Reclaimed Fence Board Project | Christmas Trees

Today, I will show you how easy it is to turn a few old reclaimed fence boards into adorable rustic Christmas trees. Let’s get started on this adorable Christmas DIY project!

Pinterest graphic with text overlay "reclaomed fence boards Christmas Trees ReinventedDelaware.com" with picket Christmas trees staged in the background

reclaimed wood projects

We all know by now that Cindy loves picket fences. We’ve made so many projects from these simple boards over the last few years. Signs, picket crates, pumpkins.

Some of these projects I have shared here on the blog, others I haven’t. Some we have made multiples of including the picket crates that our local customers love so much.

This is how the projects start. Hubby and I have taken apart so many picket fence sections that we’ve lost count. It’s back-breaking work but the results are amazing.

We always get the perfectly chippy white finish with these reclaimed fence boards.

three reclaimed picket fence boards leaning on a workbench

Let’s go over the supplies that you will need for this project.

list of supplies:

Here are some links for some of the items I listed above. Thanks for shopping through them – it helps us to continue to bring you fun projects at no additional cost!

step one: cut the fence board sections

The first step is to cut the reclaimed fence boards. I used the following measurements but don’t get too caught up in being exact with measurements.

The chop saw will come in handy for this DIY Christmas tree decoration. You can also use a hand saw.

  • picket sections: 15″, 13″ and 10″
  • picket (without top design) 12.5″
  • fence picket railing 11″ (that’s the part that runs horizontally and hold the pickets upright)

Once the five pieces were cut, I used my orbital sander on the edges to smooth them from the cuts.

The next step is to clean the sections. Reclaimed fence boards are dirty because they spend all of their time outside in the elements.

step two: clean the dirt

how to clean a reclaimed fence board

Dixie Belle has the best cleaner for tough jobs like mold and mildew. White Lightning is a strong cleaner, you only have to use a small amount for this stuff to do its magic!

I mixed it up according to the directions and then scrubbed the boards. Then I wiped them down with clear water.

close up shot of Dixie Belle White Lighning cleaner

step three: paint the wood

DIY Christmas home decor

Painting is always the fun part of any project, don’t you think? I used the paint I had on hand to get this project done. My Dixie Belle order hadn’t been delivered yet and I was too excited to get started to wait for it. Funny story about that in just a bit!

The reclaimed fence boards were mostly white and very chippy. Some of the raw wood was exposed too. So I mixed up some green and dark gray that I had on my paint shelf and used a dry brush technique to add some natural color to the pickets. I was going for a green tree look but I wanted some of the white to show to represent snow.

step four: decorate to your heart’s content!

When I was finished with the painting, I added red buttons from my button stash using E6000 to secure them. E6000 is seriously the best glue for projects like this. I glued all the buttons on and allowed all three picket sections to dry overnight.

The next morning, I attached the picket trees to the two sections I used for the base of the Christmas home decor piece.

step five: attach the fence sections

From the underside of the railing section, I pre-drilled the holes and then ran screws into the picket sections. BTW, I staggered the pickets to add some dimension.

fence board sections being attached to fence railings that are the base of the Christmas tree decoration

Next, it was time to add the very bottom section of the base. I decided to add this piece because it is wider than the railing section and would make the whole thing more sturdy.

Using the power drill, I pre-drilled the hole in the back and then used long screws to secure both base pieces together.

The bar clamp held everything steady on the workbench so both of my hands could be free. That bar clamp is the third hand that I so often need in the workshop!

Christmas tree trio made from reclaimed fence boards clamped to workbench for attaching to the main base

step six: be patient!

funny story about impatience

Remember I said I had a funny story about the paint earlier? I had finished the entire project and brought the Christmas tree piece into the house to grab some photos for you. I’m just snapping away having a merry old time with my camera and lo and behold the FedEx man pulls up in our driveway.

I watched as he set the Dixie Belle boxes on our front porch in dismay. If only I had waited one day I could have used the paint I ordered for this project!

But that didn’t stop me from using it! The green I chose for this project originally (before I became so impatient!) was Dixie Belle Collard Greens. It’s the perfect earthy green that I wanted for these trees!

close up shot of Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral paint in Collard Greens, a deep earthy green

So I put the camera away and grabbed a little artist’s paintbrush and brushed on the color I wanted in the first place! I got a little heavy-handed and needed to use a damp paper towel to wipe some of it back.

Collard Greens: the perfect earthy green

If you do this project or if you are looking for a gorgeous earthy green, Dixie Belle’s Collard Greens is perfect! You can use the link above to purchase any of the paint supplies you might need. I would suggest also purchasing a light color like Cotton so that you can have varying shades of green on the reclaimed fence board Christmas trees.

