DIY Autumn Leaves Mural

Last Fall I wanted to paint my living room ceiling a rich pumpkin pie color.  I thought it would give the space a warm, cozy feeling for the holidays, and be a great accent color with the smokey blue I already had in the room.  But once finished, it just seemed to be missing something.  I decided to bring the ceiling color into the room, by painting a mural in one corner.  I must admit to cheating a bit, by looking at various vinyl wall decals to get an idea.  Once I decided on branches, I added some cream paint to lighten the ceiling color a bit, sketched the design on the wall, and got to work!  I LOVE how it turned out, especially since Autumn is my favorite season for decorating! 

Here's a hint: for the falling leaves, I printed some basic leaf shapes out on paper, then traced them onto the wall.  This is much easier than it looks, there's no detail work, just filling in solid shapes with one color.  I did go back over the edges of the leaves and branches with a darker shade of the same color to add dimension, but that's optional.  It'll be stunning either way!  (And remember, it's only paint!  If you don't like it or get tired of it, just paint over it!)