Make Gorgeous Wood Plank Christmas Tree Signs

Better Homes & Gardens

Add a touch of farmhouse charm to your Christmas decorations with these easy wooden signs. Dust the finished designs with gold glitter, and hang the panels on a wall or lean them on your holiday mantel. They also make wonderful handmade gifts.

How to Make Wood Plank Christmas Tree Signs

Supplies Needed

For Each Sign:

  • 5 ½ x 26-inch piece of pine

  • Planer

  • Medium-grit sandpaper

  • Stain in desired color

  • Foam brush

  • Transfer paper

  • Dried-up ballpoint pen

  • Acrylic paint: white

  • Artists brushes

  • Glitter glue: gold

  • Old toothbrush

  • Varnish

  • Twine

  • Saw-toothed picture hanger

Step-by-Step Directions

Make these DIY wood Christmas signs with our simple step-by-step directions. You can make the signs in about 30 minutes (not including drying time), or swap out paint and brushes for a white acrylic paint pen to speed up the process.

Step 1: Prepare Your Sign

You can make this project with freshly-purchased pieces of wood, or look for existing pieces to upcyle into gorgeous Christmas decor. When you've found three pieces in similar sizes (we trimmed ours to be 5 and a half inches wide by 26 inches tall). Use a planer to bevel the edges of newer pine board for a softer, weathered look; if you're making this craft with upcycled wood, you might not need to! No matter what wood you use—including if you're doing this craft with wood pallets—sand all surfaces smooth and wipe off sanding dust with a damp cloth. Following manufacturer’s directions, use a foam brush to brush wood stain onto your planks and let them dry completely.

Step 2: Trace Design

Download our free Christmas sign template and enlarge the design before printing it on white paper. Using transfer paper and a dried-up ballpoint pen, trace the pattern to transfer the design to the wood planks. If you don't have an old pen, use a nail or screw to trace the design and transfer the outline to your material.

Once you've transferred the design, use a thin white paintbrush to paint the design with white paint. Let the paint dry completely before moving on. When your tree designs are dry, spread gold glitter glue onto a toothbrush and flick the brush to spatter the glue onto the wood planks where desired.

Related: Our Best Long-Lasting Christmas Decor

Step 3: Finish and Display

If you want to seal the paint and glitter design, brush varnish on the wood and let dry overnight. When you're ready to add the final details, wrap twine around the top of the pine board for texture and knot the ends together on the back of the board. If you'd like to hang your wooden Christmas decoration, attach a saw-toothed hanger to the back of the board, centered near the top back. If you loved the element of reclaimed wood in this project, make this classic wood tree from scrap lumber!