Print off the free Christmas tree string art template (find the link in the list of supplies above!).Cut out the shape roughly, leaving a small border outside of the shape.
Tape the Christmas tree to the center of your wood board to keep it in place.You can use plain wood, or stain your wood ahead of time like we did.
Step 3: Hammer in the nails and remove the template
Hammer in the nails around the outside of the Christmas tree so they're sticking out about 1/2 inch above the wood.If you're using the template, add the nails on the marked spots. Otherwise, add nails every 1/2 to 3/4 inch, keeping them a fairly even distance apart.
Continue, adding nails all around the outside of the Christmas tree, star and tree trunk.Make any final adjustments, checking that the nails are fairly straight and evenly hammered into the wood.
Rip off the Christmas tree template from the board. Try to remove as much of the paper as possible.Use tweezers to pull out any small pieces that remain.
Step 4: Add the string lights
Start winding the battery operated LED string lights approximately 12 inches from the battery pack. (Make sure there's enough cord to hide the battery pack behind the board). You don't want to start winding from the very end of the string lights because it's hard to predict where the lights will end.
Wind the lights around a nail at the base of the tree. For our string art, we chose to cover the tree only, leaving the trunk and star unlit.
Bring the lights across the tree, going back and forth horizontally.
Take the lights to the top of the tree and then zig zag back and forth in different directions, covering the tree until you run out of lights.Tuck the end of the lights between other strands to keep it in place.
Step 5: Add string to the Christmas tree trunk
Start by tying the brown embroidery floss to one of the bottom nails in a double knot.Leave 1 to 2 inches of string on the end.
Begin weaving the string around the trunk, going back and forth between nails.
Continue adding the brown string until you've made a few layers and the trunk is well covered.
Step 6: Add a border to the tree trunk
Begin making a border by going around the outside of the trunk.Go counterclockwise around the trunk, wrapping the thread counterclockwise around each nail as you go.
Once the whole trunk has an outside border, go back around the trunk in a clockwise direction on the inside of the nail.Continue to wrap the string counterclockwise around each nail as you go.
Once you've finished the border, tie the string to the starter thread in a double knot.
Cut off the excess string.
Step 7: Add green string to the tree
Now we're going to cover the tree with green embroidery floss.Tie the green string to one of the outside nails at the bottom of the tree. Again, leave an inch or two extra at the end.
Weave the string back and forth, going up the tree just like you did with the lights. You may want to loop the string around the nails in some places to keep the string in place.
Begin weaving back and forth across the tree.Go over sections, overlapping the previous thread as you go from side to side at different angles, creating a few layers of string.
Continue going across the tree with green until your whole skein is used up. Try to end where you began and tie the last bit of string to the starting thread.
As you add more thread you'll need to push down on the string and the lights to make room for more layers of string.
Step 7: Use more green string to cover the tree
Tie a new piece of string onto the tree and continue going back and forth across the tree until you're happy with how it looks.
Make a border around the tree, just like you did with the trunk. Remember to go around both the inside and outside of the nails.
Turn on the lights to check that you're happy with the lights-to-string ratio and how the string art tree looks.
Add more string if you'd like. Then tie off and cut the string.
Step 8: Add string to the star
Tie a metallic gold or yellow string to the top nail of the star, leaving a tail. Wind the string around the nails making up the star, going back and forth.
Make a border around the star, again on the inside and outside of the nails like on the tree and trunk.
If you see any gaps, go back and forth across the star a few more times. Then tie off the string at the top.
Trim off any excess string by the knots, on the star, tree, and trunk.