How to Make Crochet Chains for Christmas in 5 Steps

A 35-link crochet paper chain is a weekend project of about 7 hours. I made a crochet version of the paper chains we made as kids, and each link takes me about 12 minutes.

The finished garland runs about 3.5 m (about 11.5 ft) and uses about 2 balls of budget acrylic. It stores flat, it can be washed, and it needs no sewing, because each link is pulled through the one before.

The hard step is keeping the foundation chain untwisted when you pass it through the last link. Before you start, put 2 balls of yarn, a hook, a needle, scissors and a stitch marker on the table.

Key Takeaways

• A 35-link garland takes about 7 hours, or 12 minutes per link.
• Use worsted acrylic and a 5 mm hook for a soft, even link.
• Each link is 3 rounds of 30 double crochet stitches.
• Thread the new foundation chain through the last link before you join it.
• Lay the ring flat to check for a twist before the slip stitch.
• Weave in 3 inches of each end so nothing pops out.

How to Make Crochet Chains for Christmas: Materials and Yarn Choice

Use worsted weight (10 ply) acrylic yarn and a 5 mm hook (US H-8). Gauge is not critical, but the hook size sets how firm each link feels.

Here is the full kit for 35 links:

• 2 balls of worsted acrylic (about 3.5 ounces each is typical)
• 5 mm crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Stitch marker

A color-changing budget acrylic gives a new color on each link without cutting yarn. That saves you from buying many colors. For hook and yarn basics on a smaller project, see this crochet bracelet guide.

My first chain slumped, so on my second try I used a hook one size down. Tighter stitches gave a firmer link. Watch the terms in other patterns: US double crochet is the same stitch as UK treble.

Stash yarn is fine if you adjust the hook and the chain count to match its weight.

Making the Links Step by Step

Chain 30 loosely, then join it into a ring. This is the foundation chain, the first row of chain stitches that you join into a ring to start a link. Each link is a cylinder of 3 rounds of 30 stitches, and mine takes about 12 minutes.

Chain 30 and Join the Ring

Lay the chain flat on a table so the stitches face the same way. Join with a slip stitch (sl st) into the first chain.

This is where people go wrong. They join the next foundation chain after it has twisted around the old link. I'd now mark the join with a stitch marker.

Work Three Rounds of Double Crochet

The tall stitch is the double crochet (dc, US terms). In round 1, chain 2, which counts as the first dc, then work one dc into each foundation chain. Join with a sl st to the top of the chain 2.

Rounds 2 and 3 repeat the same way into the stitches of the round below. Fasten off after round 3.

Pass Through the Last Link and Finish

Follow these 5 steps for every link:

1. Chain 30 loosely.
2. Join with a sl st, with no twist.
3. Work 3 rounds of dc.
4. Fasten off.
5. For the next link, pass the new chain through the previous link before joining.

Repeat until you reach 35 links. Then the finished chain waits for you to weave in the ends.

Fixes for Twisted, Tight and Uneven Links

A twist is the most common fault, and you can fix it by pulling back to the join. Frog the stitches, which means unravel them, then lay the ring flat and join again. It takes me 2 minutes.

If the foundation chain is tight, the stitches fight your hook. Use a 6 mm hook for the foundation chain only, then switch back to 5 mm.

A chain of 29 or 31 shifts the join and makes a lopsided link. Count 30 stitches after round 1, before you go on. For a pattern that starts in rounds from a magic ring, try this Christmas doily.

You can knot ends together and trim them to skip weaving. I tried it on one test chain, and two ends popped out within a day. Weave in 3 inches of each end.

Once the garland hangs well, add a few links each year.

Conclusion

The whole garland took me about 7 hours, spread over one weekend. I'd pick the 5 mm color-changing acrylic again, because it saves every yarn change and the colors still look planned.

Hang your crochet paper chain over a mantle or along a tree, then add a few links each year. The length grows with the years, and you can still try a plain crochet chain for gift ties. For a small matching ornament, my ribbon tree pattern uses the same yarn.

How many links did your first garland reach, and what yarn did you use? Tell me in the comments.