New Twist on Christmas Gum-Wrapper Chain: Make Christmas Pretty with Foil Teabag Wrappers

Last revision November 24, 2023.

Why use foil? Gum-wrapper-style chains made out of foil-lined paper are sturdy, shiny, and make good use of something that will otherwise end up in a landfill. I wasn’t thinking of this when I made my first chain, though. I had some empty foil-lined teabag wrappers (from St. Dalfour) that seemed too pretty to throw away.

When I was a kid, magazines and comic books used to have offers in the back for things kids could send away for, for $1 or even free. I sent away for the Wrigley gum company’s instructions on how to make gum wrapper chains. You folded the paper wrappers to make links. You could coil up your chain made of green wrappers, add a tongue, and make a turtle! The Japanese raised paper folding to an art form called origami. The Origami Resource Center has directions.

For my idea, cut your tea wrapper or paper of similar weight to the size of a paper gum wrapper. These sizes of paper work: l l/2 x 3 3/4 inches (gives you a finished link just shy of l/2 inch long) or 2 x 5 inches (gives you a finished link 2 l/4″ long and l/2″ thick).

It is easy. If you use a tea wrapper, open it up and cut off the edges that were glued. Fold your paper down the middle length-wise. Then fold each side in so the long sides meet in the middle. Then fold that piece in half length-wise once again. You will have four layers, two on the inside and two on the outside. If you started with 2 x 5″ paper, you will now have a strip l/2″ wide and 5″ long. Next, fold that in half to have a piece 1/2″ wide and 2 l/2″ long. Then fold each end in half in half again, towards the middle, so your ends meet in the middle. Fold that in the middle to make your finished link. These links join to make your chain. Lynda Kynase has good instructions at her post, https://lyndacreates.com/2017/12/08/christmas-paper-chain-using-recycled-wrapping-paper/. She is making her links l l/2 x 4.” You will see that she used Christmas wrapping paper.

If you do a little bit each day, before long you will have your chain finished. You can use foil wrapping paper, foil-lined cocoa mix packets, or foil candy bar papers–whatever you have. Sometimes I used the fronts of tea wrappers instead of the shiny foil sides, for a change. I also liked using colorful JoAnn fabric and craft stores sales flyers. This project really makes you aware of how much we throw away everyday. If you drink a lot of tea, the wrappers pile up quickly. It is enough to make you think of switching to loose tea! Those tea wrappers with plastic coating on the paper do not get recycled, I’ve read.

If you want your chain to be as sturdy as possible, do try to use papers of the same weight and links the same size. I learned this the hard way. If your chain breaks, though, you can fix it with glue or tape or just have two chains (like when an earthworm is cut and grows back into two worms). Mine are doing well after several Christmases. However, they did not work so well when my 4-year-old granddaughter wore them around her neck as “Anna” braids! In the pictures, you can see that my links should have fit together more tightly. I had been trying to get two links out of each wrapper, so my sizes were not optimum. Live and learn! It is just paper, so play with it and have fun!