Miniature A-frame Christmas Tree for Display

What's better than a full-size A-frame ladder tree? Well, one shrunk down to miniature size! Instead of nails and screws, this one is assembled with nothing but hot glue! Surebonder makes hot glue guns and specialty hot glue sticks including one that works with wood.

Take a look at how we created and assembled this fun little holiday decor piece that can be used throughout the year to display mini collectibles!

Step 1: Watch the Video

The video will show you a step by step tutorial of the build!

Step 2: Gather Materials

We're going to use some readily available materials found at The Home Depot. You'll need one 1/4" x 2" x 3' poplar board, (3) 3/8" x 3/8" x 3' square dowels, a small craft hinge, and paint to finish. We are also using a 60-watt battery powered Surebonder glue gun, wood hot glue stick, and something to cut with. We are using a multi-tool, but you can use a hand saw and miter box. The 19" x 19" Surebonder silicone pad work surface is optional but really nice to have to keep your workspace clean and free of 'oops' glue drips!

This mini miter box and saw is perfect when working with the small board and square dowels if you don't want to use a power tool.

Step 3: Mark and Cut the Wood

The first step is to mark and cut the (4) legs and (8) crossbars. The legs are 14" each and the crossbars are cut to 2 1/2" long.

The shelves are cut from the board. Cut them at 6, 7, and 5". After cutting, sand all the pieces.

Here's everything cut and ready. We did actually go back and cut two more crossbars as we initially miscounted the number needed.

Step 4: Assembly

We are using this Surebonder, 60-watt battery powered glue gun. It operates on the Ryobi One+ 18-volt system although there are adapters available for Makita, DeWalt, and Milwaukee batteries.

We are using Surebonder Wood Stik hot glue sticks to attach the pieces.

Measure the placement for the crossbars and hot glue into place.

Step 5: Attach the Hinge

To attach the hinge, I used Surebonder Tough Stik. Note: I ended up taking this hinge off and using a different one. To help it stick, I lightly sanded the back of the hinge with 60 grit paper to help it adhere well. So far it is holding, but if it doesn't, I will use the screws provided with the hinge to secure it more fully.

We finished our tree with spray-painted shelves and painted the frame with Rust-Oleum chalked paint in gray. With hot glue, there's no waiting for glue to dry before painting--that's a real time-saver!