How do I prepare and use Halloween paper garland templates?
Quick answer: Use Print all 24 to print the drawing prompts. The pack gives instructions, not ready-made cut-out outlines. Then choose your garland. For a paper chain, cut strips from letter paper, make a ten-link sample and use its length to estimate how many strips you need. For a figure garland, draw and cut pumpkins, bats, ghosts and other shapes, each with a one-inch hanging tab, and glue the tabs over twine. Before the party, make one sample chain and one figure, test your paper and layout, and prepare any outlines children will trace.
24 Halloween shapes to draw and cut
Print the drawing instructions or pick another shape. These cards describe the designs; they do not contain cut-out outlines.
Draw one when the room is ready
Bat - fold, draw one scalloped wing and two ear points, cut, unfold to a 6-inch wingspan
Motifs: fliers and night sky
Draw your chosen outline on paper before cutting. Use a fold for symmetrical shapes and a full outline for uneven shapes.
- Bat - fold, draw one scalloped wing and two ear points, cut, unfold to a 6-inch wingspan
- Ghost - fold, draw half a sheeted body with a wavy hem, cut, unfold and dot two marker eyes
- Crow - fold, draw a hunched half-bird with a wedge beak, cut, unfold with wings mid-flap
- Owl - fold, draw half a round body with ear tufts, cut, unfold and add two big circle eyes
- Crescent moon - draw and cut a full crescent outline, then tape a small star inside the curve
- Witch on a broom - draw a full side-view outline with a pointed hat and broom, then cut it out
- Bent witch hat - fold, draw half a drooping cone over a wide brim, cut, unfold
- Star cluster - fold, cut one 4-point star, then tape two smaller ones beside it on the string
Motifs: classic Halloween shapes
Draw faces after cutting, or use colored paper and add details with markers.
- Pumpkin - fold, draw half a fat circle with a stubby stem, cut, unfold, then draw the zigzag face
- Black cat - fold, draw half a sitting cat with a triangle ear, cut and unfold; add a hooked paper tail on one side
- Spider - cut a round body and eight thin paper legs; glue four legs to each side
- Skull - fold, draw half a rounded skull with a jaw notch, cut, unfold and add circle eyes
- Candy corn - fold, draw the pointed triangle on the fold, cut, then stripe it yellow, orange, and white
- Haunted house - fold, draw half a roofline with two chimneys and a door, cut, unfold to a full skyline
- Tombstone - fold, cut the rounded half-top and leave RIP blank for kids to letter in silver crayon
- Cauldron - fold, draw half a round pot with one foot, cut and unfold; add a third foot in the middle and two paper bubbles above
Motifs: silly extras and fillers
Mix these characters with pumpkins, ghosts or stars along the twine.
- Frankenstein - fold, draw half a square head with flat hair and a neck bolt, cut, unfold
- Mummy - fold, cut a head shape, then wrap it with two thin white paper strips glued on
- Vampire - fold, draw half a high collar with a pointed cape edge, cut, unfold and dot two fangs
- Scarecrow - fold, draw half a patchwork head with straw fringe, cut, unfold and color the patches
- One-eyed monster - fold, draw half a wobbly blob with both arms up, cut, unfold, add one giant eye
- Apple with a worm - fold and cut an apple outline, unfold and cut a bite from one side; curl a green paper strip through the bite
- Potion bottle - fold, draw half a bottle with a cork, cut, unfold and glue a paper star bubble
- Corner web - fold the sheet into quarters, cut notches along the folds, unfold to a web wedge
What you get when you print the pack
The Halloween garland pack helps you make two kinds of decoration: a paper chain in orange, black and purple, or a line of figures such as pumpkins, bats and ghosts strung on twine. It has 24 drawing prompts to help you sketch the figures.
Decide where the garland will hang before adding other handmade pieces, such as a poster guests sign, so decorations don't crowd one wall. See our DIY party decorations page for a few more ideas.
The printed pages are instructions. They are not outlines you can cut out straight away. If guests will cut out shapes, someone needs to draw the outlines first. You can draw them yourself or draw samples that children can trace.
For guests who'd rather thread than cut, lacing cards avoid cutting during play, though an adult still prepares the outlines, holes and laces ahead. See how to prepare and use Halloween lacing cards.
