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Ideal Home reports that homemade paper chains are gaining attention as a Christmas decorating trend for 2026, alongside linked garlands made from materials such as velvet, lace and wool. The decorations are presented as a low-cost, hands-on way to add a nostalgic touch, though the source offers no social-media data measuring the trend’s reach.
Homemade paper chains are being described as a breakout Christmas decorating trend for 2026, with fabric versions in materials such as velvet and lace also appearing in social media styling, according to Ideal Home. The decorations offer a relatively inexpensive, family-friendly way to add a handmade, nostalgic look, but the report does not provide data establishing how widespread the trend is.
Ideal Home frames the return of paper chains as part of a broader interest in nostalgic Christmas styling: decorations intended to recall childhood and give interiors a more playful, personal feel. The report says the idea is not limited to paper, pointing to linked garlands made with velvet, lace and wool, as well as sheet music. These materials can give the familiar looped shape a different texture and a more traditional or decorative appearance.
For a basic chain, Natalie Evans, founder and chief executive of home styling and staging company Little Barn Door, recommends cutting strips about 2 centimetres wide and 15–20 centimetres long. Each strip is looped through the previous one and fastened with glue, a staple or double-sided tape. Evans describes the activity as suitable for families to make together, with each person adding links.
Interior designer and trends forecaster Whinnie Williams, who works with Balsam Hill, says colour choice can help handmade paper decorations fit a room’s scheme. She also suggests hanging chains beyond the tree or mantelpiece, including from a central ceiling point toward the walls for a starburst effect. These are styling suggestions in the report, not evidence that one approach is more popular than another.
A Low-Cost, Hands-On Holiday Decoration
The appeal is practical as well as decorative: paper chains can be made from accessible materials, and the basic version requires only strips and a way to fasten them. That makes the idea an option for households looking to add seasonal decoration without relying solely on purchased ornaments. Reusing fabric or keeping handmade chains from year to year could also make them part of a family’s holiday decorations, although the source does not quantify any cost savings or environmental benefit.
The trend also reflects a broader decorating choice described by the people quoted in the report: moving away from a strictly coordinated look toward more personal and playful details. For readers, the main takeaway is that the traditional chain can be adapted to different colour schemes, materials and spaces. Its popularity online, however, cannot be measured from the report alone.
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From Classroom Craft to Christmas Garland
Paper chains are a familiar handmade decoration, and the report’s point is their renewed use in seasonal interiors rather than the invention of a new craft. Ideal Home connects their return to the nostalgic mood it sees in 2026 Christmas decorating. It also links the look to “whimsymaxxing,” a term used in the article for adding more colour, joy and unexpected details to everyday spaces.
Williams says paper decorations can look more polished when their colours complement a room, and mentions honeycomb paper garlands as an alternative that folds down for storage. Evans points to richer materials such as velvet and lace as ways to update the looped form. These comments provide designers’ perspectives on styling; they do not establish a measured shift in consumer buying or decorating habits.
“There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about a handmade paper chain.”
— Whinnie Williams, interior designer and trends forecaster for Balsam Hill
How Broad Is the Online Trend?
Ideal Home characterizes paper chains as a breakout trend and says similar decorations are appearing across social media, but it does not cite platform data, search figures, sales numbers or a survey to show their reach. The scale of interest and whether it is increasing compared with earlier Christmas seasons are not established in the report.
It is also unclear how many people are making these decorations themselves rather than buying ready-made garlands or kits. The article offers expert styling advice and examples of materials, but no independent assessment of durability, cost, or how widely the different versions are being used.
Making and Styling a Chain
Readers who want to try the idea can start with paper strips and join them into a chain using glue, staples or double-sided tape, following Evans’s suggested measurements. Fabric versions can use the same linked-loop approach, though the source does not specify the best fastener for every material. Families can choose colours to match their decorations, or mix materials for a more varied look.
Williams suggests draping chains on a tree or mantel, or hanging them from a central point toward the walls. The report gives no further data or scheduled follow-up to verify whether the trend will remain popular through the 2026 holiday season. Its longer-term reach will depend on whether households adopt the craft and whether retailers see sustained demand for ready-made versions.
Key Questions
What is the Christmas decorating trend described in the report?
It is the use of homemade paper chains and similar linked garlands as nostalgic Christmas decorations for 2026. The report also mentions versions made from velvet, lace, wool and sheet music.
How do you make a basic paper chain?
Natalie Evans suggests cutting strips about 2 centimetres wide and 15–20 centimetres long. Loop each strip through the last and secure it with glue, a staple or double-sided tape.
Where can paper chains be hung?
The report suggests placing them on a Christmas tree or mantelpiece. Whinnie Williams also recommends hanging chains from a central ceiling point and draping them toward the walls.
No. Ideal Home says these decorations are appearing on social media, but its report provides no platform figures or other measurements showing how widespread the trend is.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
