DIY Rustic Farmhouse Christmas Tree

Donna
by Donna
5 Materials
$40
1 Day
Easy

Inspiration for projects and ideas can come from anywhere. We have a gas fireplace that we rarely use. For years, I've wanted to incorporate the fireplace into our holiday decorating and Christmas mantle. And with a wood panel, some moulding, and some greenery, I've created the perfect addition to our holiday home!

This Christmas tree project can be displayed inside your home, or outside. I wanted a rustic look and used a pre-made wood panel for my project, but you could also use an artist stretched canvas if you want (but only for indoor use).


I also used some decorative wood trim (like you put around a window or door) and some artificial greenery. You can see all the supplies and the full directions on my blog.


The wood panel and materials can get pricey, but I was able to make this project for about $40 using coupons.

To get some more greenery, I trimmed some pine out of a fake garland that we had leftover from past years.

The first step is to paint your background panel (either wood or stretched canvas), then decided the length of the trim pieces you want to use and the positioning of these items on your panel. Do not glue them in place yet.


I cut my trim pieces to be 5, 8, 11, and 14 inches long. I positioned them about 5 inches apart (see my blog post for more details). I knew I wanted to add a star to the top of my tree This layout left me room for my star and enough space for a base at the bottom of my tree.

Before gluing the trim in place, place some small scrap wood spacers behind each of your trim pieces. These small spacers will lift your trim pieces off of the backing panel and created some space to tuck your greenery into. For more information on adding spacers, visit my blog.

Once your spacers are adhered, you can glue down your trim pieces. I used hot glue for all my glue needs, but if you are planning to display this panel outdoors, you should probably use wood glue or Liquid Nails.

After your trim is glued in place, you can start arranging your artificial greenery and glueing it in place using hot glue.


I used pretty traditional colors and stems for my display, but you can use whatever colors and materials you want. You can add additional decorations like garland, baubles, and shiny elements as you choose. I have some suggestions for arranging your greenery and ideas for incorporating different styles on my blog post.

I would encourage you to mix up the items and elements that you use behind each of your trim pieces. This adds interest and texture to your tree.

The last step was to add my star and my base.


This panel will work perfectly with my holiday decorating. It would also look great on a porch or in a garden for the holiday season. There are many ways to use this idea and create something for your own home. Happy Holidays!

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Donna
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 6 questions
  • LJC LJC on Nov 11, 2019

    Think it would be nice to just stack ornaments on those shelves for a shiny display?

  • Nicki Petruzzella Kerns Nicki Petruzzella Kerns on Nov 29, 2019

    My thought was that this would also be a cute way to display Christmas cards. This is awesome!

  • Tammy Tammy on Nov 09, 2020

    I really love this! There are so many things you could do with it! If you didn’t glue your decorations down you could switch them out for different holidays.

    I’m just wondering, what did you use for the base?

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4 of 120 comments
  • Very cute, I think I'd add a Swag of of xmas pine with berries from the top down on each side to better outline the tree! Love the idea! One thing I always have on hand is wood and trim pieces!

    • Donna Donna on Nov 05, 2021

      Great idea to add additional pine pieces!

  • Tam Tam on Nov 05, 2021

    OMGosh...you could totally sell that piece! I'LL TAKE 2!

    • Donna Donna on Nov 05, 2021

      You'll have to talk to my husband. His "honey-do listis already full 😁

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