How to make a recycled pallet Christmas Tree

This article is sponsored by  New Leaf Energy.   I will be compensated for my time, but all opinions are my own.

 

I’m planning on a very shabby Christmas!  Y’all know how much I love me some shabby, and how much I love recycling. When I was approached about doing this article…it was just a natural fit.  Y’all know how much I love my recycled treasures!

 This was suppose to be a post to encourage your children to recycle…and teach them why they should….the impact that recycling can have.  I just did that very post on Monday…my recycled bottle poinsettias, and I also did one on LCI on Monday also using recycled paper towel rolls.  Both of these projects are perfect for kids’ projects and are WAY better than throwing all that plastic and paper away!  You know…the future is in there little hands….that’s a pretty big and important job!  Let’s educate them as well as we can.  By liking my sponsors’ Facebook page, you will have access to more knowledge to give to your young environmentalist! 😀

Today is also a recycle project…just not so much of a childrens’ project.  That said, it sure could still teach them about the importance of recycling and helping to save our environment.  With the plastic, it’s so important that they understand that it NEVER leaves the earth from a landfill….and it’s so dangerous for our wildlife.

I have been really behind this Christmas, and I really haven’t had time to put up my Christmas tree.  I have so very little room in this little cottage, and that got me to thinking about just using a space saving tree…kinda like the Christmas tree that my daughter and grandson made…that is also environmentally friendly and fun for kids!  Here’s where my little strange mind went….Pallets.  You can find them in every alley.  I really hate that many times, when they have done their job…they get thrown into a burn pile.  Well….there is one less on this earth to get burned.

There are several elements to this project that are coming up in other articles….the shabby ornament, the shabby Christmas wreath…That will be  Live Creatively Inspired on Monday ( That is a DON’T miss article…it’s just adorable…and cost next to NOTHING!), and the shabby paint technique for painting my tree.  Today…we’re gonna cover building it.

Hey…before we start….Did you know…New leaf energy will plant a tree for EVERY SINGLE one of y’all that clicks through this article and like them on Facebook!  How cool is that?  So…a tree…for trees! woot!  So…do that now…and then come back…and let’s build this bugger! 

New Leaf Energy on Facebook

 

Yep….we’ll build this darling star later too…and every stinkin’ bit of these projects are recycle projects! WOOT! LOL Okay…so now that you’re back from Facebook….let’s do this! First…find you a pallet. Cut a basic tree shape in your pallet…leaving the main 2×4 up the center….It’s a basic triangle from the top, center down as far as you’d like.  I took several levels off….and left the trunk or 2×4 showing for the trunk.

See how all the cross members line up?  Now cut in and up to give it more of a Tree appearance.

You would cut along the red lines. Now…decide how “lit up” you want your tree.  I chose to use two strands of lights that had 100 lights each….now…I didn’t, and most likely you won’t either, use all the lights…just because  of room…and the distance between lights.  Find a drill bit that is just a bit bigger than you lights…but smaller than the socket.

See how it’s just slightly smaller that the socket of the light….That way the light will fit snugly into the holes…however, if you have to drill it a bit too big….you can always use painters’ tape and secure them in the back. Figure the amount of holes you need…and space them out around the tree….remember, if you have too much distance between holes…this will not allow all of your lights to be used.  No matter how hard you work at this…there are going to be lights that just wont work…so take this into account.  Remember that you can always drill more holes later if you need.  So my suggestion is.  If your lights have 100 bulbs….figure around 75 holes…etc.  😀  Once you have your holes drilled…flip your tree over, back side facing up.  Take your drill bit and roll it around just a tiny bit in the back of the holes…to widen then just a touch for the socket to go in slightly.

See how the holes look a little wallowed out?  That’s what you want in the back of the tree. If you’ll notice, I painted my tree before I drilled holes…It doesn’t matter…lol  I’m just saying…I painted mine first.  BUT…you do want to paint it before installing the lights! 😀  OH….DON’T throw that sawdust away…I have an idea for that…Did you really expect anything different?

Once your lights are in…decorate the way you like…I decided to keep mine really simple.  I added some upholstery strapping, and my little rustic start….another project for later! 😀

I also decided to add a single shabby ornament….I’m also showing you how to make that pretty quick too!

Then I leaned it all against my shabby door, and added a few little goodies.

Here’s a little peek at the details of that shabby wreath I eluded to!

I love these old rusty hooks.  I have a collection of them…and they are just perfect at Christmas for holding wreaths and stockings…or just hangin’ out, lookin’ cool.

This smaller hook is just right for holding my wreath!

Did you go click on that Facebook page for New Leaf Energy?   GO…get that tree planted…what a cool campaign!! 

Again, I am being compensated for my article, but the opinions expressed within this article are my own.