Trim tree

Determine the desired height of your tree. We made ours 5' tall so we started by cutting a 5' tall "tree trunk" out of a 2x4. We cut our 2x4 to length using a Dremel Saw-Max, a SM600 Wood and Plastic Flush-Cutting Wheel and a 2x4 Cutting Guide. Tip: Place the guide near your measurement marks. Leave about an 1/8 inch between the guide and line to accommodate for the kerf of the wheel and its slight offset. Clamp the guide in place. Make your first pass, then flip the board over to complete the cut all the way through the 2x4 on your second pass.

Next, create your tree branches out of trim. You can space the branches as tightly together as you’d like, you just need to cut more branches! We decided to create 5 branches so we measured and marked 5 different lengths of trim, each decreasing by about 6" to 8" in length to create the tapered effect of a pine tree.

Once you have determined the width you would like your branches to be, cut them using a Dremel Saw-Max, a SM600 Wood and Plastic Flush-Cutting wheel and a Miter Guide. Tip: Place the angled edge of the guide next to your intended cut line. Now, slide the guide back just slightly, leaving 1/8" of space between your intended cut and the guide to account for the offset of the blade. Clamp the guide down and make your cut.

Using a hammer and finishing nails, secure each branch into place.

Next, we decided to add embellishment to the top of our tree by creating a star topper. First, we traced the star design on a piece of 1/2" plywood. Next, we clamped our plywood to our workbench and used a Dremel SM500 Wood and Plastic wheel to cut along the outline.

Using a Dremel Multi-Max and Wood Sanding Paper, we added a nice, smooth finish to the cut-out.

Paint any embellishments and allow to dry completely before securing to the tree.

There are several ways to mount the tree to your wall. Our tree was light enough to hang using one picture frame hook.