3 Ways To Make A Paper People Chain - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make a Paper People Chain PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Nicole Bolin

Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Fact Checked

PDF download Download Article
  • Creating a One-Figured Chain
    • |
  • Creating a Multi-Figure Chain
    • |
  • Making a Circle Chain
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Nicole Bolin. Nicole Bolin is a Crafting Specialist and the CEO of Stencil, a DIY Craft Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Nicole specializes in interior design and various craft and DIY projects. Nicole holds a Certificate in Interior Design from the New York Institute of Art and Design. She opened Stencil in 2017 to teach others to create DIY projects that fit their home and lifestyle. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,085,242 times.

Craft time can be fun and easy. It's a great chance to bring everyone together to be imaginative. And on top of that, paper people chains are sure to brighten up any room they're hung in! With a few supplies and simple steps, creating this decorative craft can be a fun time for the classroom or the family.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Creating a One-Figured Chain

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  1. Step 1 Cut a long strip of paper. 1 Cut a long strip of paper. Cut the paper as wide as you want; a wider strip means both more drawing surface and a bigger figure to draw. If you wish to be really precise, try folding the paper and then cutting the strips on the creases. If you have a ruler, you can measure to be exact.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 2 Fold the paper accordion-style to make a rectangle. Make the folds as even as possible.[1]
    • A good trick is to first fold the strip in half multiple times. When the desired rectangle size is met, unfold the paper. Using the creases made from the folding, fold it accordion-style.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 3 Draw the outline of a person in the middle of the rectangle. For this step, you can draw it free-hand or use a stencil. Draw the person with the head, feet, and hands touching all the edges.[2]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 4 Cut out the person. As you cut, you can trim out any imperfections from the drawing. Cut carefully in order to keep the chain intact.
    • If you do not want to cut with scissors, you can use an Exacto knife to cut paper.[3]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 5 Unfold the paper slowly. The chain of people should be holding hands.
  6. Step 6 Work with the finished product. 6 Work with the finished product. Paper-people chains are neat in and of themselves, but with some markers, crayons, or color pencils, you can draw details on the people. Be creative and pick themes, draw different clothing, add stickers, or glue some glitter.
    • If you are putting it on a bulletin board, be careful about the thickness of the corkboard.[4]
    • Ensure that the thumbtacks do not go through the board and into the wall.[5]
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Creating a Multi-Figure Chain

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  1. Step 1 Cut a long strip of paper. 1 Cut a long strip of paper. The strip can be wider than the first method because you'll need more drawing surface.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 2 Fold the paper accordion-style into a rectangle. Make the folds as even as possible.
    • A good trick is to first fold the strip in half multiple times. When the desired rectangle size is met, unfold the paper. Using the creases made from the folding, fold it accordion-style.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 3 Draw half a person on one edge of the rectangle. The person's torso and head will be on the edge. The arm will extend out to exactly the middle of the paper. Be sure to be precise. You can use a ruler to measure the middle and draw a line, or use a stencil.
    • The drawing will be the main difference for this type of paper-people chain; it'll allow more creativity be giving you the option to use more than one figure for the chain.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 4 Draw the second person on the opposite edge. The second person can be different. Try drawing a girl with a dress. Her head and torso will be on the edge. Her arm will extend out to the middle with her hand meeting the other person's. The hands must be touching.
    • You can be a bit creative with where the hands meet. The hands can hold different symmetrical figures such as a heart, a star, a small child, etc.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 5 Cut out the figures. As you trim out the people, make sure the hands stay connected.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 6 Unfold to reveal a boy and a girl holding hands. The chain should be boy-girl, boy-girl.
    • This approach gives you the chance to mix different figures and explore the space on the rectangle. As long as the figures you draw connect, the final product will be a unique chain.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Making a Circle Chain

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  1. Step 1 Draw and cut a large circle in the middle of the paper. 1 Draw and cut a large circle in the middle of the paper. Place a bowl with its rim down on the middle of the paper. Trace it lightly with a pencil, and cut out the circle as perfectly as possible.
    • The bigger the circle, the better. The final product will be like a wreath of people.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 2 Fold the circle in half four times. You want to create a symmetrical isosceles triangle with the small side rounded. It will roughly resemble a perfect slice of pizza.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 3 Draw either a single or multi-figure person in the middle of the triangle. You can draw half a person on both edges of the triangles with their hands holding in the middle, or you can draw a person in the middle of the triangle with the person's hands touching the edges.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 4 Cut out the person. As you cut, you can trim out any imperfections from the drawing. Cut carefully in order to keep the chain intact.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper People Chain 5 Unfold the paper. A circle of paper people should be holding hands.
  6. Step 6 Decorate with the circle chain. 6 Decorate with the circle chain. The benefit of this style is that the chain can stand on its own. The circle chain lends itself for Christmas decorating because it not only resembles a wreath but also a mini tree when it stands. With some creativity, you can create unique and wonderful paper-people circle chains for any occasion.
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Community Q&A

