I had originally planned on painting the wood slats but after sanding them lightly to prep for paint I quite liked the warm white factory finish. Gotta love it when you can save a step!

Making The Wood Slat Tree Branches

The first step is deciding how tall you want your tabletop tree. You can butt the wood slats against one another OR do what I did and add a space between them. This will determine how many slats you'll need.

Step 1 - Determine the Wood Slat Requirement

Determine the number of slats you'll need for your tabletop tree. It's up to you how wide the gap between each slat is. I used the width of a slat between mine so there was no measuring involved. I needed ten slats for my 27-inch tree. You could narrow the gap by using a smaller piece of wood as a gauge.

Step 2 - Draw Tree Shape

Butt your slats against one another and secure them to your work surface with masking tape. Find the center on both the top and bottom slats and add a pencil mark. On the bottom slat measure an equal distance on either side of the center mark. Line a straight edge up to the bottom and top marks and draw a pencil line like pictured above.

Step 3 - Cut Tree Shape

You can cut the slats in one of two ways. Very quickly with a compound miter saw or the good old fashion way with a miter box and hand saw. Next, sand them lightly with 150 or 220-grit sandpaper to smooth the slats and give them a distressed finish. 

Step 4 - Stencil Branches

Now the fun part, stenciling the tree. I used this adorable Christmas crate stencil from Funky Junk Old Sign Stencils to add rustic charm to the tabletop tree. As I mentioned earlier, I stenciled the tree with holiday red and green craft paint.

Christmas Crates Stencil

Step 5 - Age Stenciled Branches

To add a time-worn charm to the stencils I distressed them lightly with sandpaper. To add more rustic charm the slats were aged with dark wax but brown glaze would also work. Apply it with a lint-free rag and wipe off the excess. Apply the wax a little heavier along the edges of each branch.

Wood Slat Tree Assembly

Step 1 - DIY Tree Trunk

You'll want to use something flat for the tree trunk to glue or nail the wood slats onto. I used a narrow piece of trim that I had on hand. In hindsight, I would suggest you use something wider. My narrow trim was prone to splitting when attaching the slats with small finishing nails. I had to glue the slats on instead.

Before you attach the slats you'll want to stain the trim - mine is a dark walnut gel stain that I had on hand.

Step 2 - Attach The Wood Slat Branches

Once the stain is dry lay the wood trim onto your work surface. Start with the bottom slat, leaving about 4-6 inches below to mount onto the base. Set a spacer (see step 1) above it and glue or nail the next slat in place. Repeat these steps with the remaining slats and then carefully remove the spacers. If you glued the slats on let the wood glue cure before moving onto the next step.

Step 3 - A Sturdy Base

The possibilities for what you use as a tree base are endless, as long as it provides a sturdy base for the height of the tree so it doesn't topple over. You could use a large unfinished wood plaque, a tree log cut in half lengthwise, or a block of wood. 

I had this routered and stained piece of wood in my stash, salvaged from the repurposed oak frame coffee table that made a perfect tree base.

What Not To Do

Don't Do What I Did! You may be wondering from Step 4 in the pictorial above and the close-up photo below, why on earth did I use both a tree branch AND a tree slice on the base of my tree? 

Well, because my first attempt was to use the tree slice as the base. No surprise it couldn't support the weight of the tree and nearly toppled onto the floor. Worried I might destroy the tree if I tried to separate the wood slice from the wood branch, I left them both on.

Step 4 - Wood Slice Tree Trunk

Whether you use a small tree branch or a larger tree slice for the trunk, you'll want to ensure it is cut straight so the tree sits level on the wooden base. To attach the tree onto the tree branch or slice, you'll need to make a cavity (trench) for the base of the tree to rest into. I hope this makes sense, sorry, I completely forgot to take photos during this process.

To do this drill several holes beside one another in a straight line on the center of the branch or slice. You'll probably need a chisel to remove any remaining bits of wood until the cavity is the same width as the wood trim on the bottom of the tree.

Lay the tree down on your work surface and fill the cavity with wood glue. Set the tree base inside and wait for the glue to cure before moving on to the next step.

Last but not least we're ready to mount the tree onto the wood base. If the tree branch or slice isn't perfectly flat then use toothpicks as shims to straighten the tree on the base (see Step 4 in the pictorial above). Clamp the trunk onto the base until the glue cures.

Whew, we are done! I hope you enjoyed this salvaged wood Christmas Tree idea. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top. I love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this Christmas tree craft, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your DIY Christmas Tree Ideas or Tabletop Christmas Decorations board on Pinterest.

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