I am yet to come across a person who isn’t a fan of wood and Christmas and who isn’t eco-conscious. Combining this perfect combination, I thought of making a DIY project – something that would be made of wood, be eco-friendly to the core, and a utility for Christmas.

In the holiday season, when just all of us are looking to take home (or build) a Christmas tree, this idea of a reclaimed Christmas tree may not sound extraordinary. But thanks to skillful design features added by this friend of mine, who handyman New York, this tree has become more festive. A reason you must read on for the build, and try one yourself.

The beginning

When I got the idea of a reclaimed Christmas tree across to my Handyman NYC he asked me to collect some pallets. I reached out a local retailer and picked up some old pallets of size 4×4 and 6×4. Both were different in appearance, while the smaller one was fairly new, the second one was weathered.

Since the pallets were picked up in raw state, the nails has to be pulled out from it and the planks need to be separated from the constructed structure. Pulling off the nails with assistance from my friend was piece of cake. And in no time we had the planks all piled one over the other. It was now we decided that a total of 30 pieces of different size would be required for our Christmas tree.

Picking up stuff for the build

Next up, I spent a few bucks to get home a 5 feet long (size can vary) pipe of ¾-inch width. This would work as the truck of our tree. The handyman Manhattan guy had in the time being found a stable log which would function as the base of our Christmas tree. The fellow drilled a hole (down to almost the bottom) in the center of the log (in upright position). The hole was made to fit the pole perfect within it. To make the pole stand solid and straight in place, we pounded pieces of wood alongside the pole.

Building the tree

Now, that the base and the truck of the tree was ready; time was right to work on the branches. Yes, for the branches we went back to the planks we had separated from the pallet. The idea was to drill holes (across the planks) close to one of its ends. The holes were made so that the conduit used for the truck can pass through it easily yet the planks remain stable. When you begin to place the branches (5-7 on each layer), make sure you place them large to small, from bottom to top. This will give the tree more stability and the tree will get its ideal conical shape. Between layers of branches, we placed cut pieces from the pallets so that the branches had space for the air to pass through them.

So, there your Christmas tree is ready; but what is a Christmas tree without rusted metal ornaments, lights and lots of snowflakes. We picked up old fashioned 25 bulbs with thing cord. Being an efficient electrician, my handyman friend connected all the small bulbs with the wire and fixed a socket at one end of it. Next up he added some metal ornaments, which gave the Christmas tree a more festive look.

Finally, I plucked some cotton flakes, and glued them to the branches most decoratively to give the tree a Christmas feel. If you have liked the idea, you still have days at hand to build one yourself this Christmas.