Christmas Paper Chain Made with Wallpaper

Deck your halls, mantel, and tree with this beautiful homemade paper chain. We are taking a kindergarten craft and turning it into chic holiday decor using leftover wallpaper and colored craft paper. 

I had the idea of using leftover wallpaper and turning it into a stunning Christmas garland. I was going to use the paper chain method we learned when we were children, give it an upgraded chic look, and hope for the best.

Well, I did just that and the results were so much better than I could have ever imagined. 

Check out my leftover wallpaper turned fabulous paper chain Christmas garland.

I have to tell you, this might be the all-time favorite of the many Christmas crafts I’ve done through the years. 

I had originally thought I would make one small chain of the garland, but as you can see here I feel in love and ended up making enough to wrap around my entire tree and drape some across my mantel.

Why You’ll Enjoy This Tutorial

Anyway, my mom was here a couple of weeks ago and I mentioned my idea of taking the leftover wallpaper that I used in my guest bedroom (the room where she sleeps) and using it to create a paper chain garland for my tree. 

I wanted a subtle nature theme for my Christmas tree (you can see more of my Christmas tree HERE.) and this wallpaper has lots of nature in it. I had thought about this idea a few weeks before, but sort of brushed it off thinking it wasn’t going to work or look good. Well, she was fully on board so we thought we’d give it a try.

Once we started working, I knew in an instant that it was going to be fabulous. I kept running up to my tree and mantel to see how it would look. 

While the wallpaper was perfect on its own and it picked up some of the colors I planned for my decor, I wanted to add a bit more color to the paper chain. I accomplished this by backing the wallpaper with two colors of craft paper: blue and green. Then, when assembling the paper chain I would alternate the interior color of the rings to give it a more elevated look. 

Doing this was a game changer and really made this homemade Christmas garland shine. 

Not only did my mom and I have a great time making this paper chain, but the results are also one-of-a-kind and completely customized to my home and decor. I love it.

As you know, I’ve been embracing a handmade holiday this year and it has made all the difference. Creating my own decor rather than running to the store to buy something just might be my new favorite thing. I highly recommend it. 

If you want to give this project a try (which I definitely think you should), I’ve shared the process below. It is easy to do and produces beautiful, fabulous results. 

Materials

Here is what you’ll need to make a paper chain.

• leftover wallpaper – As I mentioned above, I used the leftover wallpaper from my guest bedroom.
• colored craft paper – I found mine at JOANN. Michaels also has a great selection. 
• glue stick – I like THIS kind.
• paper cutter (or rotary cutter, clear ruler, and cutting mat) – I opted for the rotary cutter, clear ruler, and cutting mat. (I bought THIS set.) For whatever reason, it didn’t occur to me to use a paper cutter until halfway through. If you opt for the paper cutter (like THIS one) you may need an extra blade or two as this is thick paper. 
• hot glue gun – Any will work.
• hot glue sticks – I use THESE. 

How to Make

I will walk you through the steps below. I’ve also provided a printable instruction card at the end of this post. 

1. Begin by gluing your colored paper to the back of your wallpaper. Use a glue stick to apply glue to the back of the colored paper and then place it onto the back of the wallpaper. (Top the glued sheets with a few books to keep the two pieces together while drying.) 

2. Next, you want to cut strips out of your paper. My strips were roughly 8.5 inches long by 1 inch wide. You can do this using a paper cutter like THIS one. Another option would be to use a rotary cutter, clear ruler, and cutting mat like THIS one.*

3. With your strips cut, you’re ready to assemble. Apply hot glue to the end of one strip on the wallpaper side. Use the tip of the glue gun to spread out the glue to cover about 1/2 inch. Bend the paper over, with the wallpaper on the outside, to create a ring by attaching the two ends together where you placed the hot glue. Hold for a few seconds to let the glue set. 

4. Next, add a second ring by threading a new strip of paper through the center of the previous loop. Again, add hot glue to the end of the new strip, then bend the paper and attach the ends together to create another ring. The loops will sit perpendicular to each other creating the look of a chain. (As you can see, I used two different colored craft papers for my backing paper. As I created my loops I worked in alternating colors.)
5. Continue repeating this process until your paper chain is the desired length. 

That’s it! Hang and enjoy your handiwork. 

Want to see more? You can get a full tour of my Christmas mantel along with all the details HERE.

I so hope you enjoyed this paper chain craft as much as I did. The entire process and end results have me grinning from ear to ear. If you can’t tell, I’m a little obsessed.

Now get out your glue gun and whip up some festive holiday crafts to decorate your home for the season.

Happy Holidays! 

As you know, I’ve been embracing a handmade holiday this year and it has made all the difference. Creating my own decor rather than running to the store to buy something just might be my new favorite thing. I highly recommend it. 

More Handmade Christmas Decor You May Enjoy

• Clay Christmas Ornaments
• Embroidery Hoop Ornaments
• Marshmallow Wreath
• Abstract Art Gift Tags
• Paper Star Garland

I hope you’ll try crafting your own paper chain. If you do, please leave a comment and a 5-star rating below. 

Want more from Inspired by Charm? Follow along on Instagram and TikTok for daily updates and behind-the-scenes looks at my processes. There’s even more inspiration on Facebook and Pinterest! 

DIY Paper Chain

Deck your halls, mantel, and tree with this beautiful homemade paper chain. We are taking a kindergarten craft and turning it into chic holiday decor using leftover wallpaper and colored craft paper.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Home Decor Craft

Cuisine: American

Keyword: christmas, diy, holiday, paper chain

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Ingredients

• leftover wallpaper
• colored craft paper
• glue stick
• paper cutter or rotary cutter, clear ruler, and cutting mat
• hot glue gun
• hot glue sticks

Instructions

• Begin by gluing your colored paper to the back of your wallpaper. Use a glue stick to apply glue to the back of the colored paper and then place it onto the back of the wallpaper. (Top the glued sheets with a few books to keep the two pieces together while drying.)
• Next, you’ll want to cut strips out of your paper. My strips were roughly 8.5 inches long by 1 inch wide. You can do this using a paper cutter like THIS one. Another option would be to use a rotary cutter, clear ruler, and cutting mat like THIS one.*
• With your strips cut, you’re ready to assemble. Apply hot glue to the end of one strip on the wallpaper side. Use the tip of the glue gun to spread out the glue to cover about 1/2 inch. Bend the paper over, with the wallpaper on the outside, to create a ring by attaching the two ends together where you placed the hot glue. Hold for a few seconds to let the glue set.
• Next, add a second ring by threading a new strip of paper through the center of the previous loop. Again, add hot glue to the end of the new strip, then bend the paper and attach the ends together to create another ring. The loops will sit perpendicular to each other creating the look of a chain.
• (As you can see I used two different colored craft papers for my backing paper. As I created my loops I worked in alternating colors.)
• Continue repeating this process until your paper chain is the desired length.
• That’s it! Hang and enjoy your handiwork.

Notes

*I opted for the rotary cutter, clear ruler, and cutting mat. For whatever reason, it didn’t occur to me to use a paper cutter until I was halfway through the project. If you opt to use a paper cutter, you may need an extra blade or two as this is thick paper.