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Ideal Home has identified homemade paper chains as a breakout Christmas decorating trend for 2026, with related garlands made from materials such as velvet, lace and wool appearing on social media. The craft is inexpensive and family-friendly, but the report does not provide data showing how widespread the trend is.
Homemade paper chains are gaining attention as a Christmas decorating idea for 2026, according to a report by Ideal Home, which also points to linked garlands made from velvet, lace and wool. The appeal is a low-cost, hands-on decoration that can bring a nostalgic look to homes and involve family members in making it.
The report describes paper chains as part of a broader interest in nostalgic, playful Christmas interiors. The basic decoration is made by linking strips into loops, but the trend is not limited to paper: Ideal Home says it has seen versions made with velvet, lace and wool on social media. The report offers no platform data or figures to quantify how common these designs are.
Natalie Evans, founder and CEO of home styling and staging company Little Barn Door, said materials including velvet, lace and sheet music can give the familiar looped decoration a different texture. She added that more durable versions could be kept and reused, becoming part of a household’s holiday traditions rather than being discarded after one season.
For a basic chain, Evans recommends cutting strips roughly 2 centimetres wide and 15 to 20 centimetres long. Each strip is looped through the previous one and secured with glue, a staple or double-sided tape. Ideal Home’s report also suggests hanging longer garlands on a tree or mantel, or suspending them from a central point to create a spread-out display.
A Low-Cost Way to Personalize Christmas
The trend offers a relatively inexpensive alternative to buying a full set of seasonal decorations, particularly for households that already have a tree, lights and baubles. Its other draw is participation: making the links can turn decorating into a shared family activity, with different colors and materials allowing each person to contribute.
Reusable fabric versions may also last beyond one Christmas, although how long they hold up depends on the material and how they are made. The wider style message is a move away from strictly coordinated displays toward more personal, handmade details. That interpretation comes from the interior designers quoted in Ideal Home’s report, not from sales figures or a formal trend survey.
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Nostalgia Shapes Holiday Decorating
Ideal Home places paper chains within a 2026 Christmas decorating mood centered on childhood nostalgia and whimsical interiors. The report uses the term “whimsymaxxing” for the idea of adding cheerful, unexpected details to everyday spaces rather than sticking to a perfectly matched scheme.
Whinnie Williams, an interior designer and trends forecaster for Balsam Hill, said paper decorations can feel stylish when their colors complement a room. She also recommended honeycomb paper garlands, which fold down for storage. The article frames these ideas as decorating suggestions and expert observations; it does not cite a survey, sales figures or a measured increase in social-media posts.
“There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about a handmade paper chain. With the right colour palette, they can look incredibly chic too!”
— Whinnie Williams, interior designer and trends forecaster for Balsam Hill
How Widespread Is the Trend?
The report characterizes paper chains as a breakout trend and says similar decorations are appearing across social media, but it does not provide post counts, search data, sales figures or a comparison with previous years. The scale of interest therefore cannot be independently assessed from the information provided. It is also unclear how many people are making the decorations themselves compared with buying ready-made garlands or kits.
A Simple Craft for the Season
For readers who want to try the idea, the next step is to choose paper or fabric, select colors that suit the room and make a short test chain before producing a longer garland. The method described by Evans uses basic household supplies and can be adapted to different materials. Whether the trend grows beyond social-media interest will become clearer through the 2026 holiday season, but the report does not identify a specific upcoming milestone or provide evidence of future demand.
Key Questions
What is the Christmas decorating trend?
It is a return to handmade paper chains, alongside linked garlands made from materials such as velvet, lace and wool. Ideal Home describes the look as nostalgic and playful for Christmas 2026.
How do you make a basic paper chain?
Cut strips about 2 centimetres wide and 15 to 20 centimetres long. Loop each strip through the previous one and secure it with glue, a staple or double-sided tape.
Can the decorations be made from fabric?
Yes. The report mentions velvet, lace and wool as alternatives to paper. Fabric can add texture and may be suitable for reuse, depending on its construction and care.
Is the trend proven to be widespread?
Not from the information in the report. Ideal Home says the decorations are appearing on social media, but provides no figures or trend data to establish how widespread the interest is.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