Aren’t they adorable??? I put them on our antique oak sideboard in our dining room and then grabbed some cut greenery from our yard.

step seven: enjoy your creation!

staged Christmas tree home decor piece sitting on top of vintage side board with ironstone, greenery, pine cones and lamp

I forgot to mention the “stars” on top of each tree. They are leftover button drawer pulls from another project that I spray painted with Rustoleum Pure Gold. Then I added a gold button and glued it onto the button drawer pull for a little shine.

close up of button decorations used as a star on a Christmas tree made from picket fence sections

You can see here how I staggered the trees to add some dimension to the whole piece. The red buttons add a bit of holiday cheer to the reclaimed fence board Christmas trees too.

side veiw of picket fence Christmas tree home decor piece with greenery, pine cones, glass milk bottles and small lamp sitting on top of side board

Maybe I haven’t mentioned it yet, but some of my blogging besties and I get together each month and share what we are working on. This time, we are each sharing projects with the theme of Christmas trees. You won’t want to miss the fun and easy projects they are sharing on their blogs. Tell them Cindy sent ya’ in the comments section of their posts!

blog hop with my friends

Some of my blogging friends are doing amazing things on their blogs this week! I’m sure you’re going to love each one!

graphic with blog hop info including generic images and text about participants

If you are coming over from Renae’s blog at Peacock Ridge Farms, thank you for coming!

If you are headed to the next stop on this blog hop, head over to Do’s blog – she has a fun project for you!

You can click each image below to head over to see their amazing projects!


Before you go, be sure to pin the image below to your Pinterest boards. While you are there, be sure to join our Pinterest journey!

Pin the image below to your home decor and furniture boards! Just click the pin button at the top left corner! Thank you ☺️

Pinterest graphic with text overlay "reclamed fence boards Christmas trees ReinventedDelaware.com" with picket Christmas trees in the background

I’m so glad you stopped by today for this unique take on Christmas trees! This is probably the first time you’ve seen someone reinvent reclaimed fence boards into Christmas trees! Be sure to tell me what you think in the comments below! I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for joining our journey!

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Until next time…

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26 Comments

  1. These little Christmas trees turned out so cute. I would have never thought of using fencing to make trees. You need to put these in your booth.

    1. Cynthia Gayle says:

      They are definitely going in my booth! Thanks, Tammy!

    2. These are so cute! I love the rustic look.

      Pinned!

  2. Oh, Cindy! I am a huge picket fence lover…I may have squealed when I saw these! So adorable! And I think I need Dixie Belle white lightenings in my life. You did a fabulous job, friend! So, creative!

    1. Cynthia Gayle says:

      Dixie Belle White Lightning is amazing – seriously the best cleaner I’ve used!!

  3. Cindy this is so cute! I love the old buttons, it reminds me of my grandmothers button box that we would dig out all the time to make things with. Pinned and sharing this wonderful project.

    1. Cynthia Gayle says:

      Old buttons are the best to dig around in! So glad this stirred a precious memory for you!

  4. Your hubby is like mine! The best! I looove buttons, so this is so cute! I used to go to this tiny store that had the cutest buttons ever. I never knew what to do with them since I don’t know how to even sew a button. Now I know!

    1. Cynthia Gayle says:

      Not all buttons need to be sewn, wink, wink! Thanks for stopping by Melba!

  5. You are so creative, Cindy! This is a wonderful way to create something beautiful out of something that usually would get thrown out.

    1. Cynthia Gayle says:

      Fence pickets are so useful! We have made so many home decor pieces with them! Thanks for stopping by Paula!

  6. What a great project! It turned out so lovely!

    1. Thanks Crystal! Pickets are so fun to work with! Thanks for stopping by!

  7. These are so creative, Cindy! I can’t believe it’s already time to start crafting for Christmas. Love these trees and I’m looking forward to all your holiday touches this year! Hugs, CoCo

    1. Thank you Coco! It does feel early to think about Christmas but it will be here before you know it! Happy Christmas crafting!

  8. These are so much fun! I love the collard greens color and the red buttons. What a great idea!

    1. Isn’t that green so gorgeous?? It’s full of earthiness – we love that don’t we?? Happy Christmas planning Stacey!

  9. I absolutely love your picket fence Christmas trees! I’m impatient too, Cindy, I probably wouldn’t have waited for the paint to arrive either! Pinned!

    1. Impatience must be a good thing! Thanks so much, Jayne! Happy Christmas crafting and upcycling!

  10. Rosemary Palmer says:

    A fence post was perfect for this, and never thought about it. Great job.

    1. Isn’t it a great use of discarded pickets?? Thanks for stopping by Rosemary!

    1. Thank you! I appreciate your encouragment!

  11. Cindy,
    I love these and plan to share a link on my Sunday, Dirt Road Adventures.

    1. Thank you so much, Rachel! I appreciate the share!