How to Make Gorgeous Fall Tissue Paper Collage Backgrounds

So here’s the deal—I asked my crafty crew what season they vibe with most, and ding ding ding! FALL won by a landslide! Y’all love your crunchy leaves and pumpkin everything, and I do too. So today, we're whipping up some fall-themed mixed media backgrounds that are PERFECT for faux candles, junk journals, greeting cards, or basically anything that could use a little cozy oomph!

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Fall Tissue Paper Backgrounds Walkthrough

Step One: Pick Your Fall Palette, But Make It YOU

Okay, listen—I love orange. I love yellow. I love brown. But I’m not the Queen of Autumn Color Rules. If your fall is more burgundy and burnt rose, live your truth. For me? I’m all about:

Buttery yellows (none of that neon nonsense)
Two juicy oranges (one deep, one zesty)
BROWN as my neutral—skip the black this time

Don’t overthink this. Pick 2-3 shades you love and go with it.

Step Two: Paint Like You Mean It

We’re using a gel plate here. If you haven’t used one before, oh woman… prepare for the smushiest, most unpredictable fun of your crafting life!

Here's what to do:

Lay down some stencils on top, for Fall think leaves, vines, organic patterns.
Smoosh your colors right over the stencils.
Roll it out with a brayer like a paint-obsessed toddler.
Press your tissue paper or cardstock down.
Peel it up and whisper sweet nothings to it because it’s already looking cute!

Bonus: your cleanup prints? Often the prettiest of the bunch. WRINKLY SMOOSHES FOR THE WIN.

Step Three: Layer Like You’re Dressing for October in Michigan

This is where we start building depth. And by that, I mean embossing time.

Grab your:

Embossing medium (WOW, Diane Reevely, whatever you’ve got)
Stamps (I used a mix of circles, lines, and a vaguely medieval script that gives ✨mystic forest✨)
Embossing powders — gold, copper, maybe even a walnut brown if you’re feelin’ it

Now stamp your patterns and sprinkle that powder like it’s glitter at a fairy rave. Heat it up and watch the magic happen. SO. SATISFYING!

⚠️ TIP: Make sure your base layer is fully dry or your embossing powder will stick to everything and you’ll cry. Possibly!

Step Four: Embrace the Chaos (and the Metallics)

Let me tell you a little secret: I never intend to use gold. But past-me has a hoarding problem, and somehow gold embossing powder always ends up in the mix. And honestly? It kinda slays!

So don’t be afraid to mix metals. Copper + gold = YES. Just don’t overdo it unless you’re going for full glam leaf goddess.

Also, remember that some embossing powders are opaque (bless) and some are sheer (meh on a busy background). Test it before you commit!

Bonus Use Case: Faux Candle Wraps!

I’ve been on a faux candle rampage lately—plaster of Paris taper candles, faux LED candles, toilet paper roll candles (YES, THAT HAPPENED!) And these backgrounds? They wrap around those suckers like a dream!

You don’t burn ‘em (cats + toddlers = no open flame), so it’s ALL about the vibe. These layered, textured, metallic-painted wraps? VIBE ACHIEVED!

My Fave Finished Backgrounds

Yes, I ranked them. No, I don’t regret it. My favorite ones had:

Lots of copper
Less harsh contrast (no heavy brown or gray patches)
Subtle layered stamping
That one background that came from cleaning up my brayer—of course.

Remember: it’s the background. It’s meant to be chill, not the star of the show. But sometimes, it lowkey steals the spotlight!

Final Thoughts: Clean(ish) Plate, Full Heart

This project is all about play. Use what you have. Make a mess. Make five more. Rank them if you’re neurotic like me. Then let them rest until inspiration strikes—because these backgrounds are the beginning of a million other ideas!

So go make something. Crank the folky playlist. Burn a cinnamon candle (or don’t, if yours are fake like mine). And let your inner art goblin run free!

Here are some more great other DIY tutorials you might love: