A charming freestanding porch tree: ten angled 2x4 tiers zigzagged between the front and back of the trunk so it reads as a full tree from both sides, a chunky gold star, and a weighted box base. Buy three 8 ft (96 in) 2x4 boards, not the 92-5/8 in precut studs, plus one 8 ft 2x8 board and one box of screws. About 2–3 hours of building, plus drying time between paint coats. Also have on hand (not in the shopping list or its total): 4 to 6 bricks or one sealed bag of sand to weight the box, a drop cloth and a few scrap strips for painting, 2 disposable cups for touch-up paint, and outdoor cord if the tree will stand in an exposed spot. This is a digital plan (a PDF download): nothing is shipped.
Before you buy anything, it helps to know three things: how big the finished build is, what you’ll bring home from the store, and how the assembly goes. Here they are for the Rustic Wooden Christmas Tree, straight from the plan.
How big is it?
The finished size is 24 × 15-1/2 × 51-1/4 in (61 × 39 × 130 cm), width × depth × height. Measure the spot where it will stand before you start.
What you’ll buy
The shopping list comes to about $80 at the prices we saw (Sep 27 – Oct 8, 2026). Prices change, so check your own store.
| Qty | What | At the prices we saw |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2x4 SPF, 8 ft | $12.75 |
| 1 | 2x8 SPF, 8 ft | $10.78 |
| 1 box | #9 x 2-1/2 in tan star flat-head deck screws | $10.97 |
| 1 | 3M Pro Grade Precision 9x11 in 120-grit medium sheets | $6.98 |
| 2 | Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X 12 oz gloss Hunter Green spray paint + primer | $15.08 |
| 1 | Rust-Oleum Universal 11 oz all-surface Metallic Pure Gold spray paint + primer | $9.40 |
| 2 | Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X 12 oz satin Clear spray | $13.96 |
The shopping list names what to buy; the cut list in the plan turns those boards and sheets into parts. Check both before your first cut.
Tools you need
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Level
- Miter saw
- Jigsaw
- Drill/driver
- Drill bits (1/8 in and 5/32 in for pilot holes)
- T25 star driver bit
- Bar clamps (at least 2, 24 in or longer)
- Sandpaper
- Small paintbrush
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Respirator or paint mask rated for spray paint
How the build goes
The plan has 16 steps, each with a drawing and the parts it uses. The plan’s own estimate is about 2–3 hours; treat it as an estimate.
- Cut the base boards and the star blank
- Cut the trunk and floor boards
- Cut the angled tier boards
- Lay out and cut the star
- Sand and paint the parts
- Build the box front, back and floor upside down
- Build the trunk flat
- Turn the box over and stand the trunk in it
- Close the box with the side walls
- Fit the bottom two tiers
- Fit the third and fourth tiers
- Fit the fifth and sixth tiers
- Fit the seventh and eighth tiers
- Fit the ninth and top tiers
- Top it with the star
- Touch up, add weight and set it out
Before you start
- Compare the shopping list with the stock sizes your store actually carries.
- Check every measurement against your own materials before cutting.
- Read the safety notes at the front of the plan and wear the protective gear it lists.
What the plan includes
- Preparation packet PDF (shopping list, cut list, tools), 9 pages
- Build guide PDF, 34 pages
- Preparation packet PDF, metric (mm) (shopping list, cut list, tools), 10 pages
- Build guide PDF, metric (mm), 34 pages
- Offline animated 3D build guide (ZIP; open guide.html in a web browser; guide-metric.html for mm)
It is a digital build plan: nothing physical ships. See the plan.
These plans are for planning and personal use. They are not engineered drawings and do not claim compliance with any building code. Check local rules and use your own judgment on site.
General planning guidance. Follow your chosen plan and tools’ instructions; ask about unclear dimensions or substitutions before cutting.