Build a Christmas Tree

This fun and easy Christmas craft is perfect for children of all ages!
Using basic woodworking tools and materials, kids can create their own unique wooden Christmas tree to decorate their home or classroom.
This activity is a great way to introduce children to carpentry, and it's also a fun and festive way to celebrate the holiday season.

Let’s build memories together this Christmas!

To create your Christmas Tree, you'll need:

Pencil and paper
Long thin strips of wood - you'll need a long one for each trunk and then several more strips for the branches - each branch a little bit shorter than the one before.
Tape Measure or Ruler
Small Hacksaw
Sandpaper
Hand drill and drill bit
Nails - check they are the right length for your wood
Hammer
Safety Glasses
Paint, glue, and decorations - e.g. old Christmas decorations, stars, tinsel, buttons, tinfoil, pens, colourful wool, pipe cleaners etc.

Step 1: Plan your design

Plan and draft out a picture of your Christmas tree onto paper. You need one long vertical piece for the trunk, and several shorter horizontal pieces of different lengths for the branches.

Top Tip: for older kids who are more experienced with a saw, add a point to the end of each branch (see images at bottom for examples)

Step 2: Prepare your wood

Select your lengths of wood, then following your plan measure and mark out the tree trunk and branches onto your wood.

Top Tip: Label each piece so you know which branch comes in which order

Step 3: Cut & sand the wood

Using a saw, cut your pieces of wood where you marked them.
Using sandpaper, sand the corners and edges of each piece of wood to remove any sharp or rough patches.

Step 4: Drill the holes

Measure and mark the centre of each branch using your tape measure or ruler. This is where you will nail the branch to the trunk to give you an even length on each side of your tree.

Drill two little pilot holes near the center point of each branch.

Top Tip: Choose a drill bit slightly smaller than the width of your nails for a snug fit. If your pilot hole is too big the nail will fall out.

Step 5: Hammer on the branches

Hammer the branches onto the trunk through the pilot holes. Using 2 nails on each branch will stop them moving around.

Step 6: Decorate

Paint and decorate your trees to create unique designs.

I love Ko Taku Reo’s idea of writing words on the branches that link Christmas with their whānau, values and thoughts.

Finished!

Display your special Christmas Trees!
You could fill little pots with dirt to "plant" them in.
Or push the ends of your tree into the ground to create a mini Christmas tree forest in your garden.
Or hang your tree up with string!

Lisa’s Top Tips

Drilling pilot holes in the wood with a hand drill makes nailing easier and stops the wood from splitting. Plus, using the hand drill is super fun and so good for kids co-ordination!
Select nails that are the right length for the thickness of wood you are using. The nails need to be long enough to join the branches to the trunk but not too long that they poke right through the back side and cause a danger.

Try making a super-sized tree like Daniel! He stamped the names of his family members on the branches using a letter punch and called it their Family Christmas Tree!
Check out below what the kids at Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education New Zealand did with their trees! They wrote special words on their branches that linked Christmas with their whānau, values and thoughts.
What a beautiful a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas!

Click here to check out our other craft projects!