Please welcome Stephanie from Make and Tell! Steph brings us creative inspiration all the way from Australia and I just love her fresh style! I think you’ll like this darling DIY Paint Chip Garland she whipped up for TCL readers! This is a great tutorial for a simple birthday or party banner. Easy to make!
Paint Chip Garland

I’ve really gotten hooked on the gorgeous Scandinavian art that’s been doing the rounds lately. It’s bold and colourful, and at the same time just a tad childlike… not to mention full of shapes and hand-drawn patterns which is right up my alley!
While I don’t quite have the talent to come up with those kinds of amazing works of art myself, they’ve inspired me to create a project full of pattern and colour to decorate the walls at my next big party. If you too love the whimsical look of Scandinavian graphics (or if you just love a good garland!), grab some paint chips and follow along below!
Paint Chip Garland Supplies
-
- Paint chips (your local hardware store or paint shop should have them)
- White paint pen
- Circle punch
- Twine
- Scissors
- Doublesided tape, tape runner or glue
How To Make a Paint Chip Garland
Step 1
Start decorating your paint samples with patterns (I used little arrows, polka dots, and small dashes). The key here is to let go of any perfectionism the imperfect, hand drawn look is what you’re after.
Step 2
If you used a paint pen or liquid paper to make your patterns, give your cards a little time to dry. Then punch circles using a circle punch (if you don’t have one, you can just cut out your shape by hand this will be a little slower, but just as effective).
Step 3
Fold each of your circles in half. I just did this by hand, but you can use a scorer or bone folder first if you find it easier to make a nice fold this way.
Step 4
Cut a long piece of string or thin ribbon and feed it through the middle of each folded semi-circle. Glue or tape each circle shut once it has been fed through.
And hey presto, your patterned paint chip garland is ready to hang!
While I originally intended for this garland to be used at parties, I think it’d also work very well to decorate a nursery, a child’s room or anywhere else you need a pop of colour really!
More DIY Garland Ideas
Birthday Party Dinosaur Garland
Stephanie | Make and Tell says
Thanks so much Laura! xx
Laura Irion // Avery Street Design says
Great project Stephanie! And I love your photos- so bright and pretty. 🙂 xo! ~Laura