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Easy Wood Christmas Trees made from 1x2s

You will love these easy to make wood Christmas trees out of inexpensive 1×2 boards.

I’m in full on holiday mode! So much to do before the the business of the holiday season is upon us. And that means getting lots of Christmas decor made.

As I was looking through my Christmas decorating posts from the past, I remembered these amazing wood Christmas trees made from 1x2s that I never shared.

Reclaimed wood Christmas tree on a mantel next to other decorative Christmas trees.

So I found all my photos (and am loving the memories of my beautiful mantel in our last home) and put together a tutorial for you to make your own cute wood Christmas trees.

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Reclaimed Wood Trees

When I made my table top Christmas trees, I used reclaimed wood that my father-in-law collected for me. It was mostly 1×2 boards that were used as a garden fence.

The reclaimed wood makes this project even easier because the wood comes with all the color and character you need. I just built the trees and instantly displayed them!

But if you don’t have reclaimed 1x2s laying around, you can still make these amazing trees. Use an aged wood accelerator like this one to give your brand new 1×2 boards a rustic reclaimed appearance.

Or enjoy the newness of your own 1×2 Christmas trees and have fun staining them beautiful colors. I love this red stain and this navy wood stain. But this sage stain or this aqua stain would be amazing for wood Christmas trees too.

White mantel with lots of Christmas trees on it, including the wood Christmas trees made from 1x2 boards.

Easy to Build Wood Trees

These simple wood Christmas trees couldn’t be easier to build! They also require just a few basic tools.

Of course you will need a saw to cut the wood for your trees, but it doesn’t have to be a power saw. You can easily cut the 1×2 boards with a handsaw. I prefer a flush trim saw, it cuts quickly and easily.

And can also use a miter box to help you cut straight lines. I like using one when cutting board with my handsaw.

Close up of some of the Christmas trees on the holiday mantle.

The other tool you need for these table top Christmas trees is a nail gun. You could try hand nailing, but the odd angles will make it harder to hammer in. And using a nail gun is fun!

I love my battery powered nail gun for easy projects like this. No need to get out the compressor and fill it up for just a couple quick nails.

And lastly, you will want one of my most used (and most useful) tools: a speed square. I use this thing all the time in the shop for everything from drawing cut lines, to measuring angles, to making a quick miter saw stop.

For these wood Christmas trees, the speed square is used for getting the angles right and drawing where to cut.

Christmas mantel decorated with reclaimed wood Christmas trees, porcelain Christmas trees and paper Christmas trees with a Christmas tree farm sign above it.

How to Make Tabletop Christmas Trees from 1x2s

Tools Needed:

  • Saw
  • Nail gun
  • Speed square
  • Measuring tape

Supplies Needed:

  • 1×2 board (reclaimed or new)
  • 1″ brad nails
  • wood glue
  • optional: paint or stain

Cut a 3″ piece and 5″ piece for the base. Attach the smaller piece to the bottom center of the large piece with wood glue and a couple nails.

Two small pieces of reclaimed 1x2 nailed together to make the base of the wood Christmas trees.

Cut a 8″ piece of 1×2. The bottom should be cut at a 15 degree angle and the top at a 60 degree angle.

Nail this piece to one side of the assembled base. Secure with wood glue and nails.

Tabletop Christmas tree with one side nailed to the assembled base sitting on a workbench next to glue and a pencil.

Cut a 10″ piece of 1×2 with the bottom at a 15 degree angle. Attach it to the other side of the assembled base. The top will hang over the other piece quite a bit.

Secure with wood glue and nails to the base and the top of the other side.

Second side of the decorative Christmas tree attached but without the top trimmed off.

Line up the speed square with the short side. Draw a line from the edge of the short side to top of the tree.

Speed square laid on top of the Christmas tree to draw a line to trim off the top.

Cut along this line.

Showing a close up of the top of the wood Christmas tree trimmed.

Now your trees are ready for display or ready for stain/paint. It really was that easy!

Simple decorative Christmas tree made from reclaimed wood on a mantle next to other decorative Christmas trees.

Make a whole forest of Christmas trees for a fun mantel with these other Christmas tree DIYs:

And see how I made our Christmas tree farm sign from inexpensive cedar fence pickets here.

-Kati with picture of blog author Kati
Picture of the easy DIY wood Christmas tree on the mantel with text overlay: Easy Wood Christmas trees made from 1x2s and housefulofhandmade.com logo.

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Nancy

Sunday 6th of December 2020

So cute! I think I can do this. :)

Jayne

Monday 9th of November 2020

Love these, they look so simple to make too. Pinned!

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