Grab some paint and drop cloth or canvas fabric to make a Christmas tree wall hanging. It’s a fun alternate to a real tree, or just a great addition to winter decor.
This Christmas tree wall hanging adds a cute touch – without taking up any floor space!
WHY I LOVE THIS PROJECT
This project is perfect if you’re looking to add another Christmas tree in a place where you may not have the space for an actual tree. This can be hung on the wall and still leave room for putting gifts underneath. It can also be used in a hallway, bedroom, or anywhere you’d like to add extra holiday decor.
Related Craft: Another easy peasy project that would allow you to pull off this same look would be the reverse canvas yarn tassel tree craft. These are also hung on the wall – so they don’t take up any floor space. Not to mention, these two projects would actually compliment one another and you can get pretty creative with hanging them on the wall together.
A note on paint selection: This project uses quite a bit of paint. I’m particularly drawn to the DecoArt brand. I like it because you can get really good coverage. You can also use a chalk paint. I just wouldn’t use the cheapest, bottom-of-the-barrel craft paint for this. You want good coverage in one coat and the overall design to pop.
If painting the design makes you a little nervous, here’s a quick tip… think about a tree and it’s angle. There’s really no right or wrong way to do it, but I suggest keeping your brush at an angle, 45-degrees one way or the other (slanted to the right or to the left).
SUPPLIES NEEDED
- drop cloth fabrics (1 to protect surface and the other for the project)
- scrap cardboard
- flat paint brushes*
- acrylic paints** (dark green, regular green, dark brown, light brown, and white)
- wooden dowel
- twine
- something to hang the fabric over the dowel – needle and thread, velcro, glue, etc.
*For the paint brushes, you can use whatever you have in your stash. The point is to make sure they are wide and flat. I used a 3″, 2″, and 1.5″ brushes.
**The exact brand and colors I used are: Craftsmart from Michaels (campground), DecoArt (forest green, burnt umber, faun, and snow/titanium white).
TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE CHRISTMAS TREE WALL HANGING
Follow this quick video, or read the step-by-step directions below:
- Put down a piece of drop cloth to protect your work surface. With the other piece, leave enough at the top to serve as the flap over that will hang on a wooden dowel.
- Starting with the lighter of the two green colors, put a fair amount of paint on the scrap cardboard. Then, using the biggest paint brush, begin painting your tree (using the advice mentioned above). Leave a triangle space at the bottom.
- Make the trunk of the tree using the dark brown craft paint and the skinniest paint brush. Use a vertical angle similar to an actual trunk.
- Add a few “branches” throughout the tree by gently tapping the dark brown throughout the green part of the tree (a few vertical and a few angled).
- Using the same brush, unwashed, add taupe-colored vertical dabs to the trunk of the tree, as well as where you dabbed branches within the tree.
- To fill in the tree more, use the dark green paint and large paint brush, unwashed, add angled dabs throughout the tree. Use this same color to fill in the open triangle space left at the bottom. It’s okay to break the angle rule here and use both angled and vertical dabs.
- Go over the that same area with a bit of light green.
- Repeat the process as many times as you like until you reach the desired tree look.
- Let the design sit for about 5 minutes before going in the the white paint to add a snow look. You don’t want the paint to be dried completely. Start very lightly with the snow effect because you can always add more.
- Let it dry completely. Then hang your finished project on a wooden dowel with twine.
Once your tree dries, you can add another layer of paint or do touch ups if you’d like a fuller tree, more color, etc. I personally like to see bits of the drop cloth peeking through the design.
MORE CHRISTMAS TREE-INSPIRED PROJECTS:
- Looking to spruce up a table or two in your home? These DIY yarn Christmas trees take just a few supplies, most of which you may already have lying around your craft room!
- The reverse canvas look has always made for super cute holiday decor and these DIY Christmas reverse canvases are both crafty and trendy.
Christmas Tree Wall Hanging
Adding holiday decor just got easier with this Christmas tree wall hanging. They're easy, cute, and you'll probably want to make a few!
Materials
- drop cloth fabrics (1 to protect surface and the other for the project)
- scrap cardboard
- flat paint brushes*
- acrylic paints** (dark green, regular green, dark brown, light brown, and white)
- wooden dowel
- twine
- something to hang the fabric over the dowel - needle and thread, velcro, glue, etc.
- For the paint brushes, you can use whatever you have in your stash. The point is to make sure they are wide and flat. I used a 3", 2", and 1.5"
- The exact brand and colors I used are: Craftsmart from Michaels (campground), DecoArt (forest green, burnt umber, faun, and snow/titanium white).
Instructions
Put down a piece of drop cloth to protect your work surface. With the other piece, leave enough at the top to serve as the flap over that will hang on a wooden dowel.
Starting with the lighter of the two green colors, put a fair amount of paint on the scrap cardboard. Then, using the biggest paint brush, begin painting your tree (using the advice mentioned above). Leave a triangle space at the bottom.
Make the trunk of the tree using the dark brown craft paint and the skinniest paint brush. Use a vertical angle similar to an actual trunk.
Add a few "branches" throughout the tree by gently tapping the dark brown throughout the green part of the tree (a few vertical and a few angled).
Using the same brush, unwashed, add taupe-colored vertical dabs to the trunk of the tree, as well as where you dabbed branches within the tree.
To fill in the tree more, use the dark green paint and large paint brush, unwashed, add angled dabs throughout the tree. Use this same color to fill in the open triangle space left at the bottom. It's okay to break the angle rule here and use both angled and vertical dabs.
Go over the that same area with a bit of light green.
Repeat the process as many times as you like until you reach the desired tree look.
Let the design sit for about 5 minutes before going in the the white paint to add a snow look. You don't want the paint to be dried completely. Start very lightly with the snow effect because you can always add more.
Let it dry completely. Then hang your finished project on a wooden dowel with twine.
DON’T FORGET TO PIN CHRISTMAS TREE WALL HANGING FOR LATER:
I love your idea here , using a drop cloth. A few years ago I did the same design on paper bags ( brown lunch bags) made a few wholes on the top , filling the bag with goodies the for the children and used yarn and twine through the wholes on the top of the bag to make a bow. I think the children where more happier about the bags than they where about Santa filling their stockings LOLL ; )
@tisonlyme143
This is such a cute idea! Thanks for sharing!