How to Preserve Magnolia Leaves for Holiday Decor

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Learn how to dry magnolia leaves and preserve them for holiday decor that lasts for years — plus troubleshooting tips and storage tricks.

I’m thrilled to be sharing this gorgeous magnolia leaf wall hanging. I’ve been crafting for way longer than I care to admit, and this may be one of my favorite crafts ever!

Below, I’ll walk you through exactly how to dry magnolia leaves and preserve them so they last for more than one holiday season — plus a step-by-step tutorial for turning them into a stunning DIY magnolia wreath.

This project happened totally by accident — don’t you love when that happens? I was at Trader Joe’s picking up flowers for my Thanksgiving Tablescape when I spotted these gorgeous fresh magnolia leaves.

Aren’t they beautiful? They’re huge, and a large bunch was only $4.99. I scooped up two bunches without even knowing what I was going to do with them.

I knew I wanted to preserve them so they could be enjoyed for more than one holiday season — so let me show you the easy way to do it.

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Where to Find Magnolia Leaves (and When)

Magnolia leaves are easiest to find in the fall, right around the time florists and grocery stores start stocking holiday greenery — that’s also when search interest and demand peak. Here’s where to look:

• Grocery stores with a floral section (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods) often carry bunches for a few dollars in October and November.
• Your own yard or a neighbor’s — Southern magnolia trees keep their leaves year-round, so if you or someone nearby has one, you can snip your own for free any time of year.
• Craft stores and florists carry both fresh cut stems and already-preserved leaves if you’d rather skip the DIY step.
• Online — preserved magnolia leaves and stems are sold by the bunch if fresh ones aren’t available near you.

If you’re cutting your own, look for leaves that are a deep, glossy green with no brown edges or spots — the healthier the leaf going in, the better it holds up through preservation.

Keeping Magnolia Leaves Fresh Before You Preserve Them

If you can’t get to the mod podge right away, fresh-cut magnolia leaves will hold up for about a week to 10 days if you treat them right in the meantime:

• Trim the stems at an angle and place them in a few inches of water, just like cut flowers.
• Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from heat vents.
• Mist the leaves occasionally to keep them from drying out before you’re ready to preserve them.

Once leaves start to curl or dry naturally, they’re past the point of preserving well with this method, so it’s best to start the process within the first few days.

How to Preserve Magnolia Leaves With Mod Podge

Supplies

• Mod Podge Satin
• Foam Brushes
• Gardening Shears
• Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer

Instructions

1. Snip the leaves off the stems. Use gardening shears to remove each leaf cleanly at the base.
2. Apply Mod Podge to both sides. Use a foam brush to coat the front and back of each leaf. Don’t skip the back — leaves that are only coated on one side are far more likely to curl or brown.
3. This step is time-consuming, but it’s the single biggest factor in how long your leaves will last, so it’s worth doing thoroughly.
4. Let the leaves dry overnight in a single layer so they don’t stick together.
5. Seal with acrylic spray. Once dry, spray both sides of each leaf (or the entire finished wreath) with two coats of Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer, allowing it to dry between coats.

Once dry, your leaves are ready for wreaths, garlands, centerpieces, and more.

Mod Podge vs. Glycerin: Which Should You Use?

There are two popular ways to preserve magnolia leaves, and each has trade-offs:

Method	Look & Feel	Longevity	Effort
Mod Podge + acrylic sealer	Glossy, holiday-ready shine	Multiple seasons if stored properly	Moderate — coating both sides takes time but supplies are cheap
Glycerin soak	Soft, supple, more natural matte finish; leaves often turn a warm brown or bronze	Can last for years without becoming brittle	Slower — leaves soak in a glycerin/water solution for 1–2 weeks

If you love the look of traditional glossy holiday greenery, mod podge is the way to go — it’s also the faster method if you’re short on time.

If you’d rather have a softer, more natural-looking leaf that won’t crack or become brittle over time, a glycerin soak is worth the extra patience. Either method works well without needing special equipment.

