fbpx

The Junk Parlor

DIY Twine or Ribbon Trees | Perfect Christmas DIY

This post is actually about two different 25 Days of Christmas DIY projects!! Learn how to make DIY twine or ribbon Christmas trees with me! These two projects were so similar, that I put them together for this tutorial. If you make a twine tree or a ribbon tree, I will warn you, it is time-consuming. Sit down with a drink and some good music or in front of the TV and enjoy!

tree made with loops of twine.

Want to DIY with Me? Click the buttons below to watch!

Supplies

  • Twine or ribbon
  • Hot glue gun & glue -or- straight pins
  • Cone (make your own or use a styrofoam cone)
  • Scissors

This project was definitely a learning experience, but when I get an idea I want to implement it! Keep reading to find out the tips and tricks I learned the hard way!

Twine or Ribbon

What you choose just depends on the look you are going for! The twine will give a little more of a rustic natural feel, whereas if you use ribbon, you have so many options for color and texture. The “branches” of the tree will also look much more delicate with the twine.

I knew I wanted to make a twine tree because of the insane amount of twine that I have! You might remember a few of my other twine projects; the DIY Twine Easter Eggs or the DIY Twine Carrots. Both of those were also done with twine from my stash. For this project, I picked the thickest twine that I had available. 

The ribbon I used was a burgundy color that I had leftover in my stash from a previous project. I was able to find more at my local Walmart. I love how this color looks with junk! 

Cone

I made the cone for the twine tree from poster paper because I like to spend as little as possible on craft supplies! You could also use thin cardboard, like an old cereal box to create your own cone. For the ribbon tree, I used a styrofoam cone so I could poke in straight pins to secure the ribbon. 

Did you know that I thrift many of my craft supplies? Read about one of some of my Thrifting Tips & Finds!

Process

Preparing the Cone

If you are using twine, you might want to wrap the cone before you begin. Since the twine is so thin, you can see through to the cone. If you want a more polished look with the twine tree, wrapping the cone with some burlap ribbon beforehand would definitely be recommended! 

If you are using ribbon, I would recommend wrapping the bottom portion of the cone, since the ribbon won’t overlap and cover that area as well as it does on the rest of the tree. Just use one strip of ribbon to go around the bottom of the cone!

Preparing the Twine or Ribbon

After your cone is prepped, you need to prep your ribbon or twine. Cut one chunk of ribbon or twine and use that to measure off of. To make this process go faster, I like to loop it in my hand and then cut through the loops. It isn’t a totally perfect method, but it is close enough for me! My sections of twine were approximately four inches long if I had to guess.

Assembling the Tree

This next part of the project is where it gets tedious. This isn’t difficult, but it is definitely time-consuming. When I made mine, I would cut a bundle of twine or ribbon and then glue/pin and then cut another bundle and glue/pin just to give my fingers a break. I know that I cut my ribbon into approximately four-inch strips if you need a general idea!

To start your first layer, you will want to line up with the bottom of the cone and then work upwards. If you want, you can use a ruler to make marks to keep your rows of twine/ribbon evenly spaced.

For the twine, I attached it with hot glue. To attach, I would pinch the twine together in a “U” shape and then add a dab of glue at the top. You will want to hold it in place while it sets. You also want the ends of the twine to be close together for gluing. If I did this project using twine again, I would definitely have overlapped more between the layers.

To add the ribbon to the cone, I put the two cut ends together to create a loop. I stacked one end on top of the other. I secured each section of ribbon to the styrofoam cone with a straight pin.

Finishing it Off

For either the twine tree or the ribbon tree, you could do a tree topper if you want. A bell or a mini pine cone, maybe an ornament. This project is great to set out all winter long because it is super neutral!

Twine Christmas Tree

A DIY tabletop twine Christmas tree that is the perfect addition to your winter/holiday decor.
Total Time1 hour
Course: Craft
Cost: $15

Materials

  • cone (styrofoam or cardboard)
  • twine
  • scissors
  • hot glue gun & hot glue
  • topper (optional)

Instructions

  • Take your cone and wrap it in burlap that is as close in color as you can find to your twine.
  • Cut twine into sections.
  • Pinch the ends of your twine sections together, creating a “U” shape.
  • Starting by lining the bottom of the “U” up with the bottom of the tree, hot glue the pinched ends of your twine section to the tree.
  • Repeat, creating rows as you work up your tree.

Ribbon Christmas Tree

A DIY tabletop ribbon Christmas tree that is the perfect addition to your winter/holiday decor.
Total Time1 hour
Course: Craft
Cost: $20

Materials

  • cone (styrofoam or cardboard)
  • ribbon
  • scissors
  • straight pins (hot glue will also work)
  • topper (optional)

Instructions

  • Wrap the bottom section of your cone with the ribbon you are using.
  • Cut ribbon into four inch sections.
  • Take a ribbon section and stack ends together, using a straight pin to secure it to the tree.
  • Repeat, creating rows as you work up your tree.

There are only a few more DIY projects left leading up to Christmas! Be sure to catch them live on Facebook, and check out past projects here on the blog! If you want another tree-making project, check out these DIY Wool Trees, or this Paper Stack Tree.

To see more of my DIY projects, show & tells from my picks, and my home check out my Youtube channel!

This post may contain affiliate links for the products I use and recommend. I am not paid to promote these products. If you purchase using my affiliate links, I could make a small commission at no charge to you.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hi, I’m Brooke. Welcome to The Junk Parlor.

Get my 5 Favorite Cleaning Supplies for Your Junk.

* indicates required
Categories

My Favorite Cleaning Supplies

* indicates required