DIY pallet Christmas tree featured image

We made a DIY pallet Christmas tree

Pallet projects are fun for my husband Mark and I. This year we were inspired to make a Christmas tree out of wooden pallets.

We’ve had real trees and a little fake tree that I inherited from my grandmother, but we have never made a tree before.

So we broke out the power tools and decided to get creative this holiday season. Instead of going to the lumberyard or home improvement center to pick up new wood, we chose to make a DIY pallet Christmas tree. Used pallet wood is inexpensive, and you can find it at many Habitat for Humanity ReStores.

Makings of a fun Christmas pallet project

After deciding where the tree would sit inside our home, we determined the height and width we would make the tree based on what would best fit the space. 

First we created a triangular frame, starting by cutting the bottom piece of pallet wood according to our width measurement.

Securing frame of a pallet Christmas tree

After completing the frame, I used a carpenter’s pencil to trace the top of the triangle on a scrap piece of pallet wood and then cut it out with a jigsaw.

Cutting a scrap piece of pallet wood

This cut piece of wood sits at the top of the triangle to create a brace for the frame.

Scrap piece of pallet wood secures the Christmas tree frame

After securing the frame, it is time to move onto the shelves. I decided to place each shelf about 8 inches apart to hold decorative items and hang holiday ornaments. I marked where each shelf would go in the frame.

Measuring distance between pallet shelves

Mark and I ripped down pallets into 1-inch by 1-inch pieces to make the cleats to hold each shelf, then installed them on the marks I made on the frame.

Attaching cleats to hold the shelves of a pallet Christmas tree

I looked through our collection of pallet wood to find pieces that would be perfect for the shelves. Mark cut the pallet shelves to length as I culled through the pile, marking the lengths of each.

Cutting pallet shelves to length for the tree

After cutting all of the pieces, we used a sealer for the entire tree shelf before moving it inside to decorate.

Applying sealer to wooden pallet Christmas tree

I decided to paint the hooks for the ornaments; changing them from the dark green to a rose gold that fits in better with the pallet wood look.

Hooks to be painted to match the wood pallet look
Painting hooks to match wood pallet look

Our wooden pallet Christmas tree is looking very festive in our living room. I’m excited to share this project with you. I hope you have a very happy holiday season.

DIY pallet Christmas tree

Theresa Clement co-hosts the MyFixitUpLife talk show with her husband Mark, who is her partner at work and at home. She is the designer for Food Network’s “Save My Bakery,”and designed for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” She is a licensed contractor, certified color consultant and certified aging-in-place specialist with a focus on Alzheimer’s. She is an author of Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement, DIY Quick Fix and Complete Guide to Shelves & Built-Ins.