Colorful Christmas Garlands: 12 Free Printable Paper Garlands in Pink, Red, White, Blue, Gold and Green

Twelve garlands, six color stories, one printer. This set pairs a pink christmas garland with its red, white, blue, gold and green cousins, so a single afternoon of printing covers a whole mantel, a staircase and a window without a single trip to the craft store. Half the entries are classic paper chains cut into strips and glued into rings, half are flat cut-out shapes threaded on string, and nothing here needs a die cutter.

Every garland on this list comes with its own printable sheet: load white cardstock or photo paper, print at full size with no scaling, and the artwork fills the page edge to edge with nothing to trim away. A short chain or a short string of shapes takes under half an hour once the sheet is cut; a full mantel-length garland is closer to an evening in front of a film.

For more printable sets once this one is used up, this collection of nutcracker, gingerbread and vintage Santa garlands rotates in different motifs on the same cut-and-string method.

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Pink and Playful

The two pink entries do not match each other on purpose. One leans retro with a string of fat little bulb shapes, the other is all sharp diamonds. Hang either alone over a dessert table or run both together for a fuller look.

Pink Retro C9 Bulbs

This one is a string of fat, rounded bulb shapes in two shades of pink with a small cream highlight swirl near the top of each, the kind of silhouette that calls back to old-fashioned string lights. It suits a dessert table, a girl’s room doorway or a mantel that already leans pink rather than traditional red.

Print the sheet, cut around each bulb lying on its side as drawn, then punch one hole near the narrow end. Thread string through the holes so the bulbs hang in a loose row, slightly overlapping, the way real bulb lights bunch along a cord.

The solid pink fill drinks ink fast on plain paper, so matte cardstock holds the color better than standard printer paper and will not show the light fixture through it when hung near a window.

Pink Harlequin Bunting

Sharp triangle flags in a harlequin diamond check of hot pink and blush, a pattern that photographs better than plain pink alone because the diamonds catch light differently as the flag moves. It suits a party table skirt line or a window where a single color would otherwise look flat.

Cut each triangle along its printed line, punch a hole in each top corner, and thread string through both holes on every flag so they hang level and evenly spaced rather than twisting on a single center hole.

Two flags print per sheet, so a mantel-length bunting of a dozen flags means six prints: budget the ink and cardstock for that before starting, since harlequin fills most of the flag with color.

Red and Green, the Classic Pair

Red and green rarely needs an excuse, so this pairing keeps it loose: a chain strung from tiny vintage bulbs and a line of stockings cuffed in holly. For more of this exact combination styled onto a tree rather than a garland, these red and green tree looks sit well alongside it.

Red Retro C9 Bulbs

This one is a paper chain, not loose bulbs: every strip carries a tidy row of tiny vintage bulb icons in red on a cream ground, so the pattern only reveals itself once the strips are glued into rings and the chain is hanging. It suits the classic mantel look without reaching for actual string lights.

Cut the sheet into its strips, glue the first into a ring, then thread the next strip through that ring before gluing its own ends, repeating down the line. Take one strip and form a circle, overlap the ends by about half an inch and glue, tape, or staple them together.

A short chain eats more strips than it looks like it should: figure on roughly two sheets per foot of finished chain, since each ring uses up more length than the strip itself once it is looped and overlapped.

Red and Green Stockings with Holly Cuffs

A line of stocking silhouettes in red and green, each with a contrasting cuff printed with a small holly leaf and berry pattern at the top. It suits a banister, a mantel edge, or a run along the top of a window frame.

Cut each stocking along its outline, punch one hole through the cuff at the top corner, and thread string through so the stockings hang in a row, heel pointing the same direction on every one.

The holly print on the cuff is small, so print at the highest quality setting the printer offers; on a lower setting the tiny leaves blur into a green smudge rather than reading as holly.

White for a Quiet Room

White reads as restraint until it is cut into a hundred tiny snowflakes, at which point it reads as effort. These two are the cheapest on ink of the whole set and the easiest to hang against almost any wall color.

White Snowflakes

A paper chain again, this time each strip carrying a row of small white snowflake outlines on a pale ice-blue ground, so the chain reads as frost rather than plain white paper once it is strung. It suits a window, a mirror frame or a quiet tree without any warm colors on it.

Cut the strips, glue the first into a ring, then feed each new strip through the last ring before sealing its own ends, same as any paper chain. Cut strips of paper, tape, glue, or staple the ends together to make a loop, insert a second strip into the loop, and continue until the chain is as long as wanted.

This is the lightest entry on ink of the whole set since most of each strip stays pale, which also means it is the cheapest one to reprint if a strip tears while gluing.

White Doves

A dove in flight, wings spread wide, drawn in white with a thin grey outline and a few simple feather lines. It suits a wedding-adjacent Christmas table, a staircase, or anywhere the rest of the decor already leans soft rather than bright.

Cut around each dove, punch a single hole just behind the head, and thread string through so each bird hangs at a slight natural tilt rather than perfectly flat, which reads as movement once a few are strung together.

Because most of the shape stays white paper, leave a visible margin around the wingtips when cutting: they are thin points and tear easily if the scissors cut too close to the printed line.

Blue for a Cooler Palette

Blue skips the usual red-and-gold Christmas cliche entirely. A string of mittens and a run of gingham bunting sit well in a room already dressed in blue and silver rather than the usual warm palette.

