Crafting Memories: A Guide to DIY Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments and Our Family Tree Journey

Get ready for a heartwarming and creative adventure as we dive into a delightful Christmas craft project! We’ll show you how to easily transform simple wood slices into beautiful, personalized ornaments, perfect for adding a rustic yet modern touch to your holiday decor. This detailed guide is packed with simple instructions and inspiring photos to help you create your own festive masterpieces, celebrating the spirit of homemade charm this season.

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of ornament making, let’s talk about the heart of our holiday celebration: our Christmas tree. This past weekend, we finally completed the joyful task of decorating, transforming our living space into a festive wonderland. Each year brings a new opportunity to refresh our decor, and this year’s theme is especially close to our hearts.

Over the years, our Christmas trees have told many stories, each adorned with a unique “theme” that captured our imagination. From the timeless elegance of classic silver and white, to the vibrant and zesty appeal of citrus-inspired lemons and real dried oranges, we’ve loved experimenting. We’ve embraced the soft hues of pastel pink and soft green accented with silver bows, showcased artistic flair with crafty paint strip ornaments and ribbons, and last year, delighted in the captivating visual journey of a white-to-pink-to-red gradient tree. Each theme brought its own charm, making our holiday decor a true reflection of our evolving tastes and family memories.

But this year, our Christmas tree theme took a deeply personal turn: family. We aspired to fill our tree exclusively with meaningful ornaments – pieces that were one-of-a-kind, lovingly homemade, uniquely personalized, gifts from cherished individuals, or simply memorable to us. It was a wonderful milestone, as it marked the first year we accumulated enough special ornaments to adorn a large tree, a task we usually reserved for smaller tabletop versions. This timing couldn’t have been more perfect, especially with our little helper, Clara, enthusiastically ready to contribute to the decorating process.

Given that handmade ornaments were a cornerstone of our family-themed tree, I couldn’t resist the exciting challenge of crafting three dozen new ones. My vision was to create ornaments that blended a charming woodsy aesthetic with a playful burst of color, ensuring each piece added a unique touch to our festive display.

DIY Wood Slice Ornaments: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating these delightful wood slice ornaments is a rewarding project that’s surprisingly simple. Here’s how you can make your own:

Step 1: Sourcing and Slicing Your Wood

The first step was an enjoyable treasure hunt! I ventured outdoors, searching for a fallen branch approximately three inches in diameter. After successfully locating the perfect piece – a true “eureka!” moment – I brought it into the garage. With caution and excitement, I fired up the miter saw. It was surprisingly straightforward to maintain a straight blade and make a series of vertical cuts, allowing me to slice the entire branch into nearly three dozen small, round wood discs. If you don’t have access to a miter saw or fallen branches, many craft stores and online retailers offer pre-cut wood slices in various sizes, making this project accessible to everyone.

Step 2: Drying the Wood Slices

I noticed that about half of my slices featured fascinating, weathered holes in their centers, while the others were smoother – a delightful natural variation! The crucial next step was to allow them to sit and dry out thoroughly. I actually made these slices about two weeks prior to decorating, as it’s vital not to paint or seal damp wood. Doing so risks the wood crumbling, rotting, or the paint peeling later on. If you’re short on time, consider purchasing pre-cut, kiln-dried wood slices, or explore methods for speed-drying, such as placing them in a box of rice or a low-temperature oven (monitored carefully) to draw out moisture.

Step 3: Sanding and Designing with Paint Pens

Once the waiting game was over, I gently sanded each wood slice to achieve an extra-smooth surface, ensuring the paint pens would glide on effortlessly. Then, I eagerly broke out three vibrant paint pens and experimented with three distinct designs. The design on the left, which we’ll call “arrow,” began with a central arrow and was flanked by two more. The middle design, dubbed “fraction,” involved simply drawing and coloring in a wide, pizza-slice shape on each disc. Finally, the “dipped” design on the right allowed for playful variations, with thinner or thicker “dippings” at different angles, adding a modern, abstract touch. The beauty of these designs lies in their simplicity, allowing the natural wood grain to shine through while adding a cheerful pop of color.

