DIY Snowflake Tree Branch: Simple Stunning Christmas Decor
Inside: This DIY Holiday Tree Branch with snowflakes is a simple way to add big holiday decor to your home in an inexpensive way!

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I foraged the perfect bare tree branch for my entryway from the yard in September. And I couldn’t bear to part with it when it was time to decorate for the holiday season. It’s dramatic in this big open space. It’s just the right size and follows the angle of the stairs. And the best part? It was free.
For Christmas, I thought it could add a little touch of rustic feel to this more refined formal area. I just needed something holiday-ish to decorate it with. I could have used the usual go-to of small ornaments. But after I settled in on my white and gold color scheme and theme for this foyer/dining room/living room area, the branch decoration needed was a natural—the snowflake!
Materials Needed to Decorate a Bare Tree Branch for the Holidays.
- A lightweight bush or tree branch with a small diameter
- White paint
- A styrofoam block
- Material to stuff around the styrofoam block; plastic bags, packing paper, cardboard, etc.
- Snowflake ornaments
- Pot or planter
- Artificial snow (I used plain glimmer blanket snow and artificial iridescent snowflakes)
How to Make the Snowflake Bare Tree Branch DIY.
First, if you missed the fall tree branch project, here’s what it looked like:

It was the perfect touch of autumn for the foyer with just a few faux leaves and some floral wire.
See this easy fall DIY in the post, “Make This Dramatic DIY Fall Tree For Under Ten Dollars“.
The Holiday Bare Branch Tree Tutorial.
Since my tree branch was already in use from the fall, it was already in the pot. But I’m including those steps again here.
1. Cut a branch that’s the right size and height and that has enough offshoot twigs to hang the snowflakes from.
Important: To use a styrofoam block, the base stem that goes into the styrofoam cannot be very large and needs to be lightweight! Set larger branches in concrete or Plaster of Paris to hold them in place.
2. Clean off any remaining leaves.
3. Paint part or all of the branch white. I gave mine a partial coat of spray paint, just enough to be like it has a dusting of snow. You could also use craft paint or house paint you have on hand and a brush, but spray paint is definitely faster!

3. Place the styrofoam block in the bottom of the planter. Then wedge it into place really well with whatever you have handy. This was putting it into the pot for fall:


To keep the styrofoam in place I used a combination of things from past arrangements that I keep in the bottom of this urn—plastic bubble wrap, chicken wire, and cardboard pieces. Paper grocery bags and packing paper are also good, inexpensive options.
4. Carefully push the branch down into the styrofoam until it can stand on its own. Don’t move it around or back and forth too much or it will enlarge the hole and the “tree” won’t stand up straight.

5. Surround the bottom of the tree “trunk” with snow. I first put down a layer of artificial blanket snow. And then sprinkled faux flakes over the top for a finishing touch.

6. Hang the snowflakes and spread out amongst the branch offshoots until you’re happy with the coverage and balance.

These snowflakes at Walmart came in two different designs (20 for $3.47), so I mixed some of both.

Gotta love Christmas decorations that are this easy and cheap! Not even a drop of hot glue is required for this craft. And it’s the perfect way to tie into my white and gold theme that started on the big tree in the living room and carried over to the white and gold dining room table.
You can see the tour of this area last year in the post, “Green: The Perfect Popular Color to Refresh Red and White Christmas Decor“.
More Ideas for this Fun Holiday Craft.
If you decide to make your own bare branch rustic Christmas decoration, here are some more great options instead of snowflakes:
- Small ornaments or mini Christmas ornaments—usually a craft store like Hobby Lobby has an area just for mini Christmas tree decorations
- Real candy like candy canes, or fake candy like ribbon-candy ornaments
- Lightweight string lights or fairy lights around the tree branches
- Christmas light bulbs
- Natural elements like pine cones
- Add white glitter to the branch to make a glitter twig tree

This is also a great way to add a rustic touch for the winter months to your front porch around the front door! Just make sure it’s totally covered and not subject to wind. This styrofoam base won’t hold up to any movement.
more festive diy projects for the holidays
Happy Holiday Hall-Decking!

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