- Emily Barber
- Wednesday, May 25, 2022
I’d guess that most people have made a paper chain at some point — probably as a little kid, maybe when decorating for a party or learning about patterns. Time to revive and remix this classic craft!
Paper chains are easy to make and personalize, and they don’t require fancy supplies. You can use scrap paper to reduce overall waste, and most of the materials are likely to be recyclable. Paper chains can be made for decoration for any occasion or space, from seasonal and holiday events to a dorm room.
In this activity, I’ve suggested remixing the classic paper chain by decorating the paper with words. You might choose a favorite quote and spread it across the links. Try writing things you like about yourself as a practice of self-love. If you want to be collaborative, do this craft with a friend and take turns adding words to a sentence; see what silliness you can come up with!
Materials needed: assorted paper, scissors, markers, tape or stapler
1. Gather your materials. Scour the paper available to you for colors and patterns that you love. Start deciding what words you want to use, even if you haven’t nailed it down exactly.
2. Cut your paper into uniform strips. You can choose to trace straight lines along the paper before cutting using a ruler and pencil; if a paper cutter is available to you, that’s great too! Don’t worry if they’re not perfect though. The goal is creativity, not perfection.
How many strips do you need? Visualizing the length of the paper chain can be tricky. I used 25 strips of paper (1 inch wide, 8.5 inches long) and ended up with a chain about 5 feet long.
3. Arrange your paper strips in the proper order and add the words. Leave at least 1 inch of space on either end to avoid covering any writing when you create your chain links.
4. Create your paper chain. Create the first link by looping a paper strip and securing the ends together. Build the rest of your chain by looping paper strips through the previous link and joining the ends.
Tape or glue or staples? Any of them will work! Tape may be the most easily available. Glue would give the cleanest-looking final product because it wouldn't be visible. I prefer staples because they are the least fiddly and require no drying time. Adjust to your preference!
5. Display! Paper chains are great anywhere you might hang curtains, banners, or string lights.
Vocabulary Paper Chain
Here are the fun and/or unusual words I decorated my paper chain with:
- Petrichor (noun) — the pleasant, earthy smell after rain
- Sequoia (noun) — a redwood tree, especially the California redwood
- Taradiddle (noun) — a false statement, or a bit of nonsense
- Labyrinthine (adjective) — irregular and twisting; intricate and confusing
- Panacea (noun) — something that can heal or cure anything
- Scribble (verb) — to write or draw carelessly or hurriedly
- Akimbo (noun) — the position of having one’s hands on the hips with elbows out
- Mellifluous (adjective) — sweet-sounding or smoothly flowing
- Syzygy (noun) — an alignment or planets or celestial bodies
- Quadrivium (noun) — the intersection of four roads
- Putter (verb) — to occupy oneself with small tasks in a casual, unhurried way
- Loquacious (adjective) — talkative or chatty
- Vellichor (noun) — the appealing mystique of an old bookstore
- Cynosure (noun) — something that is the center of attention or admiration
- Raconteur (noun) — a person who excels at storytelling