27 Christmas Ornaments Made from Scrap Wood for Your Tree

27 handmade Christmas ornaments you can make from scrap wood, including wood slice Santas, block snowmen, mini signs, painted mittens, and more.

Four image collage of handmade Christmas ornaments: small framed sign, red cardinal, stars and stacked tree

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If you’ve got a bin of offcuts you can’t bring yourself to toss, this one’s for you. I pulled together 27 Christmas ornaments you can make from scrap wood, including wood slice Santas, stacked-block snowmen, layered trees, mini signs, painted mittens, and more.

They’re perfect for decorating your tree, and they make great budget-friendly gifts for family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Grab some thin pieces of plywood, dowels, 1x2s, or whatever small scraps you have on hand, and put those little pieces to use.

Originally published December 4, 2025.

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Wood blocks stacked to look like snowmen

Funky Junk Interiors

Stacked Block Snowmen with Rusty Junk Details

Donna Williams builds the friendliest little snowmen, chunky and chippy-white like they've been out in the weather a few seasons. Odds and ends stand in for their features, giving each one a salvaged, junk-drawer personality. The scarves are the fun part, and no two snowmen wear the same one.

Wood painted ornaments with the words joy, believe and peace

Lovely Etc.

Paint-and-Stain Lettered Ornaments

Carrie's ornaments each carry a single word, Joy, Believe, or Peace, in shiny gold against a deep, moody background. The contrast gives them a rustic-glam feel, cozy but a little dressed up. The gold really catches the light on the tree.

Wooden snowman ornament painted with a crackle finish

Saws on Skates

DIY Wooden Snowman Ornaments

These are mine, inspired by an old crackled snowman that's been in my ornament box as long as I can remember. Mine have that same aged, weathered look, like they've hung on the tree for decades. The face is so small I needed a magnifying glass to get the eyes right, lol.

Wood cut in the shape of a cardinal and painted red

100 Things 2 Do

Scrap Wood Cardinal Ornaments

Shelly's red cardinal ornaments adds a pop of color to the branches. Layered wings sit just above the body so each one has a bit of depth. The same shape works as a white dove or a chickadee if red isn't your thing.

Wood blocks with the words fa la la, ho ho ho, and joy

Dream Design DIY

Stenciled Dowel Word Ornaments

Tiffany made a set of slim word ornaments, each spelling out a holiday phrase like JOY or HO HO HO in red over a weathered white. They have that rustic, found-at-a-country-market look, narrow so they tuck into the gaps between round ornaments. A couple of little silver bells hang at the top of each.

Wood slices painted to look like Santa faces

The Country Chic Cottage

Wood Slice Santa Ornaments

Angie's wood slice Santas are about as charming as ornaments get, a round face peeking out between a red hat and a white beard. The bare wood in the middle becomes his cheeks.

Jaime Costiglio

Wood Candy Ornaments

Jaime's candy ornaments will make you look twice, because they really do look like the real thing. There are swirled lollipops, twisted peppermint sticks, and round striped mints, each wrapped up like it came out of an old-fashioned candy jar. She grouped hers on a snowy white tree where the bright colors pop.

Wood framed block that says merry + bright

The Turquoise Home

Mini Framed Wooden Sign Ornaments

Laura's ornaments look like the little framed signs you'd see at a holiday market, only shrunk to tree size. Each carries a short Christmas phrase on warm wood inside a chunky frame. She saw the pricey market versions and decided to make her own instead.

Wooden mitten Christmas ornaments painted green

Saws on Skates

No-Sew Wooden Mitten Ornaments

These mitten ornaments come from a felt pair my grandmother made, a wooden version for the tree. A length of twine links the pair the way her yarn chain used to.

Wood dowel painted to look like Santa's outfit

Thrift Diving

Upcycled Scrap Wood Ornaments and Gifts

Serena rounds up five different ornaments in one post, all pulled from scraps and thrift store finds. There's a little snowman, a painted Santa, a bejeweled snowflake, a cube covered in family photos, and a set of dangly ornaments with real vintage character.

Lovely Etc.

Wooden House-Shape Santa Ornament

Carrie's Santa ornament is all fluffy beard and a big red hat tugged down over his eyes. A tiny pom-pom sits right at the top of his hat.

Wood ornament with the word Joy painted on it

The Crafting Nook

Weathered Mini Wood Sign Ornaments

Camila made a set of little weathered signs, each with a festive word like JOY, SNOW, or NOEL. The lettering stands out against a soft, aged background for a worn, farmhouse look. Beads and jingle bells dangle from the bottom of each one.

