glue pieces of wire to the leaves in the place where the stalk should be.
- Heat the leaves again and crumple the edges.
The result is very realistic autumn leaves that can be used for topiary, accessories, door wreaths and other compositions.
With children you can make bright leaves from plasticine and cardboard. This option is also suitable for those who need to quickly make similar products from a minimum of materials. 
For plasticine leaves you will need:
- cardboard;
- scissors;
- leaf patterns;
- multi-colored plasticine.
Using the template, cut out a leaf, pinch off a small piece of plasticine, knead it in your hands, then smear it over the workpiece with your finger. If you use several shades of plasticine, the leaf will turn out more interesting and realistic.
Knitting autumn leaves with knitting needles in a step-by-step lesson for beginners
Knitting lovers can knit an autumn leaf. This work is quite painstaking, but the end result is a real masterpiece!
The “leaf” knitting pattern allows you to create various accessories and use them for panels.
As you can see, any technique has its own ways of creating beautiful autumn leaves, so every needlewoman will find a method to her liking.
Video selection on the topic of the article
In conclusion, we offer you to watch a video with master classes on making autumn leaves using different techniques.
Summary: DIY autumn paper crafts for children. Autumn crafts for kindergarten. Autumn paper crafts for school. Autumn decoration for a kindergarten group.
We continue publishing articles on the topic “Autumn crafts for children.” Previously, we told you about autumn crafts made from natural materials. See our previous publications:
This time we will talk about autumn paper crafts. We will tell you how to make autumn leaves from paper and wax crayons, wicker leaves from colored paper, and teach you how to make autumn lanterns and a pumpkin from an old book. From this article you will also learn how to fold origami mushrooms and, using our master class, you will be able to decorate your room with an original autumn panel.
Autumn leaves made of paper
- wax paper - wax pencils - grater
Grate wax crayons of different colors (yellow, red, orange, brown) on a grater (coarse or fine). Place the resulting multi-colored shavings between two sheets of wax paper and cover with a sheet of plain paper on top. Iron the resulting “pie” with an iron at low power until the shavings melt.
Now they can be used for autumn decoration of a kindergarten or apartment.
For detailed instructions on how to make this autumn paper craft, follow the link >>>>
Autumn leaves cut from the so-called look very unusual. "marble paper" Read how to make marble paper with your child here >>>>.
2. DIY autumn crafts. Autumn crafts for children
This is the kind of autumn beauty the Country of Masters website suggests making from paper. For a detailed master class on making this autumn craft for children, see the link >>>>
And these are easier-to-make paper leaves for the autumn decoration of a kindergarten group or apartment.
You can make braided not only autumn leaves, but also apples.
And these are such cute rugs.
3. Autumn crafts. Maple leaves made of paper, made using the origami technique
And here you can see ways to color the leaves with paints and felt-tip pens >>>>
The website Krokotak.com offers its own version of autumn paper crafts. These autumn leaves are also made using the origami technique.
4. Autumn Festival. Autumn festival in kindergarten
Well, the easiest way to decorate a kindergarten for the autumn holiday is to arrange a leaf fall using paper leaves. Just to make the leaves look more natural, first make holes in them with a hole punch.
5. Autumn crafts for kindergarten. Autumn crafts in kindergarten
In the article “New Year's lanterns made of paper” we described several simple ways to make this New Year's decoration with your own hands. Such lanterns can also be used for autumn interior decoration, the only difference being that they must be made from colored paper in autumn tones.
For instructions on how to make this paper lantern, see the link >>>>
By attaching strings to the lanterns, you can hang them from the ceiling, and you can also turn them into pumpkins by adding twigs and leaves. Such paper pumpkins will take their rightful place in the autumn decoration of a kindergarten group or apartment.
6. Autumn crafts for kindergarten. Autumn crafts for school
7. Autumn decoration of kindergarten. Autumn decoration for a kindergarten group
These bright, festive vegetables, fruits and mushrooms are made according to the same principle as the New Year's balls from the next article >>>>
On the Bulgarian website Krokotak.com you will find another interesting paper craft - a mushroom made using the origami technique. See link >>>>
8. Autumn decoration of the apartment. Autumn interior design
To make this autumn panel you will need:
Work plan:
2. Cut it into leaves about 1 cm thick. Using a glue gun, stick them on colored cardboard.
3. When the glue has dried, cut out the leaves along the contour.
9. Autumn crafts for kindergarten. Autumn crafts for school
— Tree from a paper bag
For a detailed master class on how to make this autumn craft for kindergarten, see here.
