We’ve got a festive and simple craft to share, complete with a clear how-to and plenty of photos for inspiration.
First things first: we finally decorated our tree this weekend.
Over the years we’ve tried different looks—classic silver and white, citrus-inspired with dried oranges, pastel pinks and greens, crafty paint-strip ornaments, and a white-to-pink-to-red gradient. This year, though, our theme was family. We wanted ornaments packed with meaning: handmade, personalized, gifted, and memorable pieces that tell a story. For the first time, those sentimental ornaments filled a large tree, which made decorating extra special because our big girl was excited to help.
Because handmade ornaments were a large part of the collection, I decided to make about three dozen wood-slice ornaments with a natural, colorful look.
The first step was finding a fallen branch roughly three inches in diameter. After some triumphant whooping, I brought it into the garage and used a miter saw to slice it into thin rounds. It was straightforward to keep the blade steady and make many even cuts, producing nearly three dozen small wood rounds.
One half of the branch was more gnarled, so about half the slices had little weathered holes while the rest were smooth. I let the slices dry for a couple of weeks before finishing them—painting or sealing damp wood can cause problems—so if you need a quicker route, consider buying pre-cut wood slices or looking for safe speed-drying methods.
Once they were dry, I sanded each slice for a smooth surface and used three paint pens to create three simple designs: “arrow” (a pointed motif), “fraction” (a filled wedge or pie-slice shape), and “dipped” (a color-blocked bottom edge). I kept most of the wood grain visible because I liked the contrast of the natural texture with a small pop of color. I used red and green Sharpie paint pens and a turquoise Elmer’s Painters pen.
About twenty minutes later I had a batch of colorful wood slices ready for sealing.
I sprayed them with a clear gloss sealer on the front and sides, letting them cure fully before flipping and sealing the backs. The sealer helps prevent flaking and gives the slices a subtle polished finish that complements their rustic edges.
After drying for 24 hours, I drilled small pilot holes at the top of each slice—choosing the top orientation deliberately so the arrow designs would hang straight while some of the fraction and dipped styles hang at slight, interesting angles. I screwed small eye-hooks into each slice and threaded metal ornament hooks through them for hanging.
The red-painted ones stood out against the green of the tree and quickly became favorites. The total cost for about three dozen ornaments came to roughly $11—about 30 cents apiece—including paint pens, spray sealer, and eye-hooks.
These new wood slices joined a collection of other homemade ornaments we’ve accumulated over the years, each one bringing back a memory. Some past projects include faux antler ornaments, swirl-painted glass bulbs, “snow” covered glass ornaments, dried orange slices, and baby’s first Christmas pieces.
- Faux antler ornaments and colorful “ceramic” animals with swirl-painted glass bulbs.
- “Snow” covered and feather-filled glass ornaments.
- Real dried orange slice ornaments.
- Baby’s first Christmas ornaments with silhouette and hand print designs.
People noticed the new tree on social media and asked whether it was real. We received this tree as a hand-me-down from my mom; it’s very realistic with feathery tips that create a soft, slightly droopy look that works well in our bay window. We donated our old tree after years of enjoyment.
Decorating was extra special this year because our daughter Clara was actively involved from start to finish. She even handled some of the fragile ornaments carefully, which made me proud and relieved (no casualties, despite a few mini heart-stops).
We divided the tree into three working zones—Clara took the bottom, I took the middle, and John handled the top with his extra reach. We arranged all the ornaments on a small side table and let each person choose what appealed to them, reminding Clara to hang one per branch and to fill the sides and back. As she placed each ornament she asked about its origin, which led to stories about honeymoon souvenirs, gifts from family, reader-made pieces, and ornaments we crafted in prior years.
When the table was empty and the tree fully decorated, we could recall the stories behind every ornament. It’s surprising how vividly those memories stick.
Clara was very proud of “her tree” and posed happily in front of it.
At night the tree looks beautiful reflected in the bay windows. Interestingly, the previous owners likely placed their tree in this exact spot too—evidence we found when redoing the floors.
Our little reindeer decorations were an easy craft from a few years back, and the tree skirt is simply two faux sheepskin rugs tucked under the base each December.
So that’s our tree this year: no strict color scheme, just a heartwarming, handmade assortment of meaningful ornaments—including a tiny tin hamburger tucked among the branches.
Are you decorating with a theme this year? Real or faux? Did you make any ornaments? Next year I’d like Clara to help make baked ornaments—clay or gingerbread—that we can seal, paint, and hang together.
Happy crafting and happy holidays.