Reclaimed Wood Christmas Tree Yard Decor

Add that extra holiday touch to your front yard by turning cedar fence pickets into the perfect Christmas tree!

Hey everybody…Don here. This year I have seen a lot of people making Christmas trees and other decor out of pallets. We didn’t have a spare pallet laying around but did have some spare fence pickets leftover from another project so I thought I would take a shot at making our own reclaimed Christmas tree for the yard. {FTC Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links which means I may make a commission on any purchase – at no additional cost to you!}

Supplies Needed:

Materials:

2-3 Cedar Fence Pickets – for the branches and trunk of the tree
2×4 – for the tree trunk
Glue
Nails
Spray Paint

Tools:

MItre Saw
Hammer
Rag
Spacer board ( we used one that was 1 3/4″ wide)

HOW TO MAKE RECLAIMED CHRISTMAS TREE YARD DECOR:

Set your mitre saw to 90 degrees and cut your 2×4 to 48″ to make the trunk. Then cut a 9″ piece from a picket to make the base of the tree trunk. After those are cut set your saw to 37.5 degrees to cut the branches. Measuring from point to point on the long edge of each branch cut the following lengths: 42″, 31 1/4″, 21 1/4″, and 9 1/2″.

Using the square and the spacer board, layout the branches on the trunk and mark the top and bottom edge of each branch with a pencil. The next step is optional but I found it helped ensure I got good adhesion from the glue. Mask off the areas of the trunk where the branches go with masking tape and then get ready to paint.

mask off the areas of the wooden trunk where the branches will go

“Tree trunk” masked off where the branches go.

For the trunk (2x 4 and the 9″ piece) I layered two colors. The first coat was rustoleum textured autumn brown. Once that dried I sprayed on Valspar Satin Truffle Hunt and while still wet, wiped it lightly with a rag. Then I painted the branches with rustoleum satin eden and wiped them with the rag while wet to get the washed out effect.

valspar satin truffle hunt, rustoleum textured autumn brown, and rustoleum satin eden

The colors we used for the tree.

The trunk after painting.

wood branches painted green and sitting on table

Branches drying after painting

Once the paint is dry it’s time for the glue and nails. Spread glue on the 2×4, place the branches and put about 4 nails in each one.(Use the spacer block to help keep everything aligned.) Don’t forget the bottom of the tree trunk too. Let everything dry and then cut a stake shape on the very bottom of the 2×4 so it can be driven in to the ground.

cutting pieces of wood with spacer block

The spacer block hard at work.

Now the find the perfect spot for your tree and “plant” it for the Christmas season. You can even decorate it with lights and ornaments too!

The finished product.

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