How to Make a Skull Paper Chain

This skull paper chain makes for an easy DIY Halloween decoration that would be great for at home or in the classroom. With just a few simple supplies, both kids and adults can have fun creating this Halloween craft.

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Halloween decorations are always so much fun to shop for. Unfortunately, it can always get very expensive. One way to still decorate for Halloween on a budget is by making some of your own!

This skull paper chain is an easy craft that would look great in any spooky setting. With a few supplies that you most likely already have at home, you can make this fun Halloween decoration in no time.

Video Tutorial:

Supplies needed:

White paper (Or any other color would work too! Feel free to be as creative as you would like!)
Pencil
Scissors
Free Printable Template (available at the bottom of this post – optional)

How to make a skull paper chain:

To make the skull paper chain, you can follow the written out step by step tutorial below. If you would like, you can also watch this video tutorial for a visual reference.

Step 1: Fold paper in half.

Begin by folding a piece of white paper in half longways. Next, you will need to cut the paper in half along the fold you just made. For this paper chain you will only be using one half of the piece of paper. If you would like to make the chain longer, you can use the other half of the paper to create a second chain and then attach the two together using tape or glue.

For my example below, I used an 8.5×11 inch piece of paper. However, please feel free to use any size paper you have. You just have to make sure that the strip you are making the chain with ends up being a long rectangle.

Step 2: Fold in half three times.

The next step is to fold the strip of paper in half. Fold it in half a second time, and then fold it again once more for a total of three folds.

Step 3: Unfold, then refold accordion style.

Unfold the strip of paper entirely. Next, fold it again, but this time using an accordion style fold. This means that you have to fold one section in, turn the paper over and then fold the next section in. Repeat this until the entire strip of paper is refolded.

Important note: Once you have finished folding the paper, make sure that the right side of the top fold opens like a book. The left side of the paper will be the folded side and it should not open. By doing this, it will ensure that all of the skulls connect to one another.

Step 4: Draw half of a skull.

Next, draw half of a skull shape. You can follow the example in the photo shown below. Or, at the bottom of this page I have included a free printable template that you can print, cut out and trace.

Be sure to have one side of the skull run off the side of the page a bit. Doing this will make sure that the skulls will connect together when you open the final paper chain.

Step 5: Cut out the skull and unfold.

Cut out the outline of the skull. When cutting out the eyes, first cut a horizontal slit and then begin cutting out the eye shape. This is to make sure that there is space in between the eyes.

Finally, unfold the paper to reveal your final skull paper chain! Four skulls should have been created. If you are interested in making a longer paper chain, you can repeat this process as many times as you would like and connect all of the chains together using tape or glue.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like to check out some of our other easy Halloween paper craft tutorials below:

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