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Sometimes I go to all of the trouble to make a tutorial but I forget to post the project here on the blog. Can you believe that? Digging around in my tubs or Christmas craft supplies I stumbled upon a box and when I opened it, I found these fun clothespin Christmas trees that I made many YEARS ago!
Back when the kids in my family were still little one of they wanted to have a “crafty Christmas”. Working at home I brainstormed a bunch of ideas and I obviously gravitated to one of my favorite DIYS – the Clothespin Craft! I’m pretty stoked about this project because I absolutely love a good clothespin craft. The pins themselves are inexpensive and you can glue them together in so many fun configurations. Playing with the arrangements and shapes is fun for adults but can be simple enough for kids to enjoy.
Clothespin Crafts for Days…
In the past, I’ve made poinsettias, flocked snowflakes, glitter snowflakes, giant snowflakes, reindeer, and even trivets. And, as of many years ago shared just today, Clothespin Christmas Trees!
My goal for this project…
was to make something fun, colorful, and easy enough for the kids to do completely on their own. Because we were at that “I can do it myself!” age I didn’t want any hot glue burns or cuts that could mean a trip to the hospital. Heck, we had one of those one Christmas as the whole family played a game and one kid ate a few leaves off of a tree he was sat next to. So this project has absolutely no sharp craft knives and no hot glue guns!
So if you’re looking for a fun craft project for little kids, grab the stash of jingle bells, pipe cleaners, pompoms, and whatever else you can think of and let’s make some clothespin Christmas trees!
Supplies Needed for Clothespin Christmas Trees:
Pompoms, Bells, Pipe Cleaners, etc.
Gather together lots of colorful “decorations” for your Christmas tree. You can raid your craft stash but also look for items like bows in the mini Christmas tree section at Walmart or your craft store.
The Right Adhesive for Your Age Group
I like to use one of the fast formulas of Tacky Glue when working with kids. My favorite is Quick Grab Tacky Glue because it holds on right away. Another good option is Turbo Tacky Glue. Though it doesn’t have that instant grab it dries a lot faster which works really well for impatient kiddos that want to play with their new craft like yesterday!
Note – For this project I tested out a low temperature hot glue gun that it looks like is no longer available. If you find a kid-friendly low temp glue gun that is reasonably priced, it’s a really great option, too!
How to Glue the Clothespin Christmas Trees Together:
Carefully remove the spring from 5 wood clothespins.
Place the flat sides of 2 clothespins together and glue in place. Repeat for the remaining 4 pairs of pins.
Glue 2 pairs of clothespins together along the pointier end. This is the beginning of your tree shape.
Glue a pair of pins on either side of the tree shape helping the shape to fan out.
Finish the shape by gluing the last 2 clothespins on the outside edge, up high and connecting to form a steep triangle.
Decorating Your Clothespin Christmas Tree:
Paint or stain your Christmas trees, if desired. Allow time for the paint to fully dry.
Brush the entire clothespin tree with a small amount of Mod Podge and glitter, if desired.
Glue 1/8″ ribbon along one side of the top of the clothespin tree. Loop 2-3 inches of ribbon at the top to hang the ornament from. Glue ribbon on the other side of the ornament. Trim excess.
Decorate as you please with pompoms, pipe cleaners, bows, and bells!
Clothespin Christmas Tree Craft
Equipment
- Low Temperature Hot Glue Gun optional
Ingredients
- Spring Clothespins
- Acrylic Craft Paint
- Tacky Glue
- Assorted Decorations
Instructions
- Carefully remove the spring from 5 wood clothespins.
- Place the flat sides of 2 clothespins together and glue in place. Repeat for the remaining 4 pairs of pins.
- Glue 2 pairs of clothespins together along the pointier end. This is the beginning of your tree shape.
- Glue a pair of pins on either side of the tree shape helping the shape to fan out.
- Finish the shape by gluing the last 2 clothespins on the outside edge, up high and connecting to form a steep triangle.
- Paint or stain your Christmas trees, if desired. Allow time for the paint to fully dry. Brush the entire clothespin tree with a small amount of Mod Podge and glitter, if desired.
- lue 1/8" ribbon along one side of the top of the clothespin tree. Loop 2-3 inches of ribbon at the top to hang the ornament from. Glue ribbon on the other side of the ornament. Trim excess.
- Decorate as you please with pompoms, pipe cleaners, bows, and bells!
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