These straw Christmas tree ornaments are SO CUTE — and they’re such a fun way to add a pop of colour to your holiday decor! Made with bright and festive paper straws, each little tree has its own charm. They’re lightweight, cheerful, and the perfect mix of crafty and Christmassy.
Kids and anyone who loves handmade ornaments will have a blast making these. With just a few simple supplies, you can whip up a whole forest of mini trees to hang on your Christmas tree, gift to friends, or use as festive decor. Follow our step-by-step tutorial and start crafting today!
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DIY Straw Christmas Tree Ornaments
Materials:
- Christmas patterned straws
- Drinking straws (green, or other plain colour)
- Twine
- Foam star sticker(s) (gold or silver)
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Cut the straw pieces
- Choose which straw you’d like to go at the bottom of the tree. Cut it to be 3-3/4 inches long.
- Cut the next straw to be 3-1/2 inches long (1/4 inch shorter than the first).
- Repeat until you have 13 straw pieces to make up your tree. Cut each section 1/4 inch shorter than the last. (Your top piece should be 3/4 inches long.)We used 4 different patterns of red straws, but you can also just use 1 pattern or colour if that’s what you have.
Step 3: Glue the straw tree together
- Add hot glue to one of the full length green straws, going down at least 1/3 of the way.
- Connect this straw to the other green straw, lining up the ends evenly.
- Add hot glue to the smallest straw piece you cut.
- Place it onto the green straws, right at the top. Center it so there’s an even amount sticking out on either side.(If you want to give your star tree topper more stability you can glue this at the top of the straws first.)
- Glue the next biggest straw about 1/8 inch below the first, making sure it’s also centered.
- Repeat, adding the rest of the straw pieces in order.
Step 4: Finish off the tree ornament
- Cut the green straws about 1 inch below the last horizontal straw.
- Add glue to the top of the green straws and attach a foam glitter star.
- Cut an 8 inch piece of twine.
- Tie a knot near the ends, creating a looped ornament hanger.
- Glue the knot to the back of the ornament, at the top of the green straws.
- Your straw Christmas tree ornament is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Cut multiple straws at once: If you’re making more than one ornament, cut one straw as a guide and then stack two or three straws together to cut. This will give you more uniform pieces.
- Use a silicone mat or parchment paper when gluing: Hot glue will pop right off these surfaces, and helps beginners keep things tidy.
How many straws do I need to make this Christmas tree ornament?
The exact amount of straws needed will depend on how long your straws are. The ones we used are 7-3/4 inches long.
No matter what, you’ll need 2 plain coloured straws for the base/trunk of the tree.
And for the tree branches you’ll need at least 4 patterned straws. If you want to use 4 different patterns of straws, like we did, you’ll need 5 patterned straws, with 2 of 1 type and 1 of the others.
(If you have enough extra straws, keep 2 of each pattern handy, in case you make a wrong cut.)
Do I have to use hot glue to make these straw Christmas tree ornaments?
We do recommend using hot glue, since it dries almost instantly and is therefore much better at keeping the straws in place. You can use tacky glue, but it’s a lot harder to deal with the moving pieces.
If you’re worried about working with a hot glue gun, we recommend a low temp or dual temperature glue gun. This works just as nicely, but doesn’t get as hot as a full heat gun, lowering the risk of burns.
What can I use as a tree topper for my straw ornament?
We used a glitter foam star sticker, but there are so many fun options! Here are a few ideas you can try:
- Cut your own star from cardstock or felt
- Attach a fun button
- Glue on an angel or star shaped bead
- Attach a wood cut-out star or angel
- Use a glitter pom pom
Making these straw Christmas tree ornaments is such a cheerful way to bring a handmade touch to the holidays. With their bright colours and playful patterns, each little tree looks so sweet hanging on the branches of your Christmas tree.
Whether you’re crafting with kids, decorating a classroom, or just enjoying a quiet moment of creativity, these ornaments add a fun pop of festive charm. Have fun making your own little forest of straw trees!
Here’s even more Christmas ornament ideas:
Ribbon Christmas Tree Ornament
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Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
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