How to Make a Dowel Christmas Tree
Published October 31, 2024
To add holiday cheer to almost any room, craft a miniature Christmas tree from wooden dowels. Use it to showcase special ornaments or trim it with a coordinating color scheme. You could decorate it with themed ornaments, or just add ones that won't fit on your main tree. With 26 branches, there’s plenty of possibility.
This guide will show you how to make a dowel Christmas tree.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Duration:
Under 2 hours
Table of Contents
Gather Tools and Materials
Cut the Dowels
Sand the Branches
Create the Base
Mark the Base
Make the Hole for the Trunk
Gather Tools and Materials
To get ready to make a Christmas dowel tree, get all the supplies for the project together. You will need:
Tools:
- Miter Box
- Miter Saw
- Jigsaw
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- C-clamps
- T-bevel
- Power drill
- Drill Bits: 1/4", 3/8", 5/16", 1" Spade Bit
- Small paintbrush
- Printer
- Scissors
Materials:
- One 1" x 24" dowel (for trunk)
- Four 3/8" x 48" dowel
- Two 5/16" x 48" dowel
- One 1/4" x 48" dowel
- 3/4" plywood or MDF, 9" x 9" piece
- Painter’s tape
- Sandpaper or sanding sponge
- Wood glue
- Printer paper
- Christmas ornaments
- String, ribbon or ornament hangers
Cut the Dowels
You will be cutting the dowels into pieces to use as tree branches. The 1-inch by 24-inch dowel will serve as the trunk of the Christmas tree.
With a miter box and saw, cut the dowels. The tree will have 26 branches.
Cut list:
- Two 3/8" branches, 14" long
- Two 3/8" branches, 13" long
- Two 3/8" branches, 12" long
- Two 3/8" branches, 10-3/4" long
- Two 3/8" branches, 9-3/4" long
- Two 3/8" branches, 8-3/4" long
- Two 5/16" branches, 7-3/4" long
- Two 5/16" branches, 7" long
- Two 5/16" branches, 6" long
- Two 5/16" branches, 5" long
- Two 1/4" branches, 4-1/4" long
- Two 1/4" branches, 3-1/2" long
- Two 1/4" branches, 2-1/2" long
Sand the Branches
To smooth the ends of the branches, rub them with sandpaper.
Create the Base
The dowel Christmas tree can have a square base or a round base of plywood or MDF. For a square base, use a 9" x 9" piece of plywood as-is. If you’d like a round one, cut a 9" circle using a jigsaw.
Mark the Base
Use measuring tape to find the center of the piece of wood you’ll be using for the base. Mark the spot with a pencil.
Make the Hole for the Trunk
Drill about halfway through the marked spot on the base with a 1-inch spade bit. Use a sanding sponge to smooth out the hole.
Use the Template for Branch Placement
Download the template for the branch markings here. Print the template on an 8-1/2” x 11” piece of paper. Cut the printed template into strips as marked.
Wrap the printed template around the 1” x 24” dowel that will serve as the trunk of the Christmas tree. Tape the template into place with painter’s tape. Use the template as a guide for drilling holes for the branches.
Drill Holes for Branches
Use clamps to attach the trunk of the dowel tree to your work table. Mark the 3/8-inch drill bit depth with a piece of painter’s tape 1/2-inch from the tip.
Using the paper template as a guide, drill the branch holes in the trunk. Drill each hole 1/2-inch deep at an angle guided by the T-bevel.
As you continue drilling the branch holes, change the drill bits as needed. When you’re finished drilling all 26 holes, sand the entire trunk.
Connect the Trunk, Branches and Base
Place wood glue into the hole in the center of the base of the tree. Insert the tree trunk. Let the glue get totally dry before adding the tree branches.
Next, add the branches to the tree trunk. Before inserting a branch into a hole, brush the base of it with wood glue. Add the longest branches to the trunk first, then the next longest ones and so on. Work your way up to placing the smallest branches at the top of the tree.
Let the glue used for the branches dry completely.
Decorate the Tree
Once the tree is totally dry, you can hang ornaments from each branch of it.
Creating a dowel Christmas tree is a pretty way to spotlight your favorite ornaments. The tree is small enough to put anywhere that needs a little holiday cheer. You can use it to decorate your kitchen, living room or even a bedroom.
Ready to get all the supplies to make a dowel Christmas tree? The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them.
