DIY Pottery Barn Dupe Christmas Tree

DIY Paint Stick Christmas Tree Decor // Part 1

12/19/2019

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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

Up to this point, we've always shared projects from start to finish, but not this one! We're showing the build here, but we are collaborating with our YouTube friend, Christina from Pretty Distressed, who will be sharing the finish.

Christina searched the internet and found a project from Pottery Barn's website to duplicate. It's a rustic Christmas tree that has been discontinued for many years. This is our interpretation of the design using readily available and inexpensive paint sticks.

Take a look at the video to see how it all came together!

Using the battery powered Makita miter saw to make angle cuts.

So many angles on this project! It took me a bit to figure out the top and bottom cuts. For the top cuts, the miter saw is set at 60 degrees and the bottom cuts are at 31.6. This was the first time I've cut angles so there were some learning bumps along the way! I love learning new things, especially when it involves successfully using scary power tools!

Tools/ Materials:

(2) 5 gal. Paint Stick (3-Pack) (Home Depot)
1 Gal. Paint Mixing Craft Sticks (10-Pack) (Home Depot)
1 in. x 1 in. x 36 in. Pine Square Dowel (Home Depot)
5/8 in. x 5/8 in. x 36 in. Hardwood Square Dowel (Home Depot)
(4) 1/4 x 2-1/2 hex cap screws and nuts (Home Depot)
RYOBI 18-Volt ONE+ Lithium-Ion Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit with (2) Batteries, 18-Volt Charger, and Bag (Home Depot)
RYOBI Multi-Material Drill and Drive Kit (60-Piece) (Home Depot)
Makita 15 Amp 10 in. Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser (Home Depot)
Surebonder 18-Volt Lithium Battery Standard Size Cordless Glue Gun (Home Depot)

Here is the cut list for the large paint sticks and wood dowels:
Large Paint Stick cuts starting from the top

(2) 7 5/8”
(2) 9 1/2”
(2) 10 3/4”
(2) 9 7/8”
(2) 5 3/4”
(2) 2 1/4”

5/8” Wood Dowel cuts starting from the top

(2) 7 5/8”
(2) 8 3/4”
(2) 9 1/4”
(2) 6 1/8”

Surebonder hot glue gun with construction adhesive.

Once I finished all the cuts, I started to assemble. I'm using hot glue construction adhesive. This has a stronger bond than regular hot glue. You can get it online at Surebonder.com. That green mat is silicone, also by Surebonder, that keeps the glue from sticking to the table top.

Time to construct the base which is made from a paint stick, 1" wood dowel and fastened with bolts and nuts. We are using bits from the Ryobi 60 PC Drilling and Driving Kit. This was actually the very first kit of this type that we purchased when we were first starting out. It's a great assortment of bits to have on hand.

Ryobi ONE+ 4 PC combo kit. A great Homeowner kit.

This is the drill that is included in the Ryobi ONE+ 4PC Combo Kit. Additionally, the kit includes: impact driver, reciprocating saw, led work light, 1.5ah battery, 4.0ah battery, a charger, and bag. Here's the cut list for the base: from 1” wood dowel cut two pieces 9 5/8”, from a large paint stick cut one piece 8 3/4”, and for the back support, cut a large paint stick to 17 1/4”.

Drilling holes in the Pottery Barn rustic tree knockoff.

After drilling holes into the first part of the base, I sandwiched all three pieces and drilled through the remaining pieces. Even though I was careful, The holes ended up being just a bit off! How does that happen?!

Using a Husky socket bit to tighten the Pottery Barn rustic dup Christmas tree. The bolts make the base removable for storage.

I found a socket bit that fit the nut and screwed these into place. (Note: this would have been much easier if I had the socket handle, but I didn't find that until later!--I wonder who didn't put it back in its place?!)

Glueing up the second Pottery Barn dup rustic tree that we made with paint sticks.

We made a second smaller tree from regular size paint sticks without the alternating wood dowels.

Here's the cut list for the smaller tree:
Small paint stick cuts starting from the top

(2) 5 7/8”
(2) 6 1/2”
(2) 7 1/2”
(2) 8 1/2”
(2) 6 1/2”
(2) 3 1/2"

I'm using wood glue here instead of hot glue to attach the pieces. The base was made in the same way as the one for the larger tree.

Here is the cut list for that:

(2) pieces 8” long cut from 1” wood dowel
(1) base support 8" long cut from large paint stick
(1) back support piece cut from large paint stick that is 11 7/8” long.

Pottery Barn inspired rustic Christmas trees with paint sticks.

All finished--we can't wait to see how Christina finishes these!

Look what you can make with paint sticks!

We glued a paint stick to the back of each tree for additional support.

Check out how Christina finished the Christmas Trees in the video above! We are so excited to see how these turned out and had so much fun working with Christina on this.

Check out her youtube channel and don't forget to subscribe to see more videos!

We acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with us to participate in the ProSpective 2019 Campaign. As a part of the Program, we are receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are our own words. Our post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

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