The Paper Chain Glow-Up You Have to See to Believe (It Doubles as a Suncatcher!)

When a holiday rolls around, my feed inevitably fills with photos and videos of paper chains. I saw pink hearts and layered tulips for Valentine’s Day, and of course red and green at Christmastime and orange and black for Halloween. Most of these handmade decor projects use construction paper fastened together with staples or glue. 

Now one woman is going viral for her fresh, colorful take on the DIY paper chain — and one of the most surprising parts? There are no staples, tape, or glue sticks required. 

And it’s perfect for spring and summer. Basically, if jelly sandals and paper chains had a baby, it would be this whimsical idea.

Katherine, known as CheersToMonday on Instagram, recently shared a video of her magical suncatcher paper chains catching light in a sunny window — and it quickly racked up millions of views. Her comment section was flooded with thousands of admirers asking for the links to the exact paper she used (spoiler: It’s not paper at all).

No surprise, right? We are all begging for sunlight after a brutal winter, and this idea literally provides a rainbow bouncing off the walls. 

• Order transparent colored gel sheets. 
• Cut 1.5-inch-wide strips of the paper.
• On each end of the strip, cut a horizontal slit, going a little more than halfway across. 
• Make sure the slits are on opposite sides so they can hook together.
• Loop and connect each strip by sliding the slits into each other, forming a chain. Make sure the extra paper from the ends is on the inside of the loop. That ensures it will lay flush with the ring when you join everything together.
• Mix colors randomly or color block in segments to create your own rainbow!

Katherine’s original post went so viral (like, the millions of views in just a few days type of viral) that she sold out the original paper sheets she used in the video. But a quick search for “transparent colored paper sheets” turns up so many options. 

Just be aware that cellophane sheets will not be thick enough to hold shape (and lack the tactile jelly-like experience us ’90s kids are craving). Look for thicker craft paper like these color correction light sheets. 

When I became a parent, “golden hour” very quickly became “witching hour.” I’d like a little more playfulness at 5 p.m. (*immediately adds gel sheets to cart*). If you need me, you’ll find me on the floor with a toddler, rainbow-chasing until dinnertime as these adorable suncatcher chains flood my living room with colorful light. Whimsy, unlocked.