DIY Wood Trees Made From Fence Boards

Do you enjoy creating custom wall art to decorate your home? It can be fun to repurpose scraps of wood and coordinate accent colors to make wall art. I made these colorful wooden trees using old fence boards. They’re painted in different hues of watered down craft paint to produce a colored stain look. I hope you enjoy the details of how I made DIY wood trees.

Wood Tree Materials

• fence boards
• circular saw
• measuring tape
• electric screw driver
• wood screws
• acrylic craft paint
• paint brushes
• sanding block
• sturdy picture hangers

Design the DIY Wood Trees

It’s always important to have a clear plan when starting a DIY home decor project. To make these wood trees, first I drew a rough design on paper. This allowed me to create the concept for my trees before I cut or assembled the pieces. Ultimately, I wanted to make 3 different trees of various heights.

Cut the Boards

Next, my husband Andy cut the fence boards in various lengths to create a tiered tree branch look. This took some trial and error. We traced around a cardboard shape to make all the angled ends look identical. In contrast, these wooden trees would look wonky if we cut the fence board ends at different angles.

Assemble the Wood Trees

Next, I carefully laid out each board to make sure the spacing and board lengths were correct. I didn’t want to end up with awkward angles or uneven spacing when I started screwing everything together. I spaced each fence board 1 inch apart and cut the boards for the tree trunks long enough to connect all the branches.

Sand the Edges

Next, I sanded the edges of each fence board. Sanding may seem like an optional step, but it’s an important finishing step when creating wood wall art. I’ve found it’s much easier to sand all the pieces before I connect them. Alternately, it’s much harder to touch up rough edges later.

Create the Wood Trees

Once we had cut, sanded, and arranged all the fence board pieces, I connected them together with wood screws. I used two screws per fence board to keep the tree branches from swiveling.

Paint the DIY Wooden Trees

Finally, I painted my DIY wood trees with watered down acrylic craft paint, to create a colored stain look. To accomplish this, I added water to acrylic craft paint and lightly brushed it onto the boards. I discovered that craft paint soaks into unfinished wood and creates a distressed wood look. Additionally, I considered sanding the painted edges to add extra distressing.

I learned it was fairly straightforward to brighten up these DIY wooden trees using colored craft paint. Furthermore, I really like the look that the watered down craft paint gave my wood trees!

These DIY wood trees made from fence boards are an eye-catching accent to hang up on a wall. I could also stand them up, by leaning the trees against a wall.

I have enjoyed decorating with my DIY wooden trees for several seasons. They coordinate with my decorating style and accent colors in both the summer and winter. On another note, I like designing decor because I can make my designs a reality and save money. Overall, I think my DIY wood trees liven up our home with pretty color!

This DIY wood tree project is easy to complete with a little time, some pieces of wood and a splash of craft paint. Which colors would you paint your trees?

Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!