Autumn Maple Leaf Card with On-Edge Paper Quilling

This handmade autumn card combines paper quilling with a soft mixed-media background inspired by the colours and textures of fall. The warm golden and orange tones of the maple leaf stand out beautifully against the muted greens, pinks and amber shades of the background.

 

The main maple leaf is made from narrow paper strips placed on edge to create its outline and delicate inner veins. This technique gives the leaf a raised, dimensional effect and allows the pointed shape of the maple leaf to stand out clearly.

 

I finished the card with layered autumn foliage and softly blended colours, creating a natural seasonal feel. I also photographed the card among fallen leaves, which seemed like the perfect setting for this little piece of autumn paper art.

The back of the card has a clean, minimalist look, with plenty of white space and a small cluster of layered maple and chestnut leaves. I added soft watercolor-style colours in green, ochre and autumn orange, then raised the leaves slightly to give them a subtle 3D effect.

I like how the two sides have completely different styles while still working together as one autumn-inspired card.

Related Quilling Tutorials and Inspiration

If you enjoy autumn paper crafts and quilling, you may also like these tutorials:

🍁 Quilled Autumn Maple Leaf Tutorial – a step-by-step tutorial for making a paper maple leaf using quilling shapes and warm autumn colours.

🍯 Quilling Honeycomb Tutorial – learn how to create a dimensional honeycomb pattern from paper strips using the quilling technique.