And with these mushrooms from paper bags you can decorate a summer cottage, a kindergarten plot or a courtyard next to the house.
Material prepared by: Anna Ponomarenko
— Crafts from pine cones"
— Crafts from acorns"
— Crafts from vegetables and fruits"
— Crafts made from natural materials and plasticine"
— Unconventional drawing techniques
The newest online primer
Game cards for the ABC book
Preparation for school
Vacation with children
Summer crafts
Paper flowers
DIY autumn crafts at school
Origami on the theme Autumn
Master class: “Leaf fall”
Application: Work for an exhibition, interior decoration.
Dear friends, in childhood we all launched paper airplanes, made wallets, boats and steamboats out of paper, made caps and hats from newspapers. And only many years later they learned that paper folding is called a beautiful word - origami.
I've been looking at you for a long time with loving eyes
On ancient Japanese art,
Which is called Origami.
There is no need for wizards and magicians here,
There's nothing special here,
You just need to take a piece of paper
And try to put something together.
And I offer you a master class of work made using the modular origami technique - “Falling Leaves”.
Material: To work you will need colored paper in “autumn” shades, a ruler, a simple pencil, glue (glue stick), gouache, and a brush.
...Look! On dark fir trees in the undergrowth
Maple stars burn like pendants.
Bend over for the most beautiful leaf
In veins of crimson on gold.
Remember everything, how the earth falls asleep,
And the wind covers it with leaves.
And in the maple grove it is brighter and brighter.
More and more leaves are flying from the branches...” (V. Berestov)
Modular origami is a style of origami in which a whole figure (work) is assembled from separate parts - modules. There are many varieties of origami modules, both flat and three-dimensional.
1. In this work, the Trefoil module is used. From such modules you can make various mosaics, appliqués and three-dimensional products
2. To fold the module you will need a square piece of paper. Place it back side up. Bend diagonally and straighten. Fold the edges towards the middle
3. Fold the corner up and tuck it inside
4. Fold the side corners to the middle
5. Now the corners need to be tucked inside the workpiece. To do this, straighten the left corner, then straighten the entire left side of the workpiece
6. Fold the corner inward, fold the left side
Quilling "Autumn"
Autumn is probably the brightest time of the year, but even the colorful landscapes outside the window do not brighten up the autumn blues. Rainy, cloudy days and the sadness of the passing summer bring up sad thoughts, so it's time to do some handicrafts.
There are many interesting techniques for making various crafts, but quilling or simply paper rolling deserves special attention. The technique itself is quite simple to perform, so even beginners will find it quite easy to master. Its meaning is to twist special quilling paper into various shapes, with the help of which you can then create a variety of patterns and designs.
Using the quilling technique on the theme of autumn, you can create a wide variety of masterpieces: golden and crimson bouquets of flowers, tree branches, leaves or other objects reminiscent of autumn.
In addition, from individual elements created using the quilling technique, you can create real autumn pictures.
In this article we present to your attention a small master class in which we will show you how to make a beautiful autumn leaf using the quilling technique.
For creativity you will need:
Let's get started:
The resulting maple leaf can decorate any postcard or page, and can also be used as a separate element of various autumn crafts using the quilling technique.
Modular origami is a popular type of origami in which the product is assembled from several identical modules, folded according to the rules of classic origami. Such products do not fall apart, being held together by the frictional force that occurs when modules are stacked on top of each other. However, very often glue is used in work when it simply cannot be done without it.
Modular origami was first mentioned in a Japanese book in 1734. It came to the masses only in the 60s of the last century. The most famous masters of modular origami are the Japanese Mitsunobu Sonobe and the American Robert Lang.
The modules can be used to fold both flat and three-dimensional products using paper of different colors. Working not only with volume, but also with color requires increased concentration and involves both hemispheres of the brain. Therefore, this will be an excellent educational activity for children. A very interesting object made using this technique is kusudama. Translated from Japanese it means medicine ball. Previously, it was used to treat the sick, putting medicinal herbs and flower petals inside. The Japanese believed that such a ball radiated positive energy and helped the patient recover. Kusudama can become an original interior decoration and a wonderful gift for your loved ones.
