Love wood Christmas trees? Learn how to create unique mini pallet crate decorated Christmas trees from scrap wood! Get the look easily with a stencil that is designed to work on standard wood sizes. Includes how to DIY white chippy wood for flocked trees.

I’ve partnered with Homestead House Milk Paint for this project. All opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links in which I earn a small percentage on approved purchases at no extra cost to you.

Merry Christmas! And if you’re visiting from Fusion Mineral Paint or Homestead House MIlk Paint’s blog posts, welcome to Part 2 of Create a snow effect with White Chippy wood trees!

And with another holiday season comes another version of some kind of rustic decorated Christmas trees!

I just LOVE making DIY Wood Christmas trees. They are price efficient to make, easy to store, and can be customized in ways that you just can’t buy from stores.

Other favorite DIY wood Christmas trees:

 

White chippy wood Christmas tree for a front porch

Wood Christmas trees in presents

Pallet Christmas tree porch sign

Herringbone wood Christmas tree sign

However this round, it’s all about mini crate-style decorated Christmas trees with a stencil to go along with the theme, so you too can get this unique Christmas decor look quickly and effortlessly!

White chippy wood Christmas tree for a front porch

How to make a larger chippy white wood tree

 

This wood Christmas tree project was inspired by an inquiry. After a reader was admiring my own larger white chippy wood Christmas tree shown above, she asked if I knew how to achieve a chippy white finish on wood since she didn’t have any of that type of wood on hand.

The challenge was on!

Using my own chippy white Christmas tree as inspiration, I grabbed my fav Homestead House Milk Paint and not only achieved a wonderfully authentic looking chippy white texture, I’m thrilled to report it even crackled! FABULOUS!

So I’m going to share all my tips with you! Head on over to Homestead House HERE to read my guest post on creating your own chippy white paint on nearly any board, and also see the trees styled in some other unique ways!

Learn how to DIY your own white chippy wood effect

 

Part 1 – Learn how to DIY your own chippy white flocked Christmas trees

Now that you’re all caught up, let’s do something extra cool with them here!

So while deciding how to style each faux flocked tree, I desired to try some new Christmas tree themes. Using the small word stencils from the Herringbone Wood Christmas Tree stencil HERE, they helped turn plain wood blocks into the cutest crate tree skirts in the land! A new theme was born.

Only challenge was, those stencils were part of another larger stencil set. Great if you already have them! But maybe not so much if you didn’t yet. So I decided to create a smaller stencil set especially for this tutorial so you can get just the stencils you want to make these mini crate-styled decorated Christmas trees!

Note:  Herringbone Wood Christmas Tree stencil showcases nearly all the same smaller sized crate-styled text as this stencil. So if you have that stencil, you’re already set!

Next, grab your scrap wood, string, paint, funky crate sayings and other holiday decorations to accompany. This charm-filled idea is quick and simple… and is sized so you can tuck them most anywhere in your living room or otherwise this holiday season!

Mini crate-style decorated Christmas trees

 

Supplies you’ll need:

 

Wood Christmas Tree in Crate stencil from HERE

Coal Black in Homestead House Milk Paint, or:

Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black 

Dome-tipped stencil brush

Reclaimed wood planks

Wood closet pole – to create a tree trunk

Square-ish wood blocks cut from square posts, 2x4s, etc.

Longer plank of wood for tree base (if desired)

String

Twine

Screws

Faux plastic snow

Glue gun and glue sticks

Supplies to achieve a DIY white chippy wood effect:

 

• Homestead House Milk Paint in Sturbridge White
• Fusion Mineral Paint in Salad Bowl Finish

Learn how to get your own DIY chippy white finish on nearly any board in THIS POST.

The Wood Christmas Tree in Crate stencil from HERE

Wood Christmas Tree in Crate stencil

 

This cute Wood Christmas Tree in Crate stencil showcases 1 wooden Christma tree image with a crate base, along with various rustic crate words to decorate the tree and crate!

Included is a twine wrap, Christmas-themed twists on words, along with a star, and nail, bolts and screws to add rustic details to your trees.

Tip: This lettering is scaled to work on real wood cut pieces including 2x4s so you can fit the graphics easily on the real thing, just like in this tutorial!

NOTE: all small stencils shown in this tutorial are from the Herringbone Wood Christmas Tree stencil HERE. They are the same sized lettering as with Wood Christmas Tree in Crate, which is offered on 1 large stencil sheet instead.

So let’s make some cute trees!

How to cut the wood tree shapes

 

1. Cut tree shapes from a wood board. Visit THIS POST to see how the white chippy trees were made.

2. Using a mitre saw, wood blocks from various sized chunky wood pieces to suit. 

I used a 3×3 post and a 2×4, cut in various widths and depths. These will become your tree skirts.

How to mix Milk Paint

 

3. Mix up a small batch of milk paint in Coal Black. 

If you are using milk paint, the process is simple!

• add equal amounts of milk paint powder to water in a cup
• stir
• allow to sit for a moment
• then paint!

See THIS post of a wood Herringbone Christmas tree sign where I painted an entire sign backdrop and stenciled with milk paint!

