A fresh take on the traditional Christmas tree: build your own unique decoration
- Difficultymedium
- Cost60 £
- Duration3 - 8 h
A Christmas tree is part of parcel of festive decorations in most households. But does it really always have to be a pine or fir tree? We say it’s time for a change! How about trying out a somewhat unusual design that’s minimalist, creative and best of all, sustainable? We’ll show you how you can make your own wonderful alternative to the traditional Christmas tree from wood.
It should go without saying that your safety is paramount throughout every step of the project, so make sure you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. You can find an overview of the correct protective clothing you need when using each type of tool here
Let's go - step by step
Draw out the shape
Your alternative Christmas tree is easier to make than you think. And best of all: Each part is sawn out from one large, solid-coloured MDF wooden board.
You can find the parts you’ll need in the template we’ve made available for download.
Simply print out the template and transfer the shapes and dimensions to the board using a roof batten, pocket rule and compass.
Download the template here .
Saw out the circles
You should start sawing out the round elements of your alternative Christmas tree after you have drawn out all the measurements.
To do so, drill a hole on the circle marking (image 1), place the jigsaw on it and saw along the line (image 2). But make sure to only use a fine curved jigsaw blade for wood.
Repeat the above steps for all round elements. If you are using devices from the 18 V system, you can use the same rechargeable battery for the saw and rotary hammer. Simply swap it and continue working!
Saw out the straight pieces
Have you sawn out and drilled all of the round pieces? Then it’s time to get to work on the straight ones. Take the rechargeable battery from the hammer, change the jigsaw blade and saw the straight elements out step by step.
The order in which you saw out the elements isn’t that important. However, you will need to take a few more steps to stabilise the sawn-out elements. You can support the individual ‘branches’ using a frame made from wooden roof battens (image 2).
Sand and stain the Christmas tree
Now it’s time to get to sanding after all that sawing. If you’re using an 18 V sander, then you can take the rechargeable battery from the saw and reuse it.
Thoroughly sand all sawn edges and surfaces, before treating the sanded wood with oil.
Prepare the base and mount the tree
For your ‘tree’ to be able to stand, you will need a sufficiently large base plate to function as a base, as well as a bracket.
You can have this board cut to size at your local DIY store. We recommend painting the wooden bracket black beforehand to give your tree a consistent look.
The bracket now has to be mounted to the base plate in such a way that the tree will stand in the centre.
Measure it accordingly and secure the bracket using screws.
As the final step, secure the ‘tree’ to the bracket using two more screws.
Is it ready to go and standing? Then you can finally think about getting the perfect (alternative) decorations for your tree. We hope you have lots of fun jazzing it up!