Create homemade cornstalks for interior or protected exterior projects from simple items.

Supplies

You’ll need: PVC Pipes, Brown Packing Paper roll, masking tape, tan spray paint, and scissors.

Step 1: Start Creating the Leaves.

Get a roll of brown packing paper at your local home improvement store. (Usually about $3 a roll) I tore off quite a few sheets about the same size...maybe about 1-1.5 feet long, just depends how big you want the leaves to be. After you tear off the sheets, stack them and fold them in half, longwise. I then cut out a leaf shape through all the sheets. By folding it in half, you can get double the amount cut in less time.

Step 2: Spray the Pipes.

Cut your PVC poles to the height that you prefer. I made a bunch of random height stalks because I was going to use them for a couple different types of displays. Then spray the base pole with the spray paint so the white doesn’t show.

Step 3: Crinkle the Leaves and Attach.

So after the leaves are cut out, you’re going to grab a stack, maybe 6-10 sheets, and literally crinkle them up with a twist in your hands. You want them to wrinkle. After you crinkle them all, pull them apart so you have a box or stack of crinkled sheets, read to attach.

Next, grab one of the sprayed base poles from previous step and wrap one leaf around the top of the pole and secure it with masking tape. Use the wider end for the pole and the pointy end hanging off the pole, then shape by hand so it points out and away from the pole.

Next wrap the next leaf around the base of the previous leaf, covering the tape so it’s hidden. Then continue this pattern all the way down the pole, adding as many leaves as you desire.

At the base, I used some extra paper and crinkled it just to wrap around the very bottom of the stalk and taped it in place.