Make a Classic Rustic Wood Christmas Tree

Better Homes & Gardens

Piece together scrap lumber for a Christmas table centerpiece that’s anything but a puzzle. Mismatched stains and grains only add to the woodsy appeal of this small tree decoration. Unadorned, the tree mixes rustic materials with an iconic shape—ideal to add rough-hewn holiday splash to a tabletop, mantel, or nightstand. If you like upcycled Christmas decorations, you can also make your own wreath from cookie cutters.

How to Make a Patchwork-Built Christmas Tree

  • Scrap lumber

  • Scraps of 1-inch-thick wood

  • 14-inch square of 1/4-inch plywood

  • Jigsaw

  • Medium-grit sandpaper

  • Wood glue

Make this DIY tabletop Christmas tree with our free wood Christmas tree pattern and simple step-by-step instructions. If you want to make a tree that's all the same color, you can stain your lumber before beginning this craft. We kept each piece of wood its original stain color.

Enlarge our free downloadable Christmas tree template onto white paper and cut it out. Then, trace the patterns A, B, C, and D onto separate pieces of scrap lumber. Trace Patterns E and F onto 1-inch-thick wood scraps and trace Pattern G onto plywood and label the front with a pencil. When you're done tracing, cut out all of the pieces using a jigsaw. Sand the cut and rough edges with sandpaper and make sure to wipe off sanding dust with a damp rag.

Get the wood tree pattern

Arrange and center tree pieces A, B, C, and D on the front side of the smaller piece labeled G. Glue all of the pieces to the plywood backing using wood glue and let dry. Referring to the pattern, glue the indicated edge of Piece E to the back of your tree to form a trunk that doubles as a bracket.

Editor's note: The trunk piece should extend no more than 1-inch below the tree bottom.

With tree facedown, glue the tree trunk centered on Piece F, which acts a base for your tree. When the glue is dry, stand the tree up. Take the tree to your table as a homemade Christmas centerpiece, or display on a ledge in your home. You can even wrap twinkle lights around the tree! If you love the look of this wood Christmas tree, make another Christmas tree out of wood dowel rods.