This old-time folded paper chain garland is very simply made from two long, narrow strips of (fairly thin) paper... I mean lo-o-ong - so keep gluing strips together! ...You’ll want each to be many feet, if not yards. (Okay, you can glue or staple or tape several together, too.) Kids can do this easily...

Glue the end of one strip perpendicularly across the end of the other (as though they formed two sides to a picture frame). You’re just going to be folding the ends accordion-fashion - only, the accordions will be intermingled... Start by folding the "butt end" of one strip over the little square made by the connecting point of your two strips. (If it started out on the left of the other strip, it’ll now be to the right of it.) Now fold the second strip similarly over the end of the first one. Keep alternating the folds... see, you’ll be creating a "stack" of folds over that one base connecting-square. (At some point, this will get unwieldy - sooner, the thicker your paper is.) When you’ve had enough, gently pull the accordion apart... to make the "ladder". Neat, eh? (You might call this braiding with only two strands.)

I suggest doing a test piece with 1"-wide strips cut length-wise from an 81/2 x 11" sheet of paper... Then try1/2"-wide strips. ...Very different results (and, of course, you can get twice the garland length from one sheet of paper using the narrower strips.) This goes really fast, especially if you don’t worry about making the folds absolutely perfect.

Work with two different papers for contrast... Two colors; or a solid and a print; or, say, a red matte-finish and a red shiny paper? (Some papers are matte and shiny on opposite sides, or two colors, or solid and print - that’ll work swell, and keep the weight down.) Or try two different textures of paper - like plain and rice paper.

(A short length of this chain can make a nice hanging "icicle"-type thing, too... maybe with the ends cut into narrow strips, tassel-wise.)

(See also Gum Wrapper Chain, Paper Heart Chain, Paper Rickrack)