Twig Christmas Tree – How To Create an Eco Friendly Decoration

You know Christmas is approaching when you start to see Pinterest becoming flooded with decoration and tree ideas! I had seen a few twig Christmas tree decoration guides on Pinterest and several high street stores selling them for the festive period and thought they looked fun, simple, and relatively cheap to make.

We have already made some DIY snowflake stars for our house and really enjoyed being creative with our Christmas decor. 

So, on a bitterly cold November Sunday morning, I dragged the whole family begrudgingly to Wakehurst Place to find branches and twigs (with lots of moss) to create my decorative twig tree.

How to Make a Twig Christmas Tree

As the festive season approaches, many are seeking unique and sustainable ways to bring holiday cheer into their homes. Crafting a twig Christmas tree not only captures the rustic elegance of nature but also offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional decorations.

Made with gathered twigs and a touch of creativity, this DIY project is a delightful way to celebrate the essence of winter while adding a personalized touch to your festive decor.

How to make a twig tree:

• Branches or twigs!
• Something to hang the tree up with. I’d recommend Command Hooks as the decoration is seasonal, so you’ll want to remove it after Christmas
• A ball of jute string or twine and scissors
• A mini saw (or just find twigs that descend in size, can’t be doing with too much elbow grease!)
• Fairy lights (I’d go with wire string lights, they’re easy to keep in place)
• Small baubles in any colour and any other decorations you would like to add
• Some patience.

Check Out the Measurements

Once you’ve got your materials ready, think about where you want to hang them. This is important as it will dictate how long (tall) your tree will be.

I decided to go for above my fireplace, so I measured how tall I wanted it and then measured out the same length on my dining table and went about arranging my twigs to fit this length. You could use all manner of measurements to make sure it’s perfect, but I think a rough placement works best.

Connect the Twigs Together

Once you’re happy with the arrangement, you need to connect all the twigs together with string and this is where it requires patience. Start with the bottom (longest) twig and wrap the string around the twig 2 to 3 times and tie a knot before going to the next twig. Keep doing this until you get to the top twig and then leave some string in place to form a triangle at the top to hang the tree from.

Repeat this on the other side of the twig tree and then tie the string in place at the top. This took me a couple of attempts and a lot of tweaking as, when I lifted the tree up with the string, I found the twigs would drop or not all hang horizontally. Just loosen the knot and reposition the twigs until you’re happy. You can then staple the string into place, but I found that the knots did the trick.

Decorate Your Twig Tree

Then the fun bit begins. You can either choose to decorate the twig tree whilst it’s still on the table or hang it up and decorate it on the wall. I decided to hang it in place first, so I could get a better picture of how it would look.

First of all, I used a Command Hook to hang up the tree which was really simple to do. Just peel off the adhesive at the back of the hook and press it into place on the wall, applying pressure for about 30 seconds.

I then hung the Christmas twig tree and placed another command hook to hand a decorative star from which hides the top knot of the string and makes it look more like a Christmas tree.

Once the tree was in place, I wrapped the wire fairy lights around the twigs. I then decorated it with small baubles from Paperchase (it’s definitely easier to get baubles where you have to tie the thread, or you would have to place the baubles on the tree first before placing the string) and attached some small glitter birds with clips. And ta-dah! Your twig Christmas tree is complete.

It really is that simple to do and is a fantastic addition to your Christmas décor. It filled a space in our living room without spending too much money and the kids really enjoyed helping me make it. I hope I’ve inspired you to go and make your own!

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