Christmas Ribbon Garland or Chain

This is just like the paper chains that we used to make in elementary school every Christmas except we use ribbon instead of paper for the links. You can either buy ribbon or recycle the ribbon off of your presents. For this Instructable I bought ribbon on clearance after Christmas last year. ( I only paid $1 for a 100 yard spool!)

My children love doing crafts with me and I wanted something simple enough for them to do and yet would still look elegant on our tree. My children who are three, five, and seven, all loved making these ribbon garlands! Make it as long or as short as you like. This is a great project to set aside and pick up again whenever you have a few spare moments or a few spare friends to help!

Really this can be made for any special occasion i.e. birthdays, Easter, graduation, etc. depending on the colors you use, but I find Christmas is my favorite time to decorate.

Put on your favorite Christmas playlist, grab some ribbon and start gluing!

Step 1 Gather Supplies

~ribbon (either recycled from presents or by the spool) In this Instructable I used 9.33 yards of 1/8" red and green ribbon. This made about a 10' garland. Every three feet of ribbon will make approximately one foot of finished garland. Note that the wider your ribbon the more ribbon you will need to make a garland of a certain length.
~hot glue gun
~hot glue sticks
~exacto knife or razor blade
~ empty wrapping paper tube with about a 2" diameter

Comments

[cad97]

I know im like 2 years late, but i must say this is amazingly awesome! i remember these in elementary school, mines still hanging up in our house :) i left the last ring on there for well im not really sure, lol. :)

[sunnyb]

 Clever use of the wrapping paper roll for even cutting.

[wadudu]

Thanks! I kept looking for the perfect thing to use. My cell phone was the right size, but I accidentally put deep scores in it from the razor blade. Haha!

[frogsandfroglets]

What a great project. It looks easy to set up and easy to clean up (a plus for me). I will definitely be doing this project with my kids - but for New Years.

[coldnak]

I love this garland its so delicate. Thank you for such great instructions and pics. I can't wait to see what else you come up with.

[Azriella]

Wow! Great pics! I really like the idea of using the ribbon garland on the tree...and so kid friendly! Great idea! ~your favorite cousin ;)

[bdfgrl]

I love how the author used wrapping paper roll to make each piece even, then cut it with a razor. This made it so simple. And including pictures of the kids lets me know that it is definately something I can do with them.

[thethankyoupeople]

Hey, this is a really nice decoration that can be made to look rather elegant, using the ribbon, not construction paper, which can make the chain look a bit tacky and old-fashioned. I like the idea that was suggested, that it can be used for all sorts of occasions (i.e. not just Christmas.) The author made the instructions quite easy to follow with good photos to illustrate the steps. Thanks for sharing!