DIY SPINDLE Christmas TREE

Collect old spindles and use them to make an upcycled Christmas tree, complete with milk paint.

Idon’t know about you, but I have a slight addiction to spindles. I always save them from chairs that are too far gone to use, old tables and railings, and they are super easy to find at vintage stores. But what to do with all those spindles? I made a really easy spindle tree. Here’s how you can make your own.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Collection of spindles

• Saw (optional)

• Drill and drill bits, including a hole bit • Metal rod (length should equal the Christmas tree height)

• 4x4" wood

• Washer and nut

• 1x12" wood

• Paintbrush

• Sweet Pickins Milk Paint in color of choice (used here: Flour Sack) • Sandpaper at 220 grit (optional)

• Sweet Pickins Oil Wax (optional)

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

1. Gather up your spindle stash, and decide on the size you would like your tree. Then arrange your spindles in a triangle shape. Most spindles can be cut down easily and you won’t be able to tell they were cut. If you need to make them shorter, just cut the spindles in a location where it looks like the piece might naturally end. 2. Once the tree is laid out, mark the middle of the spindles and drill a hole through each that’s slightly larger than the diameter of the rod.

3. For the top of the tree, use a spindle with a taper or point on the end. Drill a hole slightly smaller than the rod; then screw the spindle on until it’s tight.

4. Starting with the shortest spindle, slide each piece down the rod in your triangle pattern.

5. Create the tree trunk by turning a spindle sideways, drilling a hole down the middle and sliding it onto the rod.

6. For the base of the tree, cut a square out of a 4x4" piece of wood. Drill a hole in the middle of the base; then use a hole bit to make the space big enough for the washer and nut. 7. Screw the washer and nut onto the rod and tighten everything down; then attach the base to a flat 1x12" to make the tree secure.

8. Paint the whole tree with two coats of Sweet Pickins Milk Paint. If you want a chippy look, don’t prep the spindles for paint or even clean or dust them. Milk paint will naturally chip and age if it has something to resist, so the old dirt is perfect. Then let the piece dry completely. 9. For a distressed look, lightly sand the piece until all the loose chippy paint is removed. If you want to add to the rustic look, do one coat of Sweet Pickins Oil Wax in dark.