Making a paper chain Christmas tree is the easiest thing you’ll do this holiday season. It’s a great way to include kiddos in decorating, a frugal way to decorate a tree, and it’s just so darn cheerful. Plan an afternoon with your family or friends making a Christmas paper chain tree while you watch a Hallmark movie.
Paper chains feel quintessentially Christmas to me. They remind me of elementary school holiday projects and advent countdowns as a kid. Paper chains bring a kind of joyful, nostalgic charm that feels right this time of year. So covering a Christmas tree in them is a great way to infuse your house with some real big Christmas joy.
Need more easy Christmas crafts? I’ve got you covered with a huge collection of ideas here!
The best part about a paper chain Christmas tree décor is that you can use any tree you have: tall or small, real or fake, green or colorful. Since you’re entirely in control of the palette (what color paper you choose) you can make it look great with whatever tree you have.
I have this kind of champagne colored Christmas tree that I wanted to use. It’s seven feet tall with white lights, and I usually do something very demure or formal with it. But this time, I wanted to make it look vibrant and spectacular.
Whether you’re using a fake tree or a real tree, having the mechanics of the base showing will really ruin the vibe. You can use anything to cover it up! Anything!
For this tree, I used a couple of large fabric scraps I had from another project. They were roughly the same metallic color as the tree, and I wanted them to blend in so that the paper chains would really stand out.
Similar to my reasoning for the metallic fabric faux tree skirt, I wanted a tree topper that would blend in with the metallic tree. I really wanted my colorful paper chains to shine, so this simple glittered star was the perfect addition.
If you want to really go wild with your topper, you could cover a star (or make your own) with some of the paper you’re using for your paper chains.
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!
The best part about a Christmas paper chain tree is that you can put it pretty much anywhere. Inside, though! I don’t think it’d hold up well outside no matter what climate you’re in.
This cheerful handmade tree looks great in any room. And you can plan your palette to set off whichever room you plan to put it in. I really enjoyed this wild palette because our Tennessee winters tend to get very grey, and this really brightens the mood. You can even put a Christmas paper chain tree in a kid’s room because there aren’t any sharp hooks or breakable ornaments that can hurt them.
| Website Design by EP Design
© Merrie Company 2024