Learn how to make the cutest, affordable wood Christmas ornaments from scrap wood in two styles! Includes Buffalo Checked presents and wood slice snowflakes. Includes a helpful video teaching you how to stencil a Buffalo Check pattern to any surface.

Once again, I was desiring a whole new look for this year’s Christmas tree.

But have you noticed how expensive purchasing all new Christmas ornaments can be? Collecting the odd special ornament is affordable of course, however if you desire to fill your tree with an all new look, that can really add up to a big price!

I’ve made plenty of unique and affordable Christmas ornaments in the past you can see HERE

However once again, I was desiring a whole new look while saving some money. So it was time to head to my own workshop to see what new ornament idea I could come up with this round.

Making ornaments with a square post and fire log

 

Reclaimed wood is always plentiful and a great starting point for Christmas ornaments! And free since I had some firewood and a square post on hand. They were sized nicely to become potential wood ornaments, so it was worth a try!

Plus, I’d get two kinds of wood Christmas decorations, thanks to the two different shapes of wood! 

However I needed a little extra help with a couple of super universal Christmas stencils to get the desired look I was going for. Which makes what I did super easy to copy!

As for the outcome? They turned out adorable, and were so easy to make! Plus, thanks to the natural edges of the wood, they have a true homespun look which I love.

Plus they’d make great gifts too, with a little farmhouse charm thrown in for good measure.

Desire a fresh, new look for your Christmas tree this year too? Here’s how you too can make these easy and affordable holiday ornaments in a quick afternoon!

Here’s the tutorial:

Buffalo Check and snowflake wood Christmas ornaments made from scrap wood!

 

Supplies you’ll need:

 

Any desired stencil design you may have on hand might do, however these are the stencils I used:

Buffalo Check stencil from HERE

Winter Graphics stencil from HERE

Firewood log with bark on it

Or purchased wood rounds HERE

Squarish small post – about 3″ x 3″

Or purchase plain square wood ornaments HERE

Mitre saw

Fusion Mineral Paint (get10% off all products)

• Coal Black
• Fort York Red
• Casement

Dome tip stencil brushes

Slightly wider artist paint brush

Cordless drill bit to create holes

Thin twine

Wood slice snowflake ornaments

 

1. Using a mitre saw, cut slices from a wood log about .25″ thick.

I’d suggest to choose the straightest wood log you have, so it can be secured into your mitre saw easier before cutting.

You could also pick up some wood round slices HERE

Painting the wood slices black

 

2. Using a slightly wider artist brush, paint the inside of the wood rounds in Coal Black. 

Be careful to miss painting that gorgeous wood bark! That’s the part that makes them so woodland-like!

Tip: I found not painting right to the edge of the bark looked better. Just keep a wet brush as you move around the edges to achieve sharp paint lines.

Winter Graphics stencil from HERE

Stenciling snowflakes on the ornaments

 

3. Position the smallest snowflake in the Winter Graphics stencil in the middle of the wood round.

This stencil was designed to offer some unique elements to Christmas directional signs you can see done up HERE. However the images are so universal, you can use them most anywhere.

4. Stencil with Fusion’s Casement.

How to stencil for sharp results with no paint bleed:

 

• Load stencil brush with paint.
• Remove most paint onto a rag until your brush feels dry.
• Tap or swirl paint through stencil until desired outcome is achieved.

Hanging the ornaments

 

5. Drill a small hole into the top of each wood round ornament, then thread some thin twine through the hole. Create a knot at the end.

Tip: For the ornament to hang facing out (as opposed to sideways), tie a double knot against the ornament right after threading through, then leave a hanging gap, closing it up with a final knot.

The finished wood round snowflake ornaments

 

Instant snowflake ornaments! Aren’t they cute?! The black backdrop resembles a mini chalk board that really makes the white snowflakes pop!

And you just can’t beat the homespun vibe thanks to the natural woodsy shapes! Yet they look professionally done.

Let’s make some cute cabin-styled Buffalo Check ornaments next!

Buffalo Check stencil from HERE

Buffalo Check ornaments – quilt squares or presents

 

1. Cut slices out of a 3″ x 3″ square post to about .25″ thick.

Or pick up some plain square wood ornaments HERE

2. Paint with Fusion Mineral Paint in Fort York Red.

3. Position the Buffalo Check stencil over the ornaments so the middle of 4 squares lands in the centre of the wood piece.

So you’ll end up with 2 thin lined squares, one solid square and one blocked out square. This will create the Buffalo Plaid pattern we all know and love.

4. Stencil the Buffalo Check pattern with Fusion’s Coal Black.

Tips to stenciling Buffalo Check:

 

• Stencil the solid square first, to offload the brush moreso. Dry is better for the next step.
• Swipe the stencil brush in the direction of the little lines. 

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Video tutorial: How to stencil any surface with Buffalo Check

 

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View the short video above to see how to stencil a buffalo check pattern on any kind of surface desired!

Learn more at: How to stencil a Buffalo Check pattern to anything HERE

Hanging the ornaments

 

5. Drill holes in each square, then thread twine through to hang.

 So cute and easy! They resemble cozy quilt squares! Here’s one more idea to try…

How to get a wrapped present look

 

Wrap each square ornament with twine like present ribbon.

• start the twine across the front
• wrap towards back
• cross over in the back and bring the twine forward again
• knot to secure

Drill a hole in a corner or where desired, then thread through the twine for hanging.

 

I decided to have them resemble little quilt squares because I felt…

…they looked cute mixed together! So simpler was better for now.

Both ornaments mixed together

 

Now that we’re all stocked with adorable wooden ornaments in abundance, let’s hang them on a tree!

The finished ornaments on a mini Christmas tree

 

I first grabbed a smaller faux Christmas tree I had on hand. Just a few of the snowflake and Buffalo Checked ornaments were enough.

Super cute! But since I had so many handmade ornaments, let’s give some a new home on a bigger tree too.

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Get the look:

Mini Christmas trees HERE

Small galvanized buckets HERE

Antiques crate Christmas tree skirt

Here’s the wood slice snowflake ornaments hanging from this larger Christmas tree tucked in an antique crate tree skirt! I love how the black chimes in with the black Antiques crate tree skirt.

Other ways to display wood Christmas ornaments:

 

• decorate an evergreen garland
• hang from a wood branch
• place on small hooks throughout the house
• attach to gifts as part of the gift wrap
• creates the perfect gift
• hang them in wreaths
• display on an outdoor tree (after protecting the wood)

These DIY ornaments were so fun to make!

And now I have all that extra saved money to buy a few presents! Hmmm… maybe I’ll make a few more ornaments…

Think you’ll give this easy tutorial a try?

Check out many other unique Christmas tree ornaments to make HERE