Not long ago, I was sorting through boxes in the basement. I pulled out old quilts I’d made in 4-H, old toys I’d sewn, and I even discovered this:
My good old gum wrapper chain.
I remember years ago, one of the rare nights when my sister and I had a babysitter, she taught me to make this chain. I copied the way she folded the wrappers, linked a few, but got so frustrated when I forgot how to do it the next day. Thankfully, I was able to figure it out, and for years thereafter I faithfully increased its length.
Small as they are, the wrappers do bring back memories. Beech Nut … lots of Juicy Fruit … remember Fruit Stripe gum, with the cute little zebra?
I remember a gum flavored like ice cream – chocolate, strawberry, vanilla – it had stripes as well. Does this ring a bell to anyone else? Even at the time, I remember kind of cringing at the idea of chocolate stripe gum. I can still taste the powdery coating on it. Maybe this is it?
My girls were fascinated by the gum wrapper chain when they were younger, but alas – most gum today doesn’t have wrappers. No, it comes in little foil packs or small paper wrappers totally unsuited to such extravagant crafts as we made back in the 1970s …
Did you have a gum wrapper chain? Whatever became of it?
Girls in White Dresses 
Love it. Gum wrapper chains were not a part of my kid-hood. I do remember fruit striped gum though. No, chocolate striped wasn’t even on my radar. What about bubble gum? Hubba Bubba had just come out at the peek of my gum chewing around 9-10 yrs of age. It never became a habit for me, the desire faded fast, probably because of the no gum polices at school and dental health highly promoted. Still remember those red chewable pills to show your plaque, yuck 🤢
Thanks for taking me back today Susan. Have a wonderful weekend.
I remember people making those, but don’t remember ever doing so. Juicy Fruit was always my favorite, but I was never a big gum fan–it lost its flavor too quickly. I don’t remember a chocolate one–doesn’t sound appetizing.
I never made a gum wrapper chain. I don’t think anyone else in my age range making them. I did enjoy gum whenever I could chew it. Enjoyed reading about your “chain.”
I had no knowledge of gum-wrapper chains so found it fascinating to see! Yours was so long, it must have taken a very long time to make it unless you used wrappers from other people. I loved Juicy Fruit gum and bubble gum also. Probably why I had so many cavities. I don’t remember the other gums you liked, but I do remember a gum that tasted like cloves and several others but can’t recall the names right now. A lot of years have passed!!
In 1968 I made a Juicy Fruit gum wrapper chain the height of my then boyfriend of 2 years. I still have my chain and I still have my guy—married 53 yrs next month ❤️
Traditionally the gum wrapper chain was supposed to equal the height of your boyfriend or girlfriend. This was big in the early 70s… Or at least that’s when I became aware of it. I still have my chain, but sadly the colorful paper gum wrappers are a thing of the past. But, if you still want to keep on adding to your chain, certain wrapping paper and origami papers work well.
Note: I was just talking to my daughter and she found on a recent trip, they still have paper gum wrappers in Japan!
I have a gum wrapper chain that I made in the ’80s when my kids were young I think it’s about 40 ft long I haven’t looked at it in years. I love doing that it was so much fun. when I tried to go back to it I found that the gum wrappers were not the same and so I never continued. I put it on the Christmas tree every year for 10 or 15 years so it was kind of worn in some places.
I used to have a 13 foot gum wrapper chain. My dad had a girlfriend that was very kind to us and she had a chain that she gave to me to add on to. I think I added maybe five feet over the years. I wish I still had it! I wanted to start this with my nieces but can’t find gum wrappers that aren’t silver anymore. Someone said you can do the same thing worn Starburst wrappers and another person said just get colored papers and cut them to size.