Does the print button give me cut-out templates?
Quick answer: No. Print all 24 prints the drawing instructions shown in the pack. There is no downloadable sheet of outlines.
Plan time to draw your outlines before the party. Children can trace them if you draw and cut out a sample shape beforehand. Other Halloween and Christmas craft packs on Party Whammy have their own contents, so do not expect them to print the same kind of pages as this one.
Cut paper strips and work out how many you need
On the 11-inch side of a letter sheet, mark every inch. Then cut across the 8.5-inch width. You will have eleven strips, each 1 by 8.5 inches. You could use orange, black and purple in that order and keep repeating the colors as you add rings.
If the ends overlap by one inch, each ring measures 7.5 inches around. That does not tell you how much length each ring adds to the chain. The ring shape, the way the links fit together and the amount of droop all change how far the chain reaches. A drooping chain does not always need twice the distance between its two ends.
How many strips do I need for a six-foot paper chain?
Quick answer: Make ten links and measure them while they hang in the shape you want. Divide 72 inches by that measurement, multiply by ten and round up. The answer is a starting count, so check the chain against the space as it grows.
Illustrative example: if ten links reach 24 inches, a six-foot chain needs about 72 ÷ 24 × 10 = 30 strips. A ten-foot chain needs about 120 ÷ 24 × 10 = 50 strips. At eleven strips per sheet, that means three sheets for 30 strips and five sheets for 50 strips, before you add spares or allow for colors. The 24-inch measurement is only an example and was not measured from these strips.
Count the sheets for each color separately. Divide the number of strips in that color by eleven and round up.
Draw and cut out the Halloween figures
Start with an easy shape, such as a pumpkin, ghost or bat. For a pumpkin, fold the paper and draw half an oval against the fold, with half a stem at the top. Cut it out, unfold it and draw a face. A ghost has a rounded top and a wavy bottom edge. A bat has pointed ears and a scalloped wing on each side.
Use a fold for shapes that match on the left and right. Draw the whole outline for uneven shapes, such as a crescent moon or a witch on a broom. When you draw each outline, add a one-inch tab at the top for hanging.
Aim for figures about 5 to 6 inches tall, but adjust wider designs to fit the paper. Copy paper works for chains. For figures, try 90–120 gsm paper, or card stock if you want to keep them. Make one test figure to see how easily the paper folds and holds its shape. If you use orange, purple or green paper, children can draw faces without coloring the whole figure.
If you'd prefer a different hanging decoration, paper-bag stars are a separate, three-dimensional project with their own materials and gluing steps. See how to make paper-bag stars at a party.
How many sheets do I need for twelve paper figures?
Quick answer: If two outlines fit on each sheet, six sheets will make twelve figures. Twelve sheets will make one of each of the 24 designs.
Draw two outlines on one sheet to test the layout before drawing the rest. Wider shapes may need more room, which would mean using more sheets.
Put together the chain or figure garland
For the chain, curve one strip into a ring, overlap the ends by one inch and tape them. Thread the next strip through that ring before taping it closed. Keep repeating your color pattern. Hold the chain up to the place where it will hang before you add the last rings.
For the figure garland, cut around each figure and its tab. Fold the tab behind the figure. This hanging tab is different from any center fold you used to draw the shape. Glue the tab over the twine and press it closed as the glue instructions say. Lay all the figures out before gluing so you can change their order.
How far apart should I put the figures?
Quick answer: For a six-foot decorated length, place twelve figures six inches apart. Put the first and last figures three inches in from each end of the decorated length.
Cut eight feet of twine: six feet in the middle for the figures and one foot at each end for tying. Mark where the decorated length starts, one foot in from one end of the twine. Measured from that mark, the figures sit at 3, 9, 15 inches and so on up to 69 inches, so the last figure is three inches before the decorated length ends. Measured from the cut end of the twine instead, the same positions are 15, 21, 27 inches and so on up to 81 inches. If you use a different number of figures or a different length, measure and space them again.
Will painter’s tape leave marks?
Quick answer: It might. No one can promise it will come off cleanly from every wall finish. Check the tape maker’s instructions for surfaces and removal before you use it.
