How to Make a Backlit Wooden Christmas Tree

Sketch Design

Since there are many different styles of Christmas tree silhouettes, it's important to first decide on the overall direction best fit for your interior or exterior space. Use a pencil to sketch silhouette onto paper.

Sand Plywood

Smooth front and back surfaces of plywood using palm sander.

Trace Silhouette

Referring to sketch, and with plywood laid out along a flat, level surface, use pencil to trace silhouette directly to plywood.

Cut With Jigsaw, Then Sand Edges

Place traced plywood directly onto sawhorses to ensure a stable, level work surface. With jigsaw plugged into extension cord, cut out tree silhouette using the tracing as a guide. Use palm sander to smooth edges of plywood.

Add Paint

Position plywood silhouette on top of a drop cloth, then use paint roller to add two solid coats to surface. Allow approximately 1 hour dry time between each coat. Next turn plywood over and paint opposite side. Once opposite side is dry, add two coats of paint to the edges.

Attach C-Hooks

On the back side of the tree silhouette, add C-hooks around the perimeter roughly 2 inches in from the edge.

Add Stake and Lights

Insert 2X4" pressure-treated lumber into the ground, creating a stake. Next, hold tree silhouette up so that the back of the silhouette is flush with the front of the 2X4" stake. Add 2-3 exterior screws through the back of the stake and into the plywood tree silhouette using drill. Using the C-hooks, attach twinkle lights around the perimeter of the back of the tree silhouette. Plug twinkle lights into extension cord, then into exterior outlet. This effect should create a strong glow around the back of the tree silhouette; however, if the glow is not dramatic enough from a distance, consider using a freestanding indoor/outdoor plug-in spotlight in place of or in addition to the twinkle lights.

Note: For interior applications, the plywood tree silhouette can simply be leaned up against a wall.