DIY Flocked Christmas Tree

Flocked trees have been out for a few years now I know,  and I absolutely love them.  There are all sorts of tutorials on how to flock a tree, but I am so happy with how mine turned out and I have a few tips so I decided to share my process for how to flock a Christmas tree with you.

Our plan was to purchase a new flocked tree,   I chose to wait until our local Christmas store opens so I could see what I was selecting, one of those large thickly branched heavily flocked trees with all those lovely branches.  The perfect tree, just like in the movies.

The moment didn’t happen, no “yes to the tree moment”.  I saw one, not too flocked, not skinny,  not quite enough branches,  it was lovely, and $850. The tree was nice, but not perfect and certainly not $850 perfect.  Hubs gave me an $850 smile when I said not happening. Who knows flocked trees may be as trendy as silver tinfoil trees were in the 70s. This year we are only doing one Christmas tree so I was willing to risk ruining my smaller tree, so I ordered self-flocking powder to try.

Supplies to flock an 8 foot Christmas tree.

2 bags of flocking powder (not an affiliate link) just sharing what I purchased

A spray bottle with water

A fine metal sifter

A large tarp

Gloves, safety glasses, and a nose mask

How Long will it Take to Flock a Christmas Tree

The total time is about four hours, which surprised me, I set aside a full day for it.  It took one hour to set up my work area, 2 1/2 hours to flock the tree, and an hour to clean up.

The instructions said to do it outside if you can do it that way.  But in Edmonton that wasn’t happening in November.  I am not working in the garage anymore, much less outdoors.  Heeding the warnings I assumed it would be similar to gyproc dust and it wasn’t quite as messy.  Let’s face it taking an 8-foot object and sifting white powder all over it is going to get dust everywhere.  I brought up the biggest tarp we have, moved my furniture out of the way as much as possible, budgeted a whole day for the process and got busy.

The Tree Flocking Powder

The stuff is wonderful.  I was able to get the snow exactly where I wanted it, it’s non-toxic,  and cost me $62 Canadian.  The $800 dollar savings will pay for any new Christmas decor, craft supplies, and make a dint in the food costs.  If you purchase a different flocking powder the method will be the same, just make sure to read the directions on the flocking powder you purchase.

While looking on Pinterest I found a few tutorials that used one bag, as I wanted my tree heavily flocked I ordered two, I wish I had ordered three and will add another one next year.  The amount of flocking is a matter of personal taste, and I wanted mine looking like the trees from my childhood, buried in snow.

How to Flock a Christmas Tree

The flocking comes with complete directions, but basically, you pre-wet the tree branches with a water sprayer, sprinkle the powder on using a fine mesh sifter while you spray it with water.  Then spray the tray with more water to set it Seems simple and it is, but as I am fussy I  thought I would share how I did it.

Wear safety goggles, a mask, and gloves.  The powder isn’t toxic but there is a fine mist of powder everywhere so it’s not a good idea to be breathing it in.  Follow the directions on the package.

Our tree has three sections and I rationed the amount of snow for each one section as follows,1 bag to the large bottom section, half a bag to the middle section, 1/4 bag to the top section, and the last 1/4 bag for final touch-ups.   I also filled the water sprayer 3 times.

Work in Sections

Do the tree in sections so you can see what you’re doing.  Put the stand together and the first tree section.  Using bungee cords tie up the remaining branches. Just hook them to a higher branch and scoop up a few branches, working your way around the tree.

Fluff the branches in each section like you normally do.   The picture shows the tree with half the branches fluffed, in case your not sure what I mean.

Work on each branch, spray until damp, sift the flocking powder while spraying, then spray to set it. Place less powder towards the trunk of the tree, but don’t skip it.  Add more to the outside of each branch, and remember more flocking will fall as you do upper branches.  I would put less flocking on the lower branches, and make it a bit heavier as you work your way up towards the top of the tree.

Keep an eye out on how much flocking powder you have left.  What a nightmare it would be to run out with the top third undone.

The flocking powder goes on the tarp as you work, so for the bottom branches place some paper under the branch you working on to capture the dropped snow and reuse it.  Keep an eye on how much of the powder you use.

Once done, use the last 1/4 bag to fill in any uneven areas.  I actually wore gloves and hand sprinkled little clumps of snow in specific areas.

Let your tree dry overnight before removing the tarp.

You can see that my tree is pretty heavily flocked.  I would still like more, but you may actually want your tree with less flocking.  I am very happy with the results, it’s better than I thought it would be.

The Clean Up

You’re going to have dust.   If you live in a climate that still has you outside its less messy to do it that way.  I had to do flock our Christmas tree inside. Because the powder turns solid when sprayed with water, Don’s Use Water. Sweep the floor first to get the bulk of the powder, then vacuum and finally dry dust it with a microfibre cloth.  Easy peasy.

Once decorated I will update the post so you can see the final results.

Here is the tree all decorated for the Christmas Holidays.

Rustic Christmas Tree