Falling for Gingham: A Handmade Autumn Card
Autumn vibes, paper style—cozy, simple, and no rake required.
The leaves are turning, the air is getting crisp, and my coffee has officially transitioned from iced to “extra hot, please.” That can only mean one thing—it’s autumn card-making season! And while the real trees outside might be dropping crunchy brown leaves all over my yard, I thought I’d keep things a little prettier (and less rake-required) with these cheerful plaid leaves. Because let’s be honest, plaid makes everything better—even Monday mornings.
So while the squirrels are busy stocking up for winter and I’m over here stocking up on coffee beans, this little card is my way of sending cozy autumn vibes your way. Nothing says “fall” quite like a splash of plaid and a handful of paper leaves—no raking necessary. I hope it inspires you to create your own version and spread a few autumn greetings of your own.
To pull this card together, I started by ink blending my background panel with a stencil. Cut a feature layer from white cardstock and gave it a little gold splatter, cuz who doesn’t love splatter? Next came the leaves— in plaid (because, hello, it’s fall). With the smaller leaves cut in craft cardstock. I layered the leaves for that perfect “just tumbled from the tree but way prettier” look. I also backed the focal panel onto a layer of craft cardstock.
A simple sentiment finishes it off, keeping the focus on those cozy plaid leaves. Honestly, it’s one of those cards that looks like you fussed for hours, but really it’s more of a “sip coffee, cut paper, glue things down, repeat” kind of project.
Actually… my friend Barb and I did fuss over this card for hours (because apparently, plaid leaves require serious decision-making). But between all the laughter, paper shuffling, and “what if we try this instead” moments, the design finally came together perfectly. The good news? Once we figured it out, it’s the kind of card that would come together quickly if we were to recreate it—no marathon crafting session required.
And remember—you don’t need the exact same supplies to make this work. Dig through your stash for leaf dies, patterned papers, or even leftover scraps that give off those cozy fall vibes. Half the fun is making it your own (and the other half is the excuse to drink more coffee while you craft).
If you’re looking for the exact supplies I used (or maybe just an excuse to add a little more plaid to your life), I’ve linked them below for easy browsing—happy fall crafting!
Products used to create this card:
Lawn Fawn Favorite Flannel Pattern Paper
Lawn Fawn Dies - Stitched Leaves
Fall Vibes Only Leaves Stencil
Honey Bee Stamp Seasonal Sentiments
THE LINKS IN THIS POST CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS - WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE A PRODUCT FROM ONE OF THESE LINKS THAT I WILL MAKE A SMALL COMMISION. THIS DOESN'T COST YOU ANY EXTRA TO PURCHASE. THE SMALL COMMISION HELPS ME TO CONTINUE TO SHARE CARD IDEAS AND EXAMPLES WITH YOU.
HEARTFELT THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
