You want to make a Christmas tree yourself from wood and natural material? This self-made Christmas tree for hanging you have ready in a few simple steps!
This year, the green fir tree should give way to a homemade wooden Christmas tree. Why? Well, firstly, the tree made of wood does not lose needles.
It also consumes much less space. When I make my own Christmas tree, I use wood that I string together and then attach to the wall. So even in small apartments is suddenly space for a little tree.
All you need is a free wall that offers about 2 meters in height and 1.5 to 2 meters in width, depending on the size of the tree. There should be an electrical outlet nearby.
And then you still need the material for crafting. What exactly is it and where you can get it, you'll find out now.
Material you need to make your own Christmas tree
To build such a Christmas tree yourself is not witchcraft. Once you have the material at hand, you'll be ready in about half an hour.
For my DIY Christmas tree this year no tree has to die. If you also rely on Christmas tree DIY from wood, then you can use your work of art every year anew. Through different decorations, the tree looks different every year.
But that's not enough advantages of my plan to make the Christmas tree itself. You can also save a lot of money.
The right wood
I reach for driftwood. You can find it in many rivers. I've already helped myself to it in a torrent during the summer. The wood has no bark left and contains no resin. So the wall stays clean.
Alternatively, you can find debarked wood in the forest. Or you can buy it in a flower or decoration store. However, you may have to dig deep into your pocket. So it's worth keeping your eyes open the next time you go for a walk.
Use pieces of wood that are not too wet and softened. This saves a lot of time that you would otherwise have to spend on drying.
The color of the wood you can simply choose according to your taste. I choose branches that go a little gray in color.
The individual sticks should not be thicker than 4 cm. Because otherwise the homemade Christmas tree will look very rough and clunky.
The branches may be a little curved and uneven. This makes the charm of the DIY Christmas tree.
Take rather too much than too little. You can also use the sticks after drying for other decorations or in the garden.
So you can make feeding cones for birds yourself!
The cord
So that it matches the color of the branches and the decoration, I choose a jute cord. It is very tear-resistant and can be knotted well.
So that the tree really holds and does not collapse, I take them double. I also recommend you to use a jute string because it gives the tree a contour at the same time.
The fairy lights and decoration
When you buy a string of lights, make sure it's long enough. I opted for a chain that has a clear wire. I wouldn't recommend black or green, it looks pretty brutal on the bright branches.
Choose a necklace with small lights. Especially beautiful looks a Warm white fairy lights off. Even though it doesn't look like it, there is a 10 meter string of lights hanging on my tree. Since it swings around each branch, it looks much shorter. But if your tree is also about 1.70 meters high like mine, then the chain should not look much shorter.
I can recommend you this product, which I have in use myself.
You can let off steam with the decoration. It's best to start with a basic color and build on it. Popular combinations are silver-white-gray, gold-red or blue-silver.
I used wood for the decoration when making my own Christmas tree. You can see in the picture moose made of wood, wooden snowflakes and pine cones that I collected on a walk. In short, go wild! :)
So your Christmas tree will not lose needles!
A pair of scissors and a wood saw
The probability that the found wood has the perfect length is very small. That's why you need a wood saw. I bought myself a very small wood saw for home. If you have a small garden, you can always use it. And who likes to work with wood anyway.
Also, set aside a pair of scissors so you can shorten the string. And then you're ready to go.
How to make a wooden Christmas tree step by step
The very first thing: the wood for the Christmas tree must be dry. I had my branches on the heater for three days. That worked out wonderfully.
If there is still bark on the tree after drying, you can simply peel it off or leave it on - whichever you prefer visually.
Step 1: Prepare the working material
So that the project is quickly implemented, first of all, you put on everything that you will need gelich.
- The branches
- One cord
- The saw
- One pair of scissors
- A tape measure
- A hammer and a nail
Gloves, if necessary, in case the wood splinters.
Step 2: Measure the wall and place the branches
At the latest now you should know exactly where you want to place the tree.
Measure the wall. Namely, the height and width. Make sure that the tree does not reach the ceiling and not the floor. There should also be a little space on the sides so that it comes out nicely.
Now lay out the wood. Think about how many branches you want to use. There should be at least 8, so that the tree really looks like a tree.
Step 3: Cut the branches
Use a pencil to mark how many inches you need to cut from the wood. Start at the lowest branch.
My lowest branch has exactly 102 cm.
The branch above 90 cm and the one above 80 cm. So I always take away 10 cm to give the structure a tree shape.
Once you've done that, use the wood saw to cut off the excess inches.
Now lay the branches again and see if you are satisfied.
Step 4: Tie the branches together
Now you have to connect the branches with each other. Measure the height of your tree again. Double the string and add about 5-10 cm of string per branch.
Now start at the top. Tie the top branch to the bottom branch with a double knot and about 10 cm apart.
To keep it from slipping, put something heavy on the branches. I used a heavy yoga mat. Or you can ask someone to help you and hold the branches.
Proceed in this way until you reach the end.
The first side is finished. To make the tree symmetrical, place a weight on the top branch. Tighten the string on the side that is already finished and place a weight here as well.
Alternatively, you can tie the string to a table leg at the end. The important thing is the tension!
Now knot the branches on the other side also step by step.
Ready is the basic structure! Making your own wooden Christmas tree isn't that difficult, is it? Once you've done that, now it's just a matter of decorating.
Step 5: The chain of lights
The Christmas tree for hanging must now be on the wall. Attach the tree with a nail and a hammer. When you are satisfied with the position, you can start decorating.
First, attach the string of lights. Start from the bottom and make sure you have enough wire to plug the tree into the socket.
Thread the chain around each branch and at the end of the branch along the string to the next floor.
Once you've reached the top of the spire and have some fairy lights left, just double them up.
Plug in the string of lights and see if you spread them out well.
Step 6: The decoration
Hang what you like. I used very natural materials and colors because that really comes into its own on the white wall. You can use whatever you feel like.
But be careful not to stuff the wooden Christmas tree too much. It looks so good precisely because it does not have so much decoration.
And your homemade Christmas tree is ready to hang. It was a piece of cake, wasn't it? :)
My conclusion
When I got the idea in my head to use wood this year to make my own Christmas tree, I didn't think it would be so beautiful and so easy to assemble.
Once knotted together, you can use it again next year and take other decorations. So it looks different every time. The Christmas tree to hang takes up little space and thus finds even in a very small apartment certainly a suitable place.
Good luck and have fun making it!
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