Cardboard Christmas Tree
If you are looking for an easy Christmas craft, this Cardboard Christmas Tree tutorial is simple and easy to do with kids. You will probably have to cut the cardboard and hot glue the triangles together, but the kids can have a blast decorating the trees with paint. Only basic painting supplies are needed for this free guide, so you could use it as a last-minute distraction while your kids are eagerly waiting to open gifts. These adorable decorations will not damage as easily as paper crafts and you can store them for years to come.
Primary TechniquePainting
SeasonWinter
Materials:
- Americana Multi-Surface Acrylics: Shrimp, Chick, Flamingo, Lipstick, Leprechaun, Coastal Waters, Lavender Fields, Gold (Metallic)
- Water container
- Palette or plastic plate
- Paper towels
- Ruler
- Pencil with clean eraser
- 3/4" flat brush
- #10 flat brush
- Cardboard
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Ribbon
- Craft knife
- Pencil
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Use a pencil to trace a basic triangle shape three times side by side onto cardboard.
- Carefully cut out the triangles as one piece using a craft knife. (Precision is the key!)
- Score along the two lines where the tree triangles meet. Bend into a tree shape.
- Use a hot glue gun to hold cardboard in a tree shape.
- Cut a triangle to fit the bottom of the tree and glue on.
- Carefully draw out a garland around the tree using the hot glue gun. (Hold onto the tree and be careful to let glue fully dry. I have accidentally dropped mine a few times and glued the little tree to the table.)
- Use a 3/4" flat brush and Leprechaun to paint the entire tree. Rinse brush.
- Use the same brush to dry-brush with Gold. Rinse brush.
- Using the clean eraser end of a pencil, separately dip into Lipstick, Lavender Fields, Chick, Flamingo, Coastal Waters, and Shrimp to add ornaments to the tree. (Wipe the eraser each time you switch colors.)
- Use scissors to cut ribbon of your choice. Hot glue it to the top of the tree. (It can either be used to hang the tree as an ornament or as the free-standing tree's tree topper.)
