How to Decorate With Streamers

Co-authored by Natasha Miller

Last Updated: May 3, 2024 Fact Checked

Crepe-paper streamers are inexpensive party decorations that give big visual impact. With nothing but a roll of streamers, scissors, and tape, you can turn almost any get-together into a festive gathering. Great places to hang streamers include doorways, windows, tables, and on the backs of chairs. Just tape one end of the streamer to a surface, loosely run the streamer across the surface, and keep periodically taping it as you go along. Decorating with streamers is all about expressing your own creativity in strips of crepe paper.

Best Tips for Hanging Streamers

It's easy to hang streamers from just about any surface with scotch tape. Hang a row of streamers across the top of a doorway or window by taping one end down firmly and letting the streamers dangle. Other good places include on the front of a table and on the backs of chairs.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Creating a Crepe Paper Canopy

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1
Fold the end of a roll of crepe paper over the hula hoop. The end of the crepe paper should rest back on the streamer.
- The hula hoop will serve as the center of your canopy. All of the streamers will be attached to the hula hoop.
If you don't have a stapler, you may use tape.

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3
Unroll the crepe paper to the desired length and cut. Each streamer needs to span from the center of the room to an outside wall. In order to achieve a dramatic drape, the streamer must be a few feet longer than this distance. Just to be safe, you may want to overestimate how long the streamer needs to be. This will allow you to adjust the drape of the streamer. You can always trim it later.
- While you can measure this distance, you may find it easier to cut one streamer as a reference. With a friends help, unroll the crepe paper from the center of the room to an exterior wall. Adjust the drape of the streamer and then cut. Use this streamer as a guide.
Continue to add streamers to your hula hoop until it is completely covered. The streamers may overlap slightly. You can create a pattern with the streamers or attach the different colored crepe paper randomly.
5
Suspend the hula hoop from the center of the ceiling. The attachment method you use depends entirely on the ceiling. The most convenient installation method involves tying the hula hoop to a light fixture or a beam. If these options aren’t available to you, get creative. You can also hang a hook from your ceiling to suspend the hula hoop from.
- When you hang the hula hoop, make sure the staples used to attach the streamers are facing up.
- Use fishing line so your guests don’t see the string.
Pull one streamer at a time to the edge of the room. Adjust the drape of the streamer and then secure it to the outer wall or ceiling with a piece of scotch tape. Repeat until each streamer is draped across the ceiling. When it is done, the ceiling will be hidden by streamers.

EXPERT TIP

Streamers are fun for a crafty or casual event. However, if you're having a more high-end event, you might want to go with an alternative.

Natasha Miller
Professional Event Planner
Natasha Miller is an Event Planner, Chief Experience Designer, and President of Entire Productions, an event and entertainment production company based in San Francisco, California. Notable clients Natasha has collaborated with include Apple, Google, Gap, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Salesforce. Natasha and Entire Productions has been awarded Inc. 5,000's "Fastest Growing Companies in America", Entrepreneur Magazine's 360 List of "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America." Entire Productions is also a Certified Women Business Enterprise. Natasha is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI).

Natasha Miller
Professional Event Planner

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Making a Back-drop Out of Streamers

