It all began with Pinterest. Last November, I kept stumbling upon stunning Christmas tree villages that looked both creative and magical.
At first, I thought it was beyond my DIY skills, but after seeing my friend share her version, I was inspired. She insisted it wasn’t as hard as it seemed, so I decided to give it a shot.
A weekend later, I had my own enchanting Christmas tree village that became the centerpiece of my holiday décor. Here’s how you can make yours too!
Materials You’ll Need
1. Wood and Tools:
- 5 Plywood circles (½-inch thick): Base (36-inch diameter), Second tier (30-inch diameter), Third tier (24-inch diameter), Fourth tier (18-inch diameter), Top tier (12-inch diameter)
- 1 Wooden post: 5 feet tall, 3 inches thick
- Brackets and screws: Around 10 to secure the tiers
- Drill and drill bits
- Circular saw or jigsaw
- Sandpaper
2. Decorations:
- Green garlands: Around 50 feet
- Fairy lights: About 100 feet
- Artificial snow or white batting: 1-2 bags for layering the tiers
- Christmas village figurines: 10 Mini houses (3-5 inches tall, battery-operated), 15-20 Trees (4-8 inches tall), 10-15 Figurines (Santa, carolers, snowmen, and ice skaters), 1 Church, small accessories (Benches, street lamps, snow-covered fences, and tiny animals)
- Optional: Snowman or star topper, dangling ornaments, or ribbons to personalize your tree further
Step-by-step Building A Christmas Tree Village
Step 1: Planning the Design
Before I began, I sketched the plan. I decided on five circular shelves for a tiered look, with each one decreasing in size as it went up. This would make space for the decorations while maintaining the tree-like structure.
Step 2: Cutting the Wooden Circles
Using a circular saw, I cut out the five circles according to the measurements. To get perfect circles, I used a DIY compass made from a wooden strip and a screw as a pivot. After cutting, I sanded the edges to ensure they were smooth and safe to handle.
Step 3: Assembling the Structure
Drill a center hole in each circle, slightly larger than the wooden post. Start with the largest circle at the base, secure it to the post with brackets, and repeat with the smaller tiers, using wooden blocks as spacers to maintain even gaps.
Step 4: Wrapping the Tree in Garland
Wrap each tier with green garlands to mimic branches. I secured mine with staples, but you could use a glue gun. Work from the bottom up, ensuring the garland is evenly distributed.
Step 5: Decorating the Village
You add decorations layer by layer. For the base tier or the largest one, you lay 4-5 mini houses with lights, 5-7 trees (varying heights), artificial snow spread evenly and small accents like fences, snowmen, and animals.
For the second tier, 3 mini houses, 5 trees, 4 figurines like Santa, carolers, or reindeer are enough. Next, on the third tier, you need 2 mini houses, 3-4 trees, 3 figurines, such as ice skaters or kids playing.
Similarly, you lay 1 mini church as the focal point, 3 trees, 2-3 figurines like a snowman or holiday carolers on the fourth tier.
On the top tier, you just need 1 snowman topper, small trees for accent, then arrange the items evenly across each tier for a balanced look.
Step 6: Adding Lights and Final Touches
You can wrap fairy lights around the garlands for a warm glow. Use battery-operated lights for the houses to avoid messy wires.
Finally, add a snowman or star topper and some dangling ornaments for a festive finish.
