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DIY Outdoor Christmas Trees with Lights

These easy to build outdoor Christmas trees will add sparkle to your entry.

Christmas is fast approaching! One of the things I look forward to each year is decorating the outside of our home. I love the magic of Christmas lights at night.

After getting the lights on the house, we still needed some more sparkle for our entry. So I partnered with Kreg Tools and their new project plan site, BuildSomething.com, to make these outdoor Christmas trees from 2x4s!

Entryway decorated for Christmas with DIY outdoor Christmas trees with lights on them around the porch.

Wood Christmas Trees

These Christmas trees are so easy to build. And if you have left over 2x4s pieces from other projects, the is a great way to use them up.

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Plus, since the 2x4s don’t really need to perfectly straight, you can use up any slightly bowing or twisty boards on this project. I know I had a few of those pieces laying around waiting to become firewood. But not anymore!

Outdoor Christmas tree made from 2x4s with a bucket for a base with a Christmas tree farm design on it.

But if you have to buy wood to make these wood Christmas trees, don’t worry… 2x4s and 4x4s are cheap!

To make both Christmas trees, it only takes (1) 10′ 4×4 and (4) 8′ 2x4s. All the wood cost me less than $25 at my local Home Depot.

Outdoor Christmas tree with lights on the porch by a railing wrapped in garland.

Outdoor Christmas Tree Details

To finish off these outdoor Christmas trees they needed a base. Something that would help the 4×4 center stand easily, but look amazing at the same time.

I found these metal Christmas buckets at Michael’s Arts and Crafts. The base of the bucket is about 5 1/2″ diameter, which fits the 4×4 perfectly.

Close-up of the metal Christmas bucket bases on the wood Christmas trees.

Then to keep the tree upright in the bucket, it was easy to mix up a bit of concrete and fill the bucket. Now the 2×4 outdoor Christmas trees are sturdy and look great!

And as much as I loved the way the Christmas trees looked during the day… I wanted them to look even better at night! So I added Christmas lights.

Two 2x4 Christmas trees with colored Christmas lights on the porch at night.

The Christmas lights were easily added to the 2×4 branches of the tree with none other then… hot glue!

I love that the hot glue is not visible, but the Christmas lights stay were I want them. And if I ever decide to remove the lights, it is easy to do.

Close up of the larger 2x4 outdoor Christmas tree with lights on at night.

Build Plans for Christmas Trees

If you are ready to make your own 2×4 Christmas trees to decorate your porch, I am sharing the free build plans over on BuildSomething.com today!

Click here for the complete build plans.

Wood Christmas tree made from 2x4s with a decorative bucket base and lights on it.

And now the outside of our home is starting to look like Christmas!

-Kati with picture of blog author Kati

Thank you to Kreg Jig for sponsoring this post. I only recommend products that I use and love and all opinions are 100% my own. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Elana

Friday 3rd of January 2020

I love this! Can you tell me where you found the lights? I've been looking for these exact ones!

Kati

Friday 3rd of January 2020

Thanks Elana! I bought them at the Home Depot this Christmas. They had lots of different color options for the these pinecone shaped ones.

Sharon LaCoss

Thursday 12th of December 2019

Kati, I love these. I am hoping to get finished with the other stuff I have planned to make these as gifts for my family.

I have learned sooooooooo much from you (I took your Create with wood and it was such a game changer for me). Thank you for your talent, willingness to share, and ability to make it all understandable.

Kati

Monday 30th of December 2019

Thanks so much for the comment Sharon! I am so happy to hear you learned so much from the course. Hope you had fun making Christmas gifts this year!

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