String up a colorful paper chain for the holidays! Can be a great group project for the whole class! With our R15203 Decorative Hues Paper, students will have enough variety to each make a unique addition to the classroom paper chain. The best part about this craft is that it’s entirely glue-free. Check it out below!
You’ll need:
• R15203 Decorative Hues Paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
Take a sheet of the R15203 Decorative Hues Paper and orient the page so that the long sides are at the top and bottom edges. You will need several sheets of the R15203 Decorative Hues Paper so make sure you have a whole variety available for students to use!
Our R15203 Decorative Hues Paper comes in rectangular sheets so it’s easy to make squares for this project. Fold the sheet of paper in half vertically so that you get a square shape. Unfold the square shape back to the rectangle. See the fold line? You’ll need to cut along that to make two square shapes.
Take one of the squares and fold it in half again to get a rectangle. For this step, you will need to have the decorative side of the paper inside of the fold. The R15203 Decorative Hues Paper is one-sided to allow children to use the white side to draw shapes to guide them as they cut the decorative paper.
Fold the page once more in half horizontally to get a small square shape. Draw a shape from the long-sided fold line of the square. For the series of chains I made, I chose to use the traditional circle shape. You can choose a variety of other shapes such as stars, hearts, squares, etc. Draw your shape so that the inner part of it can be cut out. Tip: Imagine the fold line as the halfway line across your shape. If you were to make a heart-shaped chain, for instance, your drawing would look like a tear-drop shape. After you have drawn the left half of your shape, draw the connecting line below it. This line must meet the short folded edge.
Cut along the lines you have made, then unfold the shape. The mirrored shape below is what the unfolded shape should look like. Uncrease the lines on the shape to make it lie flat.
Fold the entire shape in half horizontally to make grooves for other chains to fit through. After you make the next chain, slide the opening through the groove in the first chain.
Slide the second chain along until it sits halfway between the two mirrored shapes.
Close up the two halves of the first chain to secure the two together.
Once you get the hang of how this paper chain is made, the rest is easy! You can make different kinds of shapes in different colors of the R15203 Decorative Hues Paper. Just remember that the each chain needs to have a connecting line between its two mirrored images. You will need to draw half of your image onto the folded square of paper so that the image is mirrored on both sides after you cut it out.
Make paper chains to decorate your classroom walls for holidays or special events! The best part about making paper chains is that everyone can join in the fun!
