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Christmas Tree Centerpiece with Vintage Style

I’ve been imagining this vintage style Christmas tree centerpiece for weeks, and finally found time to try out the idea! You’ll love these cool trees.

Skills Required: Intermediate. You’ll be cutting wood, cutting paper for decoupage, and then attaching the pieces to each other. It helps to have experience with tools and Mod Podge to complete this project.

Christmas Tree Centerpiece with Vintage Style

Hey! It’s David from Cheltenham Road – I hope everyone is having a great holiday season.

My Etsy shop goes a bit berserk around the holiday, which is awesome and very satisfying. BUT it leaves very little time for other holiday themed projects.

DIY Christmas Centerpiece

I’ve been imagining these dimensional Christmas trees for weeks and finally found a little time to try out the idea. You could use them on a table, but they would also look great on a Christmas mantel. They’re actually quite versatile as holiday decor goes.

To make this easy wood Christmas craft I used:

  • Craft sticks from Home Depot measuring 1/2″ thick by 2″ wide ($1.77 for 36″ in the lumber department)
  • Scans of vintage Christmas wrapping paper (you can also use actual wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, or tissue paper)
  • Mod Podge Matte
  • White paint
  • Saw
  • Glue
  • Sandpaper
  • Scissors
  • Hand saw or chop saw
  • Protective eyewear
  • Paintbrush
  • Pencil
  • Ruler

Begin by laying out the wood slats, one on top of the other, on your work surface. Draw basic triangles (tree shapes) using the ruler and pencil.

Triangles drawn onto craft wood slats

Then cut each slat to length (at an angle) using a saw.

Cutting wood slats in the shape of trees using a hand saw

You can do this with a regular hand saw as pictured, but a chop saw makes faster work of it. Just be careful with the smaller “tops” of the trees – you’ll want to go back to the handsaw for those for safety sake.

Wood slats cut into tree shapes for a Christmas centerpiece

I cut the wrapping paper scans down into 2″ wide strips using a ruler and craft knife. You’ll want enough to cover both sides of all trees.

Wood Christmas trees and a pile of 2" vintage Christmas themed paper strips with a ruler

Mod Podge your Christmas paper into place on both sides of the slats. After they dry thoroughly, trim away any excess paper. Give the trees a second and third coat of Mod Podge, letting dry between coats.

Paint the edges of the slats white and let dry.

If you desire a slightly distressed look like I did, sand a bit of the edges down. Your Christmas centerpiece is almost done.

The next step in the process is simply stack the pieces together on top of each other and attach with hot glue. You’ll twist each piece slightly as you glue it down.

DIY Christmas tree centerpiece with faux snow, ornaments, and small packages

Hot glue each tree to a small scrap wood piece from the cuts for stability. Place in a large tray and add Christmas embellishments like faux snow, small ornaments, and small packages.

I like that my Christmas centerpiece is dimensional and two-sided – it looks great in the center of the table!

Front and back of a DIY Christmas centerpiece

I also tried one where I glue the tree flat, but reversed each slat for a kind of vintage paper collage look.

Single tree in a Christmas centerpiece

Have a great Holiday everyone! Thank you so much for all your comments on my projects and trips over to my blog and Etsy shop. I wish you all the very best for the new year!

Tips and Further Thoughts on this Project:

  • I used scans of vintage paper but you could use anything – wrapping paper, Christmas napkins, scrapbook paper, etc.
  • I did find they needed a little base to keep them super stable – I just glued the bottom to some scrap wood and covered it with snow.
  • If you’re not into sawing and power tools, you could do the same thing with popsicle sticks or balsa wood and a sharp craft knife.
  • I decided (after I was done, of course) that I liked the paper that used designs or patterns a bit more than the ones that had Santa faces. There is something a bit “unchristmassy” about cutting St. Nick’s face in half!
Easy wood Christmas centerpiece with a vintage theme
Yield: 1 centerpiece

DIY Christmas Centerpiece

DIY Christmas tree centerpiece with faux snow, ornaments, and small packages

Make a Christmas table centerpiece with inexpensive wood from the hardware store and Mod Podge! It's so easy.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Active Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Difficulty Intermediate
Estimated Cost $6

Materials

  • Wood measuring 1/2" thick by 2" wide (get four 36" long pieces)
  • Vintage Christmas paper
  • Matte Mod Podge
  • White paint
  • Wood glue
  • Sandpaper
  • Tray
  • Faux snow
  • Mini ornaments and gifts

Tools

  • Hand saw or chop saw
  • Protective eyewear
  • Paintbrush
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Craft knife

Instructions

  1. Begin by laying out the wood slats, one on top of the other, on your work surface. Draw basic triangles (tree shapes) using the ruler and pencil.
  2. Then cut each slat to length (at an angle) using a saw.
  3. Cut the paper you are using down to 2" wide strips - you'll want enough to cover both sides of all trees.
  4. Mod Podge your Christmas paper into place on both sides of the slats.
  5. After they dry thoroughly, trim away any excess paper. Give the trees a second and third coat of Mod Podge, letting dry between coats.
  6. Paint the edges of the slats white and let dry.

    If desired, sand a bit of the edges down. Your Christmas centerpiece is almost done.
  7. Stack the pieces together on top of each other and attach with hot glue. You'll twist each piece slightly as you glue it down.
  8. Hot glue each tree to a small scrap wood piece from the cuts for stability.
  9. Place in a large tray and add Christmas embellishments like faux snow, small ornaments, and small packages.

Did You Make This Project?

Please leave a rating or share a photo on Pinterest!


If you like this Christmas craft for adults, I’d love for to you check out these other holiday craft ideas:

Kaity

Tuesday 8th of November 2022

Have you thought about drilling holes down the middle of each piece so they can spin on a dowel? I think I might make this adjustment!

Amy

Saturday 26th of November 2022

That's a great idea!

gordana

Thursday 18th of December 2014

Simple a very nice

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