How to Make a Holiday Wall Hanging With Magnolia Leaves

Supplies

• Thrift store open frame
• DecoArt Silver Metallic Paint
• Foam Brushes
• Surebonder Cordless Hot Glue Gun — my absolute favorite glue gun!
• Sugared fruit (find it at a craft store, or thrift it — I found mine at Goodwill for $3)
• Preserved magnolia leaves
• Fresh pine stems (optional)

You can usually find open frames at the thrift store for just a few dollars. This is the frame I started with:

Steps

1. Add pine stems (optional). If you have pine available, snip a few stems and hot glue them to the frame for extra texture. These aren’t preserved, so plan to remove them after the holidays.
2. Glue on the magnolia leaves. Start in each corner with 4–5 leaves, then keep building until it’s full. I used two full bunches — about 60 leaves total.
3. Add the sugared fruit. Hot glue three pieces to each corner. I painted mine with silver metallic paint to match my color scheme, but the natural red is just as pretty.

This wall hanging makes such a statement piece — I love displaying mine on an old window frame.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few readers have run into trouble with browning or brittle leaves, so here’s what tends to cause it and how to fix it:

• Leaves turning brown and crispy: This almost always means too thin a coat of Mod Podge, or skipping the back of the leaf. Use a generous coat — 2–3 layers — on both sides.
• Leaves curling as they dry: Lay leaves flat in a single layer while drying rather than stacking or draping them, which lets moisture escape evenly.
• Color fading over time: Direct sunlight is the main culprit. Display preserved leaves out of strong, direct light to keep their color longer.
• Leaves feeling stiff or brittle after storage: This usually means the acrylic sealer step was skipped. The sealer is what keeps the leaves flexible and protected once the Mod Podge has cured.

How to Store Preserved Magnolia Leaves for Next Year

Preserved leaves are meant to be reused, so treat them gently once the season ends:

• Let leaves air out for a day or two after removing them from a wreath or garland before storing, so no moisture gets trapped.
• Store flat or gently layered between sheets of tissue paper in a box — avoid folding or crushing them.
• Keep the box somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sunlight or attic heat, which can cause fading and brittleness over time.
• Check on them once a season; a light touch-up coat of acrylic sealer can refresh leaves that look dull after a few years of storage.

Leaves preserved and stored this way can easily be reused for several holiday seasons.

More Ways to Use Preserved Magnolia Leaves

Once you have a batch of preserved leaves on hand, they’re useful well beyond one wreath:

• Garlands — glue or wire leaves along a length of twine or ribbon for a mantel or staircase.
• Centerpieces — layer leaves under candles, ornaments, or a floral arrangement.
• Door swags — combine with pine, ribbon, and pinecones for a front-door statement.
• Place settings — use a single leaf under each plate or as a placecard holder for a holiday table.
• Gift wrapping accents — tuck a leaf under ribbon on a wrapped gift for a natural, elegant touch.

FAQ

How long do preserved magnolia leaves last? Leaves preserved with Mod Podge and acrylic sealer, then stored properly between seasons, can last several years before they need replacing or a touch-up coat.

Can you preserve magnolia leaves without glycerin? Yes — the Mod Podge and acrylic sealer method in this post doesn’t use glycerin at all, and it’s actually the faster of the two popular methods.

Can you preserve magnolia branches, not just individual leaves? Yes, you can preserve whole branches using either method. For the Mod Podge method, coat each leaf on the branch individually; for glycerin, submerge the cut end of the branch in the solution so it draws up through the stem.

Do preserved magnolia leaves need to be dyed to look good for the holidays? No, but you can paint or lightly dye preserved leaves if you want to match a specific color scheme — just let the Mod Podge and sealer cure fully first so the paint adheres evenly.

Can preserved magnolia leaves go outdoors? They’ll hold up better indoors or under cover, since direct sun and rain will fade and eventually break down the sealer. For a covered porch or door, they should still last through a season.

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You might also like: Little Red Truck Christmas Wreath, Sugared Fruit Christmas Wreath, and Simple Thanksgiving Tablescape With Thrift Store Finds.

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