Wooden Christmas Tree - Decor Item

Hello everyone!

In this Instructable I will show you how you can make some lovely wooden christmas tree! It's a beautiful gift for a friend who loves Christmas, or for yourself! If you like this instructable, check out the video about it:

https://youtu.be/SzEY26c3Izc

Supplies

Tools I used:

- Jointer/planer

- Tablesaw

- Bandsaw

- Sander

- Drill press

- Mitre saw

Materials I used:

- Wood glue

- Clamps

- Dowels: 5mm and 8mm

Step 1: Preparing the Slats

Picture 1: Cut up your lumber into the right thickness. I'm cutting the planks thicker than necessary, so I can plane them to the right thickness. I'm planing my boards down to 2cm thick.

Picture 2: At the bandsaw I'm cutting it into slats. I'm planing them down to 1cm thick.

Picture 3: Sanding all the surfaces smooth.

Step 2: Cutting Them to Length, Drilling and Sanding

Picture 1: Here I am cutting all the slats on the mitre saw. (30° angle) I started with a 21cm length, and I used a spacer block of 6mm thick (picture 2) to make them shorter each time I made a new piece.

Picture 3: Drill 9mm holes in each slat in the middle. For the bottom slat it is better to drill an 8mm hole.

Picture 4: Sand all the slats of the Christmas tree smooth, don't forget the sharp edges.

Step 3: The Trunk

Picture 1: Let's make our 8mm dowels, the trunk, ourself! Cut up some long scrap wood on the bandsaw, cut them a little wider than 8mm and break the edges of the slat on the beltsander.

Picture 2: Use a thread cutting die to make the dowels, M8. Feed the stick through it with your drill.

Picture 3: Make the top of the dowel smaller, I'm using the beltsander for it. Make it so small, until it fits in an 6mm hole.

Step 4: The Star

Picture 1: Transfer the shape of a star on 18mm thick wood. I'm using a lighter color than the slats. Because a star must be shiny.

Picture 2: Before you cut out the star, drill a 6mm hole in the bottom of the star.

Picture 3: Cut out the star on the bandsaw or scroll saw.

Picture 4: Round over the edges of the star with the Dremel or a rotary tool.

Step 5: The Base

Picture 1: Make a base out of 2cm thick wood, 8cm by 8cm. Drill an 8mm hole in the middle of it and chamfer the top edges on the routertable. Now it's time to glue in the 8mm dowel, it's 33cm long.

Picture 2: To glue the bottom slat in place, I used a spacer to create the trunk of the tree. The trunk is 3cm high, so use a spacer that's 3cm high. I'm using 3 blocks of 1cm thick.

Picture 3: Drill a 5mm hole through the slat and the trunk and glue a 5mm dowel in place and cut it flush with the slat.

Step 6: Assembling It

Picture 1: An overview of the slats laying flat on the table.

Picture 2: Insert all the pieces. There are only 3 things glued together in these tree: the trunk in the base, the bottom slat, and the star. I do this so you can place the tree the way you like it the most.

Picture 3: To finish of, glue the star on the top of the trunk. Do it in the same direction as the bottom slat, this way you can store it flat when Christmas is over. Finish with a few coats of mineral oil.

If you liked this instructable and the video, don't forget to give me a vote in the "Holiday Decor - Speed challenge" contest.
Thank you!