Obviously, the only ornaments on this tree are the fabulous paper chains. I love how this humble little craft makes such a big impact! And I love that you can do literally whatever color palette you want because you’re making everything yourself. It’s always fun to shop for a ton of coordinating ornaments, but sometimes I want a color palette that isn’t available. Enter Christmas paper chains.

To make your Christmas paper chain tree look interesting and have some depth, there are several aspects about your paper chains you need to differentiate. First, choose multiple kinds of papers. I included not only some traditional cardstock, but glitter cardstock, posters, and iridescent mylar (which is very thin). These different weights and types of papers will make your paper chains hang differently, which gives your tree visual interest.

Second, cut your paper chain strips to different lengths and widths. Similar to how different sizes of ornaments make a traditionally decorated tree look balanced and interesting, having different sizes of paper chains makes your tree look intentional and styled.

Finally, create finished paper chains in different lengths. When you’re hanging your chains on the tree it’ll be so helpful to have some long chains to drape and tuck into the branches as well as some short chains to hang in smaller areas. Luckily, it’s easy to shorten or extend your paper chains!