Modular origami is comparable to a construction set from which you can put together various shapes of any complexity. The main thing is to learn how to fold modules, and from them you can assemble anything you want. Use your imagination, or take a look at the master classes in this section. Using the modular origami technique, swans of various sizes are often made, as well as peacocks, bunnies and other living creatures. You can even make candy bowls that will fully fulfill their function.
Modular origami has a positive effect on the development of a child. By folding the modules, children not only develop fine motor skills, but also become familiar with geometric concepts such as edges, angles, triangles, squares, etc.
Take a look into the magical world of origami and create your own unique compositions! This section contains our master classes and assembly diagrams for various products using this technique.
We have been living in Thailand for more than six months, and unfortunately there is no autumn, yellow maple leaves and everything that distinguishes this time of year from summer, for example... I remember how during our walks my son did nothing but run around with great pleasure and joy over fallen rustling leaves and jumped over huge leafy heaps (may the poor street cleaners who swept the roads forgive us...). The coming autumn in our distant Russia became an opportunity for my son and me to learn how to make herbariums using the origami technique. In order not to forget that atmosphere and create a little of that autumn mood at home, we set about paper creativity. And for you, I have collected several origami patterns on an autumn theme.
The “golden season” is just around the corner, and with it the beautiful autumn leaves which we will try to make using technology origami. Let's collect a maple leaf, as it is rich in bright colors and always evokes admiration.
There are many models. Some are assembled from several sheets of paper, but we will focus on the option of one square. After all, origami is originally the art of creating figures from one sheet by folding it in different ways.
How to make origami autumn leaves
Take red, yellow or orange paper, 10x10 cm in size if you want a small leaf, or 20x20 cm for a large maple leaf.
First, mark the lines along which the assembly will be carried out. To do this, bend the workpiece vertically and horizontally. Now bring each edge of the sheet to the center in all directions and iron the folds well.
Fold the square twice diagonally. Bring each of the four corners to the center and carefully mark the folds again. Unfold the sheet. Look what happened.
In the area of the three corners, along the marked folds, fold three double squares. The assembly method is described in detail.
For each such diamond, bend the lower sides and corners towards the middle, as in the photo.
Along the marked folds, remove the outer parts inward and point the end up. The result is an elongated rhombus from each double square - there are three in total.
Hide the areas between the three formed figures on the wrong side, gently pressing them with your fingers.
Form the free lower end into a shape similar to a polygon.
On the front side, make two folds at a short distance from each other - away from you and towards you. Connect the parts of the remaining end together, making another bend away from you and form a twig by twisting the end in a spiral.
The autumn maple leaf is ready! It is well suited as a craft for kindergarten or school, especially as part of an autumn composition. Decorate your apartment or hall prepared for the Autumn holiday with yellow, red, orange leaves. In addition, several options for beautiful leaves. Just use other colors instead of green paper.
ORIGAMI TECHNIQUE
AUTUMN LEAF
Instructions for creating a wreath from autumn paper leaves: Take one sheet of paper. Fold it in half to make a triangle. Unfold the sheet and place it with one of the corners facing up. Fold the left and right corner of the diamond to the center fold line, as in picture 1.
Fold the new left and right corners of the figure towards the center again, as in picture 1.
Make three pieces of the same parts as in step 4.
Make six of the same pieces as in step 5.
Take one part from point 4 and two from point 5.
Fold the three pieces as shown in picture 2.
Lubricate the top part with glue and glue the bottom two to it. Make two more parts in the same way.
Glue all three components together, as shown in picture 3. Each component must be placed on top of the other. As a result, you will have a finished leaf.
Now you can make a branch. Glue the paper to the back side of the finished leaf so that one corner peeks out (diamond-shaped). Trim the glued sheet of paper on both sides and fold it as shown in the picture below. One autumn sheet of paper is completely ready. Make a few more leaves and combine them into a wreath shape.
Instructions on how to make autumn leaves from paper using the origami technique, reminiscent of maple leaves (second main form): Take an A4 sheet and fold it in half. Draw a line with a pencil from one corner to the opposite. Draw a zigzag, herringbone-like line on top of the straight line. Cut along the intended contour (picture 1). Fold the resulting sheet of paper into an accordion shape. We make a stem (picture 2). Glue the parts together (picture 2).