Blue Mittens

A simple mitten shape in medium blue with a white cuff dotted in tiny snowflakes, repeated identically down the string rather than paired left and right. It suits a kids’ playroom, a kitchen window over the sink, or any spot that wants winter without full-on Christmas red.

Cut around each mitten, punch one hole through the cuff, and thread string across so the mittens hang evenly spaced, thumb pointing the same way on every one for a tidy repeat.

Only two mittens print per sheet, so a full row across a window takes several sheets: print them all before cutting anything, so the blue tone stays consistent rather than drifting sheet to sheet with the printer’s ink levels.

Blue and White Bunting

Triangle flags in a blue and white gingham check, a tidier, cooler cousin of the pink harlequin bunting earlier in the set. It suits a blue and silver tree nearby or a room that wants pattern without reaching for a warm color at all.

Cut each triangle on its line, punch a hole in both top corners, and thread string through both holes per flag so the row hangs level rather than twisting.

Gingham lines are thin and close together, so they print cleanest on a laser printer or a higher-resolution inkjet setting; on a low setting the checks can blur into a soft grey smear instead of a crisp check.

Gold for a Little Shine

Gold is the one color on this list that fights the printer a little, and both entries say so honestly. Run them near a lamp or string of fairy lights and the slight flatness of home-printed gold stops mattering. For gold paired with deep green instead of paper, this green and gold tree roundup is a useful companion.

Gold Bells

A bell silhouette in gold with a cream clapper and a few thin swirl lines suggesting an embossed pattern, lying on its side as drawn. It suits a mantel or a tree skirt edge where the rest of the room already carries some shine.

Cut around each bell, punch one hole through the top loop, and thread string so the bells hang in a row, all facing the same direction.

Home printers rarely produce a true metallic gold, more often a warm mustard tone, so glossy photo paper helps lift the shine; for real sparkle, swipe a gold leaf pen over the cut shape after trimming it.

Gold Stars

A paper chain where each strip carries a scatter of small five-point stars in gold across a cream ground, like confetti caught mid-fall. It suits a shelf, a tree, or layered right alongside the gold bells for a fuller gold corner.

Cut the strips, glue the first into a ring, thread the next strip through, and keep going down the sheet the same way as any other chain.

Gold prints dense and a little flat on plain paper, so this one pulls more ink per strip than the other chains in the set; glossy photo paper stock helps the stars catch light once the chain is hung.

Green with a Twist

Green gets two patterns instead of the expected plain fir sprig: little trees freckled in red dots, and ornament balls doodled in white squiggle. Both skip the greenery look entirely and read as graphic rather than botanical.

Green Christmas Trees with Red Dots

A triangle tree silhouette in green, freckled across with small red dots standing in for ornaments, lying on its side as drawn rather than upright. It suits a playroom, a kitchen doorway, or anywhere a literal tree shape reads as more fun than a sprig of greenery.

Cut around each tree, punch one hole near the trunk end, and thread string through so the row of trees hangs in a line, points all facing the same way.

The solid green fill is heavy on ink, so matte cardstock keeps the color even; glossy stock tends to glare under overhead lighting and washes out the red dots.

Green Ornaments with White Squiggles

The last chain in the set: each strip carries a row of round ornament-ball outlines in green, every ball doodled over with loose white squiggle lines like hand-painted glass. It suits a tree, a bannister or layered with the red-dot trees for a fuller green corner.

Cut the strips, glue the first into a ring, thread the next through, and keep looping down the sheet. The fastest way is with a glue or a stapler: make a loop with a strip of paper and secure it, then add your next piece of paper and secure again, continuing until the garland reaches the desired length.

The squiggle lines are thin and close together on a small strip, so print on the highest quality setting available or the doodle can blur into a soft smear once the rings are glued.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size should the strips be for a paper chain garland?

Most printable chain sheets, including the ones in this set, use strips about one inch tall running the length of the page. That matches what most tutorials land on: a standard strip size of roughly one inch wide by six inches long works for a chain that hangs with a tidy, even link size.

How do I stop my paper chain looking gappy with white showing between the rings?

The usual fix is to interlock the rings a little tighter rather than leaving them loose: thread one ring so it sits perpendicular between two others, which closes the chain up so no bare paper shows between links, the same trick many paper chain tutorials rely on.

Can I buy the strips precut instead of cutting my own?

Yes, precut cardstock strips exist for exactly this reason: skip the cutting step and go straight to gluing rings if the cutting itself is the part you want to avoid.

Should the strips be thick or thin for a fuller looking chain?

Thinner strips stretch further for the same amount of paper and look more like a true chain once hung, while wider, shorter strips build a chunkier, tighter-looking garland faster with fewer links. Either works for the sheets in this set since all the strips print at the same one-inch height regardless of pattern.

How long does it take to make one of these garlands?

A short garland of a dozen links or a dozen strung shapes takes well under an hour once the sheet is printed and cut, mostly spent gluing or punching holes rather than cutting. A full mantel or staircase length garland runs closer to an evening, simply because it needs several printed sheets rather than one.

What paper works best for printing these garlands at home?

White cardstock in the 65 to 90 lb range holds color better than plain printer paper and will not show light through it once hung near a window. Glossy photo paper helps the gold entries look shinier, while matte cardstock keeps solid color fills, like the green trees or pink bulbs, from glaring under room lighting.