To capture some of that awakened energy, our designer Jessica made this gorgeous branch with just some simple tissue paper leaves. The real trick for creating beautifully unique tissue leaves is paint your paper with soft brushstrokes of multiple shades of green. The variety in color creates visual interest and depth, plus this project is a great opportunity to play around with different painting techniques! 

Steps

1. Gather the tools and materials listed above.
2. Cover your work area and lay out a flat piece of tissue paper. Dip chip brush in a small amount of slightly diluted paint. Brush paint in steady vertical strokes across the surface of the paper. Repeat with the second paint color. Experiment with quantities of paint until you get the right amount for you.
3. When dry, fold tissue in half and glue together with slightly diluted Mod Podge.
4. Let the glue dry and then cut 2-inch strips of paper with the brushstrokes aligned at an angle.

Full tutorial available for members. Join here!

Tips

Painting the tissue paper can get a bit messy, so you will want to cover your work space before you begin. You can easily do so with butcher paper or newspaper, or you can invest in a drop cloth from your local hardware store if you will be painting more in the future. We picked out two shades of blue-green paints, but you can also use more for variety. Before using the template, we decided to cut the paper into strips so that we could really get the brushstrokes positioned to look like veins. We experimented with this tissue painting technique for a series of projects, so check out our decoupage eggs and tissue paper feathers for more examples. In fact, we made all three of these projects to arrange together in a gorgeous mantel display! 

Run With It!

Paper flowers and botanicals are our specialty, so if you’re feeling inspired then there are plenty more projects that you can make for a similar craft! Find our orange blossom branch for a stunning floral branch, or take a look through all of our paper botanical tutorials. You can also use these tissue paper leaves as a starting point to create your own projects. Let your creativity take you where it will! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for daily DIY doses in your feed, or head over to our membership page to start crafting with us. We love seeing your project photos, so please share them on Instagram using #DIYDreamingWithLia. See you soon! ~ Lia & Team

 Tools

• Craft Scissors
• Low-Temp Hot Glue Gun
• Small Paintbrush (for Mod Podge)
• 2-inch Chip Brush

 Materials

• Kraft Colored Tissue Paper
• Rustic Vine Wire
• Mod Podge – Matte
• Acrylic Craft Paint (2 colors)

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