I absolutely adored the concept of allowing a significant portion of the wood grain to remain visible, rather than fully obscuring it with paint. The subtle bursts of color proved to be incredibly fun and remarkably simple to achieve. For this project, I found success with red and green Sharpie paint pens, along with a turquoise Elmer’s Painters pen. These versatile pens are readily available for just a few dollars each at popular craft stores like Michael’s or JoAnn, making this an accessible and budget-friendly craft.

Just about twenty minutes later, I had an impressive collection of these charming, freshly painted wood slice ornaments, ready for the next stage of their transformation.

Step 4: Sealing for Durability and Finish

Next, I took the painted wood slices outside, giving them a moment to “remember” their natural habitat, and then applied a good spray coat of Aileen’s Gloss Finish Sealer. I coated the front and sides first, and once dry, sprayed the back. Sealing is a crucial step that not only helps prevent the wood from flaking or deteriorating over time but also imparts a lovely polished look. This glossy finish creates a beautiful contrast with their rustic, rugged edges and unique gnarled centers, enhancing their overall appeal and ensuring they last for many Christmases to come. This step is essential for preserving your handcrafted treasures.

Step 5: Drilling Pilot Holes and Adding Eye-Hooks

After allowing them to fully dry for 24 hours in the garage, I brought the sealed wood slices back inside. I carefully drilled tiny pilot holes into the top of each one. For the “arrow” designs, I strategically chose the top to ensure all arrows pointed straight upwards. However, for some of the “fraction” and “dipped” designs, I intentionally angled the pilot holes slightly, appreciating the subtle visual interest these unique orientations would add to the tree. The final step was effortlessly screwing eye-hooks into each pre-drilled pilot hole by hand, preparing them to be hung.

I already had a collection of old metal ornament hooks, which I simply slipped through the newly attached eye-hooks. With that final touch, our handcrafted wood slice ornaments were complete and ready to find their special places on the Christmas tree.

Among the various designs, the red ones quickly became my favorite. Their vibrant hue creates a striking contrast against the deep green backdrop of the tree, truly making them pop. The entire project for three dozen wood slice ornaments came to a remarkably affordable total of just $11, which breaks down to approximately 30 cents per ornament. This budget-friendly cost included all three paint pens, the spray sealer, and the eye hooks. For more inspiration, you can explore a plethora of other wood slice ornament ideas here on Pinterest.

A Tree Full of Cherished Memories

These new wood slice creations join a cherished collection of ornaments we’ve crafted over the years. Seeing them nestled alongside other handmade treasures, like the green zebra ornament visible in the top right of the photo above, truly fills us with warmth and nostalgia. It’s the perfect occasion to revisit some of our other favorite DIY holiday projects:

• Explore some charming faux antler ornaments, alongside a vibrant array of “ceramic” animals and swirl-painted glass bulbs from our 2011 collection.
• Discover a few enchanting “snow” covered and feather-filled glass ornaments, dating back to 2008.
• Revisit the natural beauty of some real dried orange slice ornaments, a delightful project from 2009.
• And for a truly sentimental touch, check out a few baby’s first Christmas ornaments from 2010, featuring Clara’s adorable silhouette and handprints.

Many of you caught a sneak peek of our new Christmas tree on Instagram and Facebook before it was even decorated. You noticed it was a new addition and naturally inquired if it was real and where we found it. We actually set it up about a week before adding any ornaments, simply enjoying its natural beauty. (Just to clarify, the tree was “naked,” while we were, of course, fully clothed, except perhaps for Burger, our furry friend!) Our new tree is a wonderful hand-me-down from my mom. The original box is long gone, and we haven’t found any brand markings, so if anyone recognizes a similar tree, we’d love to know the brand to pass along the information!

We are absolutely enamored with it. In fact, we’ve already donated our old tree, which faithfully served us since 2008. While photos don’t quite capture it, this new tree has an incredibly realistic appearance, with a lovely, slightly droopy quality that gives it a feathery look at the ends. This effect is particularly stunning when it’s fully lit in our bay window. (Please, just ignore the blue trim for now; I’m hoping Santa will bring some paint for that!) We find its natural aesthetic far superior to many artificial trees, creating a warm and inviting glow that perfectly complements our holiday spirit.

Decorating as a Family Tradition

But let’s circle back to the cherished decorating process itself. This year marked a significant milestone as it was the first time Clara displayed a genuine, active interest in helping us throughout the entire process. What’s more, she even proved capable of hanging the more delicate, breakable ornaments thanks to her careful and steady hands. Miraculously, zero ornaments were harmed in the making of this tree, though I confess to experiencing about five mini-heart attacks along the way! Ultimately, I was so glad I let her “do her thing.”

Our decorating strategy organically evolved into three distinct zones: Clara took responsibility for the bottom branches, I managed the middle section, and John, thanks to his impressive height and wingspan, expertly handled the very top. This division of labor made the process efficient and enjoyable for everyone.

As for where each ornament went, it was truly a delightful free-for-all. We laid all the ornaments out on a small white pedestal table positioned beside the tree, and we each took turns grabbing whichever one caught our eye. We simply instructed Clara to place one ornament per branch, and reminded her, “don’t forget the sides and the back!” As we hung each decoration, Clara would eagerly ask about its origin. This sparked wonderful conversations, as we recounted tales of ornaments from our honeymoon, one from our family trip to Hawaii, a few gifted by readers during our book tour last year, some we had made in previous years, and others received from loving family members. It was a beautiful way to revisit our shared history.

I initially worried I might forget the origins of some ornaments, but as the table cleared and the tree filled, I realized we could recall the story behind every single one. It’s truly amazing how those little details and memories stay with you, making each piece a tiny capsule of our family’s journey.

And someone was VERY PROUD of herself for her significant contribution to our beautiful family tree!

Here she is, striking a pose in front of what she affectionately calls “her tree.” The joy on her face truly captures the spirit of our family-focused holiday season.

And here’s our tree at night, radiating its magical glow and beautifully reflecting in the bay windows. It’s a funny thought, but the previous owners of this house must have placed their tree in this exact spot. I only realized this when we moved in and I was refinishing the floors; I distinctly remember sweeping up a handful of faux pine needles from that very corner. It’s almost as if the spot was waiting for a Christmas tree once again!

Oh, and for those curious about the festive reindeer outside – they were such an easy project to create back in 2011! As for the tree skirt, it’s actually just two faux sheepskin rugs from Ikea. We temporarily “borrow” them from other areas of the house and tuck them under the tree each December, creating a soft and cozy foundation for our holiday display.

So there you have it – our Christmas tree this year, without a rigid theme, but rather a delightful, sweet, and memorable hodgepodge of handmade and cherished ornaments. Each one tells a story, contributing to a tapestry of family memories and festive joy. And yes, it’s complete with a tiny tin hamburger ornament, because why not?

What do your trees look like this year? Do you have any fun themes, color schemes, or unique decorating traditions? Are you team real or team faux when it comes to your Christmas tree? Did anyone else try their hand at making any ornaments this season? I’m already envisioning getting Clara more involved in the fun next year, perhaps with some baked ornaments – whether made from clay or even gingerbread – that we could decorate, seal, and hang together. The possibilities for creative family crafting are endless!

Psst – For a treasure trove of other holiday projects and inspiration, you can explore our extensive collection right here.

Update – Curious about where we found something in our home or what specific paint color we used? Simply click on this button to find all the answers you’re looking for:

Update Number 2: Additionally, you can discover all of our favorite holiday decor finds here – many of which are conveniently under $15!