Plan where the garland hangs and how it's attached before you start, keeping it out of walkways. Surfaces, products and venue rules differ, so marks can't be ruled out. See how to decorate a small space without clutter or damage.
Hold the finished garland in place and adjust how much it droops. Try putting tape supports about every two feet and add more if needed. Depending on its weight and where it hangs, the garland may need extra support.
Example: a 40-minute garland craft for eight children
Illustrative example: this plan is for eight children working at the craft table. Count the birthday child among the eight if they are joining in. Put two children at each of four stations: counting strips, linking rings, cutting figures and attaching figures to twine. Leave a finished sample at each station. Have a few figures cut out ahead of time at the twine station so the first pair there can start right away. An adult can hold the twine and help close the tabs.
For each of the four jobs, set out the supplies, a finished sample and clear helper roles before children arrive, and leave the end for cleanup and pickup. See how to organize a craft station at a party.
The 40 minutes covers only the craft, not the whole party. Add arrival, food, cleanup and pickup, and adjust after making a sample. See how long a children's birthday party should last.
Name the pairs A, B, C and D. After each ten-minute round, every pair moves to the next station, and the pair at the twine station goes back to counting strips. Show everyone the steps before the first round starts. Leave extra time afterward for the glue to hold, for hanging the garland and for clearing scraps. Children may not finish in 40 minutes. If you are running the craft alone and several children need help cutting, have everyone do the same step together instead of using four stations.
Before the first rotation, decide how each pair shares scissors and glue and who does which step, so they can swap roles at the next station. See how to plan shared materials without constant arguments.
Running it alone affects more than the craft, so keep supervision simple across the whole party, and finish preparation before guests arrive. See how to host a kids party without a co-host.
| Time | Pair A | Pair B | Pair C | Pair D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Count strips | Link rings | Cut figures | Attach prepared figures to twine |
| 0:10–0:20 | Link rings | Cut figures | Attach figures to twine | Count strips |
| 0:20–0:30 | Cut figures | Attach figures to twine | Count strips | Link rings |
| 0:30–0:40 | Attach figures to twine | Count strips | Link rings | Cut figures |
Supplies and a checklist for before the party
Before cutting all your paper, write down where the garland will hang, how long it needs to be, how far your ten-link sample reaches, how many strips and sheets you need of each color, how many figures you want and which designs, how much twine to cut, and which adult will help with cutting or stringing.
Turn these measurements into one supply list: write each item, its quantity, whether you own, borrow or buy it, and who is preparing it. See what party supplies to buy, borrow or prepare.
- Paper in your chosen colors, plus spare sheets
- Ruler, pencil and scissors for the guests who will cut
- Tape for closing chain rings and glue for figure tabs
- Twine cut to the garland length plus a tying end at each side
- Markers or crayons for faces and details
- Printed drawing prompts and any outlines you have drawn
- A scrap bowl at each station and somewhere to put finished pieces
- One sample chain and one sample figure made before the party
Before guests arrive, decide who empties scrap bowls, collects tools and stores finished garlands, and where unclaimed items go. Our party cleanup checklist can help.
What to do after the garland craft
Put the craft supplies away before you start the next activity. Guests who would rather make characters to take home could try the Halloween paper puppet craft. Guests who want a seated activity without cutting could try Halloween word games or picture bingo. Choose something that fits the time and space you have left.
Puppets suit guests who want to take a character home. Prepare each character's paper pieces before the party and allow for drying time. See how to use the Halloween paper puppet craft kit.
Picture bingo works as a seated round once the scissors are away, but its boards don't come with pictures. Cut out and arrange the boards before guests arrive, or leave time for children to glue their own. How do I prepare and use Halloween picture bingo to print? covers the board steps.
| Detail | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Where the garland will hang | ______________________________ |
| Target chain reach: 72 inches, 120 inches or another length | ______________________________ |
| Ten-link sample reach in inches | ______________________________ |
| Estimated strip count | ______________________________ |
| Color sequence and strips of each color | ______________________________ |
| Sheets of each color and spare sheets | ______________________________ |
| Figure count and chosen designs | ______________________________ |
| Decorated twine length and tying ends | ______________________________ |
| Adult helping with cutting or stringing | ______________________________ |