Halloween paper garland templates
These Halloween paper garland templates cover 24 cut-and-fold motifs with strip math for 6-foot and 10-foot garlands and a station plan for 8 kids.
Print the garland templates2 Garland Styles, 24 Motifs, 1 Craft Block
Cut the strips, print the motifs, and eight kids build the decorations during the party.
Halloween paper garland templates: No Mid-Craft Counting Panic
Strip counts, link lengths, and twine cuts are worked out before the first snip.
How to play
- Cut letter sheets into 1-by-8.5-inch strips, eleven per sheet, in orange, black, and purple.
- Loop strips with a 1-inch overlap and tape or staple each closed; 20 links make a 6-foot swag, 32 make 10 feet.
- Print two motifs per sheet, fold on the dashed line, and cut the outline with the top collar left uncut.
- Cut 8 feet of twine per garland and stretch it between two chair backs.
- Glue each folded collar over the twine, spacing figures every 6 inches, twelve to a 6-foot garland.
- Hang with painter's tape loops every 2 feet, tie back the ends, and connect chain runs with a taped joint.
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
Cut on the fold, unfold to symmetric shapes; these read from across the room.
- 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 - fold, cut a crescent along the fold, then tape a small star inside the curve
- Witch on a broom - fold, draw the half silhouette with the broom handle on the fold line, cut, unfold
- 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
The icons kids name on sight; print two per sheet and cut in minutes.
- 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 one triangle ear and a hooked tail, cut, unfold
- Spider - fold, cut a round body, then slit four leg pairs and fan them wide
- 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 pot with three leg bumps, cut, unfold and glue two paper bubbles rising
Motifs: silly extras and fillers
Filler shapes that stretch the figure count across a longer span.
- 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, cut an apple outline, then 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
No Mid-Craft Counting Panic
Strip counts, link lengths, and twine cuts are worked out before the first snip.
No Mid-Craft Counting Panic
Strip counts, link lengths, and twine cuts are worked out before the first snip.
Strip math for chain garlands
Every number needed to buy paper once and hang twice.
- Cut every sheet into 11 strips of 1 by 8.5 inches; a trimmer or a ruler-and-scissors line both work
- Close each strip into a loop with a 1-inch overlap taped or stapled, which yields a 7.5-inch link
- Swags double the span: a 6-foot hang needs 12 feet of chain, so link 20 strips
- A 10-foot hang needs 20 feet of chain, so link 32 strips
- One letter sheet makes 11 strips, so a 6-foot garland comes from two sheets and a 10-footer from three, plus one spare sheet for the color pattern
Print layout for motif sheets
Two motifs per sheet keeps cutting simple and paper use honest.
- Print two motif outlines per letter sheet, each drawn 5 to 6 inches tall with a dashed fold line down the middle
- Print on 90 to 120 gsm paper for easy cutting, or card stock for garlands you plan to reuse
- Keep the top 1 inch of each outline uncut; that collar wraps the twine
- Print outlines on orange, purple, and green stock to skip a coloring step for younger cutters
- Twelve printed sheets cover a 6-foot figure garland with two motifs to spare
Figure garland stringing example
One measured example, then repeat it across any span.
- Cut 8 feet of twine for a 6-foot span: 6 feet to decorate plus 2 feet of tie-back ends
- Fold each motif on its dashed line, lay the twine in the fold, and glue the collar shut over the line
- Space figures every 6 inches, which sets 12 figures on a 6-foot garland
- Hang with a tape loop every 2 feet so the swag keeps its shape
- Tie each tail to a chair leg or weight it so the end figures hold level
Party staging for 8 kids
Four stations, two kids each, rotating on a chime.
- Station 1, strip counting: pre-cut strips in three colors and let kids count out 20 for the 6-foot span
- Station 2, chain linking: tape or staple loops, two kids building while two feed strips
- Station 3, motif cutting: fold on the dashed line and cut the outline, collar uncut
- Station 4, stringing: an adult holds the twine taut while kids glue collars every 6 inches
- Rotate every 10 minutes on a chime; four rotations fill a 40-minute craft block and hang the garland before cake
Notes
Halloween paper garland templates turn a stack of copy paper and one ball of twine into party decor the kids build themselves. This kit covers both garland styles: a paper chain with link counts worked out for 6-foot and 10-foot spans, and a figure garland strung with 24 cut-and-fold motifs. Print the templates, cut once before the party, and the craft table runs a full 40-minute block.
Strip math for 6-foot and 10-foot garlands
One letter sheet cuts into eleven strips of 1 by 8.5 inches. Close each strip with a 1-inch taped overlap and every link adds 7.5 inches of chain. Swags double the math: a 6-foot hang across a window needs 12 feet of chain, so link 20 strips, and a 10-foot wall run needs 32 links from three sheets. Keep one spare sheet for the color pattern; orange, black, and purple repeating every three links reads as a plan instead of leftovers.
The 24-motif template set
Every motif above prints two per sheet, drawn 5 to 6 inches tall with a dashed fold line through the middle. Fold, cut the outline, and leave the top inch uncut so the collar can wrap the twine. The fliers read from across the room, the classic shapes cover the icons kids name on sight, and the silly fillers stretch the figure count across a longer span. Print on colored stock and the coloring step disappears for younger cutters.
Assembly: chain garland versus figure garland
Chains build link by link: tape or staple each loop shut through the last one before it, and two kids can finish a 20-link run in fifteen minutes. Figures string after cutting: cut 8 feet of twine per 6-foot garland, fold each motif over the line, and glue the collar shut with the figures spaced every 6 inches, which sets twelve per span. Hang both styles with painter’s tape loops every 2 feet and let the middle sag; the swag is the decoration.
Staging the craft table for 8 kids
Four stations, two kids each, rotate on a 10-minute chime. Station one counts out strips, station two links the chain, station three folds and cuts motifs, and station four strings while an adult holds the twine taut. Four rotations fill 40 minutes and end with a finished garland ready to hang before cake. Blunt scissors at every seat and a scrap bowl at each station keep the reset under five minutes.
More Halloween party builds
When the garland hangs, point the same group at the rest of the plan:
When to Prep the Garland Craft
Paper prep keeps, so everything except stringing happens days ahead.
Cut Once, Hang Before Cake
Four jobs turn a paper stack into two finished garlands.
More Halloween Printables and Party Plans
Bingo boards and hunt clues fill the hour around the craft table.
Halloween Paper Garland Questions
How many paper strips do I need for a 6-foot Halloween paper garland?
Link 20 strips: each 8.5-inch strip loses an inch to the overlap, so 20 links give 12 feet of chain for a 6-foot swag. Two letter sheets yield the 22 strips you need with spares.
How do you hang a paper garland without damaging walls?
Use painter's tape loops every 2 feet and let the middle sag about 6 inches below the end points. The loops peel clean and the swag is what makes it look decorated.
How far apart should figures sit on a figure garland?
Glue a motif every 6 inches, which sets 12 figures on 6 feet of twine. Tighten the spacing to 4 inches if the garland hangs where guests walk underneath.
What paper works best for Halloween paper garlands?
Chain strips tear cleanly from standard copy paper, while motifs hold their shape better on 120 gsm stock. Print outlines on colored paper to skip the coloring step with younger cutters.
How do you run a garland craft for 8 kids?
Set four stations, two kids each: strip counting, chain linking, motif cutting, and stringing with an adult holding the twine. Chime a 10-minute rotation four times and the garland hangs before cake.