Wood triangle painted to look like a mountain covered in snow

Dream Design DIY

Snow-Capped Mountain Ornament

Missing the mountains? Tiffany's ornament is a little peak with a snow-capped top, built up in layered earthy tones that give it real depth against the branches. There's a hint of shimmer along the snow line where it catches the light.

Rustic carved wooden Christmas ornaments on an evergreen

Ugly Duckling House

Carved Wood Christmas Ornaments

Sarah's ornaments have a rugged, hand-carved look, full of texture and worn edges like they've been handed down for years. The soft, faded coloring plays up that aged, heirloom feel.

Wooden Christmas ornament picture frame with a dog photo

Saws on Skates

Wooden Picture Frame Ornaments

These little frame ornaments hold a photo behind a tiny window, so a favorite picture becomes the star of the tree. I like that you can swap the photo whenever you want, so last year's shot doesn't have to hang around forever. They're small enough to tuck a whole family's worth onto one tree.

Jaime Costiglio

Mini Tool Ornaments

Jaime made a whole set of miniature shop tools shrunk down to ornament size: a tape measure, a paint roller, a saw blade, a bucket, a toolbox, and more. Any woodworker would love seeing their everyday tools hanging on the tree.

Shanty 2 Chic

Stacked Block JOY Ornament

Ashley's ornament stacks up to spell JOY straight down the length of it, with a bit of glittery sparkle on the letters. A small finial finishes it off.

Stacked pieces of wood that form a tree ornament

Her Tool Belt

Layered Scrap Wood Christmas Trees

Amy built a little Christmas tree that stacks up wide at the bottom to a point at the top. It has a chunky, three-dimensional shape that catches the light differently than a flat cutout would.

Lovely Etc.

Mini Farmhouse Sign Ornaments with Printables

Carrie's farmhouse ornaments look like tiny framed signs, each printed with a cozy scene like a Christmas tree. They have that collected-at-a-market feel without the market price. She shares the little sign designs as free printables so you can match your own.

The Handyman’s Daughter

Striped Veneer Ornaments

Vineta's ornaments have bold candy stripes of red, green, and natural running through the shapes, so the color shows from any angle. They read graphic and cheerful, more mid-century than country.

DIY Candy

Wood-Burned Wood Slice Ornaments

Amy's ornaments carry simple line designs across round wood slices, cozy little scenes with a cabin feel. The natural bark edge makes every one a little different. It comes with a free printable template, so you don't have to come up with the artwork yourself.

Wood block with twigs in the shape of a Christmas tree

The Turquoise Home

Painted Twig Tree Ornament

Laura's twig tree ornaments have a woodsy, brought-in-from-the-yard look, little evergreens shaped from stacked branches. They feel rustic and handmade.

Wood cut out to look like ice skates with red string for laces

Saws on Skates

Wooden Ice Skate Ornaments

Another ornament inspired by my grandmother's felt originals, are these little ice skates. Mine have a soft, white color with laces you can actually tug on.

Wood blocks painted to look like a house and Christmas trees

Beyond The Picket Fence

Stenciled Alphabet Block Ornaments

Becky turned a set of old wooden alphabet blocks into ornaments, each with a simple little Christmas tree. Look close and the original letters still show faintly underneath, which gives them a salvaged, nostalgic feel. A small tassel and a few beads hang from the bottom of each.

Painted farmhouse sign Christmas ornaments

DIY Beautify

Wood Farmhouse Sign Ornaments

Cindy's ornaments have a farmhouse feel with a short Christmas saying across the front and a gingham edge. They read clean and cozy, right at home on a farmhouse-themed tree. A little bow finishes the top of each.

Red blocks with white painted Christmas trees and the word joy

Homemade Heather

Painted Tree Scrap Ornaments

Heather's ornaments are cheerful, a simple white Christmas tree standing out against a bright red background. The hand-drawn trees keep them from looking mass-produced. No two are quite the same.

Ruffles and Rain Boots

Block Snowman Hat Ornaments

Sarah Nenni-Daher's ornaments are little black top hats, the kind you'd picture on a snowman who just came to life. A sprig of greenery and a few red berries tucked in the brim give them a jaunty finish. They double as gift tags with a name written on the back.

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Four image collage of handmade Christmas ornaments: small framed sign, red cardinal, stars and stacked tree with a text overlay that says, "27 Christmas Ornaments Made From Scrap Wood

Hi there – I’m Scott, a woodworking enthusiast and creator of Saws on Skates, a site I started in 2015 to share easy-to-follow tutorials, space-saving shop tips, and project inspiration for DIYers at any skill level. Learn more about my woodworking journey here.

27 Christmas Ornaments Made from Scrap Wood for Your Tree

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