Search Add New Question
  • Question How do I make a girl and a boy together without the boy coming out with a bumpy head? Community Answer Community Answer Cut it clean, and crease it less. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 35 Helpful 44
  • Question What material can I use to make my paper chain waterproof? Community Answer Community Answer Cover it in plastic or use transparent tape like and cover it in that too. You can also laminate your chain. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 31 Helpful 61
  • Question How do I cut out the #40? I want to make a 40 chain for a birthday. Community Answer Community Answer One four chain and a smaller zero chain inside, or make the middle end of the four touch the zero, same as Method Three. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 37 Helpful 23
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement Did this article help you? Say thanks with a small tip. icon $1 $3 $5 Leave a Tip Support our mission to help everyone in the world learn how to do anything.

Video

Tips

  • The number of people in the paper chain depends on the length of the paper: the longer the paper, the more people. Thanks Helpful 73 Not Helpful 31
  • These can be used as a no-mess, easy craft at your child's next birthday party. Thanks Helpful 55 Not Helpful 28

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
  • Try out different paper weights to find the one you like best. Sturdier paper will hold up better as a finished product, but is more difficult to cut. Lighter paper can make cutting out big chains easier, but is more likely to rip.
  • Draw on faces, hair, and clothes after you’re done to give your people more character.
  • You can make chains of any symmetrical design with this process, like hearts or stars.
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Do not cut all of the folded edges away. Leave at least a quarter of an inch so that the people remain attached to each other in a chain. If you do not do this, you will end up with a lot of small individual paper people instead of a chain. Thanks Helpful 58 Not Helpful 11
  • If your child is going to make this on his or her own, make sure he or she uses child-safe scissors. Other types could slip and cut your child whilst they cut. Thanks Helpful 55 Not Helpful 22
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Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Markers, crayons, colored pencils
  • Ruler

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/ideas/how-to-make-paper-people-chains
  2. ↑ http://www.auntannie.com/FridayFun/DollChain/
  3. ↑ Nicole Bolin. Crafts & DIY Specialist. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ Nicole Bolin. Crafts & DIY Specialist. Expert Interview
  5. ↑ Nicole Bolin. Crafts & DIY Specialist. Expert Interview

About This Article

Nicole Bolin Co-authored by: Nicole Bolin Crafts & DIY Specialist This article was co-authored by Nicole Bolin. Nicole Bolin is a Crafting Specialist and the CEO of Stencil, a DIY Craft Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Nicole specializes in interior design and various craft and DIY projects. Nicole holds a Certificate in Interior Design from the New York Institute of Art and Design. She opened Stencil in 2017 to teach others to create DIY projects that fit their home and lifestyle. This article has been viewed 1,085,242 times. 59 votes - 90% Co-authors: 90 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 1,085,242 Categories: Paper Craft Article SummaryX

To make an easy people paper chain, cut a piece of construction paper into a long, vertical strip. Then, fold the strip accordion-style so that the folded side alternates from right to left. From there, draw the outline of a person onto the paper, but make sure the person's hand end at the paper's edge. Once you have your outline, simply cut out the person, but make sure not to cut the person's hands, since if you do, the paper people won't be connected! When you're finished, you should be able to unfold the paper and get a collection of people holding hands. If something went wrong, try repeating the process, and make sure that you only cut between the legs, between the armpit and hip, and around the head. For more ways to make people paper chains, including the circle chain method, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Miley Bradford

    Miley Bradford

    Feb 28, 2019

    "I have always wanted to entertain and impress others. This is a wonderful way to learn quick and handy skills..." more
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Nicole Bolin Co-authored by: Nicole Bolin Crafts & DIY Specialist Co-authors: 90 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 1,085,242 90% of readers found this article helpful. 59 votes - 90% Click a star to add your vote Miley Bradford

Miley Bradford

Feb 28, 2019

"I have always wanted to entertain and impress others. This is a wonderful way to learn quick and handy skills..." more Khae Padilla

Khae Padilla

Jun 3, 2017

"I wanted to make a people paper chain, but wasn't sure i how to do it. Then I found your article and made big..." more Anonymous

Anonymous

Oct 25, 2019

"I'm decorating a bulletin board about diversity and how it's a good thing. This really helped me make a..." more Zoa

Zoa

May 9, 2022

"Although I normally do well on origamis and crafts, this craft was super easy and my paper chain turned out really..." more Anonymous

Anonymous

Jan 19, 2017

"The one-figure chain helped me the most. This chain gave me the idea of making peace sign one-figure chains!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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