Wooden Christmas Tree Candle Holders

These little trees get their triangular shape from a single repeated cut: each layer is mitered at 30° off square on both ends, long point measurement, with the ends deliberately not parallel — the same angