We have a fun little holiday craft for you, complete with an easy how-to and plenty of festive photos: DIY wood slice Christmas ornaments that add a handmade, family-focused touch to your tree.
First things first: we finally decorated our tree this weekend and it felt great to fill it with meaningful ornaments.
Over the years we’ve experimented with different looks—silver and white, citrus-inspired decorations, pastels, crafty paint-strip ornaments, and even a pink-to-red gradient—but this season our theme is simple: family. We wanted ornaments that felt personal—homemade keepsakes, one-of-a-kind pieces, and items given to us by people we love. For the first time we had enough of these meaningful pieces to fill a full-size tree, which was perfect now that our little helper is eager to join in.
Handmade ornaments were a big part of the mix, so I decided to make roughly three dozen wood slice ornaments with a rustic-yet-colorful vibe. Here’s the step-by-step process so you can make your own.
Step 1: find a branch about 3 inches in diameter—fallen branches work great. I cut a branch into slices using a miter saw, producing nearly three dozen round wood pieces. One side of the branch was more gnarled, so some slices had weathered holes and unique texture while others were smoother.
Step 2: let the slices dry. I waited about two weeks before painting so the wood wouldn’t be damp and start to flake or rot. If you don’t have the time to air-dry them, consider buying pre-cut wood slices or researching a safe speed-drying method.
Step 3: sand the surfaces smooth, then decorate. I used three simple designs to keep things cohesive: an “arrow” motif, a “fraction” or pie-slice shape, and a “dipped” look where only part of the slice is colored. I left most of the wood grain visible for that warm, natural look and added a small pop of color for contrast.
I used a red and green Sharpie paint pen and a turquoise Elmer’s Painters pen—available at craft stores—for the accents. They’re easy to control, dry quickly, and keep the design simple. About twenty minutes of drawing later, I had a lovely collection of decorated slices ready for sealing.
Step 4: seal the slices with a clear gloss finish to protect the paint and stabilize the wood. I sprayed the fronts and sides, let them dry for 24 hours, and then sealed the backs. This helps prevent flaking and gives a subtle polished look that complements the rough outer edges.
Step 5: drill tiny pilot holes at the top of each slice (I oriented them so some designs hang straight while others tilt for visual interest), then screw in small eye-hooks. Thread ornament hooks or twine through the eye-hooks and your ornaments are ready to hang.
I think the red-painted slices really pop against the green tree. Total cost for about three dozen ornaments was roughly $11—around 30 cents each—including paint pens, spray sealer, and eye-hooks. They blend beautifully with our other handmade ornaments and feel like part of the family collection.
Over the years we’ve made plenty of homemade ornaments. Highlights include faux antler ornaments and colorful ceramic-style animals, swirl-painted glass bulbs, feather- and “snow”-filled glass ornaments, dried orange-slice ornaments, and baby’s-first-Christmas pieces with silhouettes and handprints. Those old favorites feel at home with these new wood slice ornaments.
- Faux antler and colorful “ceramic” animals with painted glass bulbs (a past year project)
- Feather-filled and faux-snow glass ornaments
- Real dried orange slice ornaments
- Baby’s first Christmas ornaments with silhouettes and handprints
People asked about our tree before we decorated it—some wondered if it was real. It’s a hand-me-down from my mom and we love how lifelike and feathery it looks. Because of that realistic look we donated our old tree, which served us well for years. The new tree has a slightly “droopy-in-a-good-way” branch structure that looks especially nice lit up in our bay window.
This year Clara had a real interest in decorating from start to finish and was proud to hang even the fragile ornaments. We divided decorating into three zones—Clara took the bottom, I took the middle, and John handled the top—and we encouraged her to place one ornament per branch and to remember the sides and the back. As she hung each piece she asked where it came from, so decorating became a storytelling session about honeymoon souvenirs, trips to Hawaii, reader-made gifts, and family heirlooms.
When the table of ornaments was empty and the tree was full, we realized we could remember the origin of every piece—those stories really stick with you. Clara was very proud of “her tree” and posed happily beside it.
We also brought back a couple of older projects, like a simple reindeer craft from several years ago and a cozy tree skirt made from two faux sheepskin rugs. The overall effect is a beautiful, mismatched collection of memories: no strict theme, just a heartwarming mix of handmade and sentimental ornaments—complete with a tiny tin hamburger tucked in among the branches.
Are you decorating this year with a theme or color scheme? Do you prefer a real tree or a faux one? Have you tried making ornaments—wood slices, clay, gingerbread, or otherwise? I’m already thinking about involving Clara in a baked-or-clay ornament project next year so we can paint, seal, and hang them together.
Happy crafting and happy holidays—may your tree be full of ornaments that tell your family’s stories.