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Make yourself a Christmas tree – free templates
Now it’s time for Christmas crafts!
If you’re planning to make Christmas crafts at home or work, I’ve made templates and gathered instructions for you.
You’ll find three free Christmas tree templates in varying difficulty levels here.
And you can choose between shades of green and white.
It’s an easy Christmas craft for all ages.
You can go directly to:
- Christmas craft day
- Classic Christmas tree
- Alternative materials?
- Print Christmas Trees for Hanging
- Instructions: How to make a Christmas tree decoration
Christmas craft day
In Denmark we have a long tradition for Christmas crafting.
At the beginning of December, children make Christmas decorations for their classrooms and their schools.
We call it “klippe-klistre-dag” and it translate to something like “cut-glue-day”.
Most people in Denmark have participated in a Christmas craft day at daycare, school, or work.
At school, the students get aebleskiver or Christmas cookies while they craft.
But it’s even cosier to make Christmas decorations together with family and/or friends.
Then we eat aebleskiver, Christmas cookies and drink hot gløgg.
We hygger – are having a good time crafting, eating and drinking.
If you’re planning a Christmas craft day, you can find more ideas for crafts here (in Danish), and some are listed below:
Most of my Christmas instructions are in Danish – Sorry – ask if you need them translated, I’ll try to do it as fast as possible.
In the meantime, you can use Google Translate – it is a plugin.
Use the templates you find here.
You can find templates and ideas in English:
- How to make a Froebel star – a classic Danish Christmas decoration
- The paper cone – a Danish Christmas decoration
- Danish Christmas hearts – find more Christmas Heart templates in Danish – photo instructions
Remember to pin your favourite Christmas decorations on Pinterest for next year.
Classic Christmas Tree
These hanging Christmas trees with a cutout centre are inspired by decorations my mum made when I was younger.
She hangs them in the windows every year – it’s a part of our Christmas tradition.
Her trees are classic, made from green cardboard with a red heart in the middle.
My mum’s trees don’t exist as templates.
So, here’s my take on her classic Christmas decorations.
Other Materials
If you are making the classic Christmas tree, you can print it on thin cardstock or thick paper. Use white cardstock to use the colours from the PDF file.
Template
You can create your tree in any material if you have a template.
You might have coloured cardstock, thick watercolour paper, or another thicker material that cannot go in the printer.
When creating a template, print the tree on the thickest cardstock possible or copy paper and glue it onto thick cardstock or cardboard.
Cut out the tree so you have a template to trace around.
Cut it out
When you want to cut the Christmas tree out, you can use a scissor – or craft knife/scalpel if you have thick paper or cardstock.
You do not need to cut the hole in the centre out if you don’t want to.
You can cut the trees from different colours of paper or cardstock and arrange them in small groups in the window.
And you can decorate them with snow or Christmas decorations.
Decorate – optional
If you want to decorate your Christmas tree, you can do so before or after cutting it out.
If you want to make a classic Christmas tree with ornaments and gifts, wait to decorate until the tree is cut out.
You can use coloured, patterned, glossy, metallic paper or foil to create a Christmas star, baubles, Christmas lights, and other decorations.
You can also decorate the tree with colours, markers, paint, cutouts from magazines or scrap paper, washi tape, glitter, glitter glue, beads, sequins, and pompoms…
If you cut out the hole in the centre of the tree, you can use one of the elements in the PDF file.
You can also cut your shapes from different materials – for example, gold foil.
Or you can make a small Christmas star or a small Christmas heart for a different look.
Using watercolour paper, you can paint the tree in various shades of green and decorate your Christmas tree.
Hanging
If you want to hang the trees freely in the air, you can do it in several ways.
You may need to glue two trees together using thick paper or very thin cardstock.
Start by making a loop of sewing thread, which you glue between the two trees.
If you use decorations, make one end of the thread long enough to reach down into the hole in the centre and tie a small knot.
The knot is to secure the decoration that you glue around the thread.
You do not need to glue the trees together using thicker cardstock or other heavy materials.
You can instead use a needle to sew thread through the top of the tree and the decoration in the hole in the centre.
One of the fir trees has a circle with a heart in the centre.
You can cut the two pieces out so that only the coloured elements are left. Then, you can create a mini mobile by sewing the pieces together with thread before sewing the circle onto the tree’s centre.
If you hang the tree on the wall, you do not need to worry much about the back.
You can also print the Christmas trees on thinner paper and decorate them with lightweight materials.
Print Christmas Trees for hanging
You are welcome to use the templates now that you’ll do some Christmas crafting.
It is free for you as a private person to use the instructions, prints, and templates I provide on Danish Things.
So, you can make as many Christmas trees as you need for personal use.
I own the copyright on the text, templates, images, etc., so contact me if you need to use them in other contexts.
If you are a teacher or educator or work with children in any other way, you are welcome to use the materials in school contexts; remember to link to Danish Things – danishthings.com.
Also, please report any copying and printing from danishthings.com to Copydan Tekst & Node.
Copying from Danish Things is only permitted in institutions with an agreement with Copydan and within the framework specified in the contract.
Find the Christmas trees you want to print – there are three green trees and three white trees – the new ones are in A4 and the old ones in A3.
You can print the Christmas trees by clicking on the image of one of the fir trees or the link below; both lead to Google Drive, where you can print.
How to make a Christmas tree decoration
Make yourself a Christmas tree – free templates
Equipment
- Scissors - or a craft knife/scalpel if you have thick paper or cardstock
- Sewing thread and needle - for hanging trees and for decorations
- Optional: a glue stick - if you want to decorate the Christmas tree
Materials
- A print with a Christmas tree
- Thin cardstock, thick paper, or copy paper and thick cardstock
Other materials – optional
- Coloured paper or watercolour paper
- Gold paper, gold cardstock, silver cardstock, other metallic cardstock, or metal foil
- Colouring pencils, crayons, markers, paint, watercolours…
- Glitter, sequins, glitter glue
- Washi tape, decorative tape, and other paper tape
- Pompoms
- …
Instructions
- Print the Christmas tree on thin cardstock, thick paper, or watercolour paper. Alternatively, print on copy paper and glue it onto thick cardstock.
Decorate – optional
- You can decorate your Christmas tree with colours, cutouts, paper tape, etc., or wait to decorate until the tree is cut out.
Cut
- Cut out the Christmas tree. If using thick paper or cardstock, use a craft knife or scalpel. You can also cut out the hole in the centre, but it is unnecessary.
- You can cut the trees from different colours of paper or cardstock and arrange them in small groups in the window. You can decorate them with snow or Christmas decorations.
Hang
- If you want to hang the trees freely in the air, you can do it in several ways.You may need to glue two trees together using thick paper or very thin cardstock.Start by making a loop of sewing thread, which you glue between the two trees.If you use decorations, make one end of the thread long enough to reach down into the hole in the centre and tie a small knot.The knot is to secure the decoration that you glue around the thread.You do not need to glue the trees together using thicker cardstock or other heavy materials.You can instead use a needle to sew thread through the top of the tree and the decoration in the hole in the centre.
Template
- If you want to make your Christmas tree from another material, use the print as a template. Print the tree on the thickest cardstock possible or glue your print onto cardboard. Cut out the tree so you have a template to trace around. You can then create your Christmas tree from any material.
Notes
Private notes
I would love to see how you use these templates!
If you decide to make Christmas trees, share your photos on Instagram using the hashtag #DanishThings or tag me @danish.things.
Your creativity can inspire others – and help spread the joy of crafting during the holiday season.
Happy crafting and Merry Christmas!
