How to make a painted paper monstera leaf

Who doesn’t love the look of a gorgeous tropical leaf? Even better…. who doesn’t love a tropical leaf that will never wilt? This post features a fun art activity in which artists will create a painted paper monstera leaf and glue it to a creative background. This blog post features a materials list, video tutorial, and step by step photos if you wish to work more at your own pace. Let’s get started!

Materials list:

  • 2 pieces of paper
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Acrylic paint, brushes, and cup of water*
  • Glue

*You could substitute paint for another art medium, such as oil pastels, watercolor and more!

Video tutorial:

Step by step photos with instructions:

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 1: Fold a piece of paper in half vertically.

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 2: Draw your monstera leaf outline.

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 3: Open your fold to reveal the symmetrical leaf. Make adjustments if needed.

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 4: To create holes in your leaf, fold the paper in half vertical and then horizontally. Draw half circles and cut along the fold.

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 5: Open your fold to reveal the holes. Add a few more, and explore some asymmetrical holes as well by creating some holes on only one side.

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 6: Using a variety of green tones begin to paint your leaf. Create directional brushstrokes to create the veins in the leaf. Use white paint to create a defined vein in the middle and some smaller veins on the left and right side.

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 7: On a separate piece of paper, create a contrasting background. Get creative with how you use pattern, color, and line.

Paper monstera leaf step

Step 8: Once dry, glue your leaf onto your background.


I hope you had a fun learning about how to make a paper monstera leaf! I would love to see your finished work. Feel free to tag me on Instagram @makeamark_studios or email me a photo at makeamarkstudios@gmail.com. With your permission, I’d love to feature it here on this blog post. 🙂 Let me know! Feel free to share your feedback below. I love to hear from my readers!

-Stephanie Villiotis

4 thoughts on “How to make a painted paper monstera leaf”

  1. Painted paper projects are SO MUCH FUN! As a self-proclaimed crazy plant lady, this project looks like a blast and turned out beautifully!

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