The countdown to Christmas is on! If you are looking for some great last minute Christmas decor ideas to make this tutorial is just what you need. This post is going to give you step by step instructions to make your own hand painted wooden crate for Christmas.
This wooden Christmas craft is the perfect addition to your holiday home decor, and you can personalize it to your style. It also allows you to customize the crate with your last name as a unique touch.
Supplies needed to make this hand painted wooden Christmas crate
Here are all of the supplies you need to make your own wooden Christmas crate.
- Raw wooden crate
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Christmas tree paint stencil
- Letter paint stencils (optional)
- Sandpaper (Optional)
Steps to make a hand painted wooden Christmas crate
Now that you’ve gathered your materials, let’s get into the step by step instructions to make this wooden crate for holiday home decor.
1. Paint the base color
The first step to make this wooden crate for Christmas is to paint the base. Lay down some newspaper or something you don’t mind getting paint on. Then select your paint – this can be any color you want, to follow the example in the photo we used a winter white.
After you paint a first coat, use your judgment to see if it requires a second coat. Then, set the wooden crate aside to dry.
2. Use sandpaper to distress the paint
The next step is optional, but if you love the rustic home decor aesthetic this is a great paint technique. Once your base color is dry, take some sandpaper and run it over the wood. You can apply as little or as much of this technique as you want.
The more you use the sandpaper, the more distressed the crate will look. You can always go slowly and see how you like it because it’s always easier to distress it more than take it back.
3. Paint the words on to your crate
The next step to make this hand painted wooden crate for Christmas is to paint the words. To recreate the photo, add “[Last name] Family Tree Farm”.
You can paint the words freehand or using letter stencils – whatever you are most comfortable with. Even if you plan to freehand, I recommend using a pencil to outline where you want the letters to go so that you can make adjustments as needed before using the paint.
For visual interest, using a mix of fonts can be fun. In the example in the photo, I used a cursive script for the last name and print for the word “family”. To make the crate look more authentic, I used block lettering for the words “tree farm” to give it the look of something that was stamped on to a crate for shipping.
Once you paint the words, set the crate aside to dry. If you used a pencil to outline the letters, go back in once dry to erase any remaining marks.
4. Paint a tree on the crate
The last finishing touch to make your hand painted wooden crate for Christmas is to paint an evergreen tree. Again, you can freehand this or use a stencil. While I decided to free hand the words, I used a stencil for the tree.
Place the stencil where you want it to be on the crate and secure it with tape. To get clean lines, you’ll want to ensure the stencil is tight against the surface. Paint inside the stencil then remove while the paint is still wet.
Set aside to dry again. Lastly, go in and and make any final edits if needed.
Now your hand painted wooden crate for Christmas is ready to go!
Now that your wooden Christmas crate is finished, it’s time to add it to your holiday decor. You can put this next to your fireplace, by your Christmas tree, or even your front porch!
Ideas to fill your wooden crate for Christmas:
There are tons of different things you can put in your wooden crate to set your holiday decor on point. Here are some ideas:
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Pinecones
- Tree branches
- Holiday candy
- Snacks
- Poinsettias
- Wood logs
- Presents
Comment below if you make this craft and let us know how it turns out!