Today’s tutorial is featuring Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black. 

Stenciling the crate words on wood blocks

 

4. Stencil all 4 sides of the cut wood blocks in the crate stayings in Coal Black, where desired.

To design the tree skirts, think about if your trees will be plain or have sayings. Then marry the two together.

Rotate and stencil the other sides of the blocks too.

How to stencil for flawless results:

 

• Load dome-tipped stencil brush with paint.
• Off-load most paint onto a rag until brush feels dry.
• Tap or swirl paint through stencil for desired effect.

Learn many more tips and tricks on the post: Everything you’ll need to know about stenciling HERE

Stenciling crate-sayings on the wood trees

 

5. Stencil the tree too if you wish! I decided what tree was going on what crate skirt, then designed accordingly.

The coolest part is, all the words fit on the crate blocks or trees!

Note: Small stencil shown is from Herringbone Wood Christmas Tree stencil. You will get the same sized stencils on one larger sheet with Wood Christmas Tree in Crate stencil.

Creating mini signs

 

6. To design small signs, cut a cedar strip down to desired size, then stencil with a saying of choice.

These tiny U CUT signs are fun little add-ons to your decorated Christmas trees since you can move their placement on a whim, anywhere you wish!

Note: Small stencil shown is from Herringbone Wood Christmas Tree stencil. You will get the same sized stencils on one larger sheet with Wood Christmas Tree in Crate stencil.

Now that the decorated Christmas trees are all stenciled up with their fun pallet crate sayings, let’s stage them up in a few different ways!

Staging chippy white trees with crates on a wood plank

 

Here’s a great sample of how adorable a white chippy flocked christmas tree is. Don’t you think they make the cutest snowy trees? Natural wood, white, green and black always seems to make such a nice, clean color scheme.

Above, the trees with crates are arranged on a distressed wood plank so the Christmas vignette is easy to move around.

Then layer in faux snow for extra fluff, a sprig of evergreen and Christmas ornaments, and this overall look is complete!

How to distress the wood plank for a snowy effect:

 

• Paint a small plank in a messy way, missing lots of spots, leaving parts of the wood board exposed.
• If too much paint, lightly sand with an orbital sander until the desired effect is achieved.

To create tree trunks:

 

• Cut a wood closet pole to desired length.
• Hot glue the dowel to the bottom of the tree for extra stability.

Adding stenciled or real twine wrap to trees and crates

 

And here’s a mix of wood and white chippy trees. Aren’t they adorable?

Here’s how to add the twine accents which really gives that wrapped crate vibe.

To add real string or twine:

 

• Cut a length of real string or twine as desired.
• Start at the back of the tree or wood block, then wrap several times, crossing the string over itself here and there.
• End in a knot tied together, then show knot in front or back, whatever you desire.

How to stencil the string or twine:

 

• Select the twine-wrapped image on Wood Christmas Tree in Crate stencil.
• Position over the tree or wood blocks, then stencil in white or black.
• To stencil the twine image around wood block edges, align a twine section to a matched stencil string section. Hold in place, then stencil to extend the pattern.

Use rusty gears and mason jar rims for tree skirts

 

And here’s a variation of the decorative Christmas trees without the crate bases.

For tree skirts, try using a rusty gear or two, or even something as simple as a mason jar rim that resembles a galvanized Christmas tree collar.

See how the Industrial black Christmas trees were made in THIS post.

Stage the trees inside an old crate hung on a wall

 

And how about tucked inside a vintage crate hung on a wall? Perfectly themed, I say!

This look creates a neat shadow box effect that can be also displayed with fairy string lights to illuminate the interior.

Mini crate-style decorated Christmas trees filled with rustic holiday cheer. What’s not to love?

Here’s a few other ways you can stage your wooden Christmas trees too…

How to use these trees:

 

• give as hostess gifts
• keep for yourself

Ways to style these trees:

 

• place on any window sill
• stack on a small rustic shelf
• arrange inside a vintage cabinet
• style with candles on a tray
• stack them around your larger traditional christmas tree
• stage with evergreen branches, dried orange slices and faux snow inside a crate
• arrange on bunched-up burlap material inside a crate
• use as a centerpiece on a tabletop
• hang as handmade ornaments on a larger Christmas tree
• attach as gift wrap

Accessories to add to these trees:

 

• with candles on a tray
• small pine cones
• mini candy canes
• faux evergreen branches
• small Christmas ornaments
• mini bows
• small plaid ribbons
• tiny Christmas lights

Video tutorial – How to create chippy decorated Christmas trees, pallet-style!

 

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View above for a short video on the entire tree making process!

Read the entire post: How to create the trees HERE

Well that was fun! And the outcome is adorable and unique. Could these cute little pallet-styled Christmas tree decorations land somewhere in your home this holiday season?

Visit Part 2

 

Part 2 – How to make your own DIY white chippy wood snowy Christmas trees HERE

And don’t miss my guest post on how to create your own DIY chippy white wood to make those cute flocked trees!

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Visit 17+ other ways to create DIY Wood Christmas trees HERE

Check out all my other unique Christmas decorating from one page HERE