How to Make Keepsake Christmas Ornaments from Your Christmas Tree Stump

The holidays are all about making and enjoying memories. Almost every ornament on our Christmas trees hold a personal meaning, which we revisit as we hang it on the limbs of our carefully selected evergreen. This year, why not start a new tradition?

Rustic Christmas looks are in right now, from buffalo plaid to snowy campground décor. This project is an easy but meaningful way to participate in the trend.

If your family has a natural tree, one fantastic idea is to make a tree stump ornament that you add the year to, out of each year’s tree. Now, this can either be done at the end of the season when you’re getting ready to discard your tree, or with a little foresight and planning, trim a piece before you decorate it!

If you go to a Christmas tree farm or lot to pick out your specimen, ask them to cut a few extra slices off the bottom of the trunk. This provides you with rounds of wood that you can craft into new keepsakes.

If you do it yourself either before or after, cut a 6″ piece of the stump off and bring it indoors to dry out. Once it was nice and dry, carefully cut it into a few slices, about 1/2″ thick.

When you have your pieces ready, the fun begins. All you need to do now is decide what you’ll add to your ornaments to make them special. Maybe one for the year and one for any significant milestone your family marked that year? It can be anything special to you: a wedding, engagement, graduation, birth, new home, pet, promotion, or travel! The possibilities are endless.

What you’ll need:
A tree stump/wood round
Fine tip Sharpie, paint, photos, or any other decoration you dream up!
Wood stain or Mod Podge
Drill & drill bit
Twine

Decorating your wood slice can be done just about any way you want. You can hand sketch a design in pencil, then finish it with a sharpie. You could also use a wood paint, or even apply a photo to it before you seal it.

Once you’re happy with the design on the wood slice, seal it with a wood stain or Mod Podge. Completely cover the slice in your sealant and let it dry.

Finally, drill a hole through the slice and tie a loop of twine through it so it can hang on the tree.

Admire for years to come!