Fabric Paper Chain
Learn how to make a fabric paper chain using simple scraps and a few easy steps. This cosy, low-waste craft comes together quickly and adds a joyful handmade touch to your home.
Yield: 100 loops
Equipment
- Fabric scissors or rotary cutter
- Pinking shears or scalloped shears optional
Materials
- 1 metre (yard) fabric
- 1 metre (yard) stiff interfacing optional
- 1 metre stick on velcro
Instructions
- Take a piece of fabric and tear it into long strips 4 cm wide. (If you’d like help with this, see my tutorial on making ribbon from fabric.) Pull away any loose threads so the raw edges look tidy, or use pinking shears, scalloped shears, or a wavy rotary cutter for a neater finish. Cut each long strip into 22 cm pieces.
- Cut your stick-on Velcro into small pieces. Press one piece onto one end of a fabric strip, then flip the strip over and attach the matching piece to the opposite end on the back side.
- Close the first loop, then thread the next strip through it and fasten the Velcro. Continue linking the pieces together until you have a long chain.
- Thread a small length of string through the last loop and hang it on a command hook. At the end of Christmas you can take it down and store it flat, ready for next year.
Notes
- Upholstery fabric, canvas, or other heavyweight fabrics work beautifully because they hold their shape.
- Lighter fabrics may need interfacing to stop them bunching.
- This is a wonderful scrap-buster — you only need small amounts for each link.
- A gentle, kid-friendly craft that doesn’t require sewing.
- These chains can be reused year after year and lay flat for easy storage.
- Make them sentimental by using bits of old clothing or favourite fabrics.