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1
Determine the dimensions of your back-drop. Before you assemble the back-drop, measure its length and width. Mark the dimensions of the back-drop with a light pencil mark, chalk, or a piece of tape.^{[1]
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- The back-drop may be as large or as small as you’d like—it will really depend on the space you’re using and how you intend to capture the back-drop on camera. Ask yourself the following questions: Do you want to take full-body shots or will the pictures be from the waist up? How tall are your guests? How many guests do you want in one picture?
2
Attach a piece of masking tape—sticky side out—to the wall. Stretch a piece of masking tape—sticky side out—along the top edge of your back-drop from corner to corner. To secure the tape to the wall, cover each end with a piece of masking tape.
- The streamers will hang from the sticky side of the tape.
3
Stick streamers onto the tape. Attach streamers to the masking tape from left to right. Roll out each streamer to the desired length and cut it in a straight line. As you move from one corner of the back-drop to the other, layer the streamers slightly and vary the colors.
- Don’t worry about cutting every streamer to the same length. You will trim them later.^{[2]
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4
Cover the top edge with a piece of crepe paper. Place pieces of rolled masking tape along the top edge of the back-drop. Roll a single streamer along the top edge of the back-drop in a straight line. Cover the two small vertical pieces of tape on each end in the same manner.
- This will give the top of your back-drop a clean, crisp edge.
5
Tape the bottom of the streamers to the wall. Stretch a piece of masking tape—sticky side in—across the bottom edge of your back-drop. Attach each end of the tape directly to the wall. This piece of tape will prevent your streamers from moving.^{[3]
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- If you want the streamers to move with the breeze, don’t tape the streamers to the wall. This will provide you with a less structured, and perhaps more whimsical backdrop.
With a pair of scissors, carefully trim each streamer near the bottom edge of the tape. You will cover the bottom with a streamer, so don’t worry about trimming each streamer perfectly.^{[4]
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Cover the bottom edge with a piece of crepe paper. Stick several pieces of rolled masking tape along the bottom edge of your back-drop. Roll a single streamer along the taped edge in a straight line. When the backdrop is done, you will have a solid rectangle or square of crepe paper to pose in front of.
- You can add two small vertical streamers to each corner so that it matches the top.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Hanging, Draping, or Wrapping Streamers

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You can hang streamers from just about any surface—all you need is some scotch tape. Hang a row of streamers across the top of a doorway or window. Alternatively, you may hang streamers along the front of a table or the back of a chair.
Tape one end of the streamer to a surface, like a table or a wall. Loosely run the streamer across the surface. As you go, periodically tape the streamer to the surface itself to create a “U” shaped drape.
Tape the streamer to one end of the banister or railing. Wrap the streamer tightly around the banister or railing until the entire length is covered. Cut the streamer from the roll and tape the end in place.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Layering Streamers

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Instead of hanging just one streamer, you can add color to the space by hanging two streamers at the same time. Select two different colored streamers.
Set the one streamer on top of the other so their ends meet and tape the ends together. Roll out each streamer to the desired length and cut.
Staple each end of the layered streamers. If you don't have a stapler, you can tape the two streamers together.
4
Hang the streamers. Attach one end of the layered streamers to a surface. As you walk to the other attachment point, rotate the streamers so they twist. Attach the other end to a surface.
- In order to see both colors, you must twist the streamers.^{[5]
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Fringing Streamers

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This will allow you to fringe the entire length of the streamer very quickly and efficiently. Once you reach the desired length, cut the folded streamer from the roll.
2
Fringe your streamers. With a pair of scissors, make multiple cuts up and down the two long edges of the folded streamer. To avoid severing the streamer, stop the scissors just shy of the center every time When you're finished, the streamer will have a festive, thin fringe running up and down both edges.
- A standard streamer is 1.75 inches (4.45 cm) wide. Your fringe should be approximately 1/2 inch (1/27 cm) long.
As you unfold the streamer, you will see two continuous edges of fringe. Be careful not to rip the delicate crepe paper.
Attach one end of the streamer to the surface of your choice with a piece of scotch tape. Walk the streamer to the other end point, twisting the crepe paper as you go. Attach the other end of the streamer to a second surface. The fringed streamers will add flair to any party.^{[6]
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Common Questions: Putting Up Streamers

How do you get streamers to stick to a wall?

Tape one end of the streamer to the wall wherever you'd like the streamers to start. Loosely run the streamer across the wall using a U-shaped drape, and periodically tape the streamer to the surface as you go along the wall.

What tape is best for hanging streamers?

Scotch tape is one of the best options and it's easy to come by. Other great options include gaffer tape and blue painters tape. None of these tapes should damage your walls.

How do you attach streamers to the ceiling?

Grab a ladder and work on one streamer at a time. Start at one edge and pull the streamer to the other edge of the room. Adjust the drape of the streamer to be as loose as you'd like and then tape it to the outer wall or ceiling with scotch tape. Repeat with the remaining streamers until you get the look you want.

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Tips

Select a streamer color or colors that match the occasion. For example, if you're decorating to watch a sports game or celebrate a win, choose your team's colors; use red, white and blue streamers to decorate for the Fourth of July; orange and black for Halloween; red, green, silver and white for Christmas; and neutral tones for Thanksgiving.

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