DIY String Christmas Tree
This string Christmas tree is SO PRETTY! It’s super easy to create your own DIY twine Christmas tree this holiday season, and they’re also really inexpensive to make.
Create this minimalist and elegant Christmas craft using tacky glue and twine (or another string of your choice) and decorate it with craft pearls. These string Christmas trees are so much fun to make, and they look so pretty shining on the mantel!
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DIY String Christmas Tree
Materials:
- FREE Printable String Christmas Tree Template
- Tacky glue
- Water
- Twine(2mm or size of choice)
- Pearl stickers(5mm)
- White LED string lights(battery operated or plug-in)
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Make and cover the cone base
- Print our free string Christmas tree template on cardstock. This template allows you to make 3 different sizes of trees.To make more than one size of tree, print off multiple copies of the pattern.
- Cut out along the line for the size of tree you’d like to make.
- Roll the cardstock into a cone shape.
- Secure the cone in place with a couple pieces of tape.
- Cover the cone in plastic wrap. Tuck any extra at the bottom inside the cone.
Step 3: Mix the glue and add the twine
- Add a generous amount of tacky glue into a bowl.
- Pour roughly the same amount of water as glue into the bowl (a 1:1 ratio).
- Stir to combine the glue and water. Be careful and stir slowly, so you don’t splash the water out of the bowl.
- Keeping the twine attached to the roll, unwind a long amount (about 20 inches) and set it into the glue bowl.
- Use a plastic fork to push the twine down into the glue mixture.
- Pull the end of the twine through the tines of the fork to remove the excess glue.
- Repeat, soaking more of the twine in the glue until you’ve soaked about 4 feet of twine. Don’t cut the twine.
Step 4: Wrap the string around the cone
- Hold the end of the twine against the cone, about 1.5 inches from the top point. Then wind the twine around the point of the cone and around the end of the twine so the end stays in place.
- Continue wrapping the twine around the cone, moving down towards the bottom.It’s okay to have wider gaps at first as you wrap, but make sure you fill them in later.
- Continue wrapping until you run out of glue soaked twine.Add more twine into the glue, remove the excess, and continue wrapping. You can do a little bit of twine at a time, or try to estimate exactly how much more you’ll need.
- Continue wrapping the twine around the cone until you’re happy with how the tree looks.There shouldn’t be any big spaces that aren’t covered by twine, since the more gaps there are, the more unstable the tree will be.Make sure that the bottom of the tree is especially well covered and evenly wrapped.
- Once you’re happy with the amount of twine you’ve used, cut off the twine from the roll.Dip this last bit of twine, run it through the fork tines and wrap it around the tree. Make sure the end of the twine is secure by either tucking it under another piece of twine or pressing the last 2 inches against a neighbouring length of twine.
- Allow your string tree to dry overnight.
Step 5: Decorate your string Christmas tree
- Carefully remove your string tree from the cardstock form. The glue may be stuck in a couple of places. If it is, simply push the cone in and pull the plastic away from the tree.Then the string tree should slide off easily.
- Use craft pearls to decorate the tree. Add a small dot of hot glue to the tree where you’d like the pearl to go.
- Then press the pearl into the glue.
- Continue attaching the pearls to the tree, randomly like little Christmas ornaments.
- Once you’re happy with the number of pearls you can add some string lights inside the tree. We used battery operated string lights from the dollar store.
- Bunch up the string of lights and push them up inside the tree.If the battery pack fits, you can place it inside the base of the tree. Otherwise, hide it behind the tree or another piece of Christmas decor.
- Your string Christmas tree is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Make sure your string tree has a strong and even base. This ensures the tree will stand straight and won’t tip over.
- Use one longer string of lights to light multiple string Christmas trees. Hide a smaller battery pack inside the tree, or place it behind the twine tree.
- You can also light the string Christmas trees by placing a flameless tealight candle inside them.
Download the free string Christmas tree template:
Click on the link or image below to download our free, printable twine Christmas tree template! The PDF file will open in a new window. Then simply print the template on 8.5 x 11 (letter size) cardstock.
The template below makes string Christmas tree cones that are 6-1/2 inches, 8 inches, and 9-1/2 inches tall. You’ll need to print off multiple templates to make more than 1 size of tree.
>>> String Christmas Tree Template <<<
What type of string is used to make a string Christmas tree?
We used 2mm jute twine to make our string Christmas trees. You can also use crochet cotton, yarn, embroidery floss, or macrame cord.
What kind of glue should I use to make my twine Christmas tree?
We recommend using diluted Aleene’s tacky glue to make these DIY string Christmas trees. The tree dries with a nice firm texture that keeps its shape.
If you don’t have tacky glue you can also use undiluted matte Mod Podge (don’t use gloss or your tree will be shiny). Or you can use slightly watered down white school glue.
Dollar store brand glue does NOT work well for these types of projects. We tried… the string doesn’t dry hard enough so it doesn’t keep it’s shape very well.
Do I have to hot glue the pearls onto the string Christmas tree?
Even though we used pearl stickers, the adhesive wasn’t strong enough to keep them on the twine. So unless you like the idea of having a puddle of pearls on the table around your tree, we definitely recommend gluing the pearls.
If you don’t want to use hot glue, or don’t have a glue gun, you can also use tacky glue to attach the pearls.
What else can I decorate my string Christmas tree with?
We love the elegant look of the pearls, but there are so many other things you can add onto your tree! Rhinestone stickers would add a nice shimmer to the tree and still keep the sophisticated look.
If you want a more whimsical tree you could also glue on beads, buttons, pom poms, or miniature stars or snowflake shapes. You can even sprinkle some glitter into the glue before you dip the twine in it! (Like we did with our Glitter Ball Yarn Ornaments).
A string Christmas tree is a bit messy to make, but it’s definitely worth the effort and dry time! These rustic Christmas tree decorations are such a fun holiday craft, easy enough for kids to make, and beautiful enough for adults to display all winter long.
Here’s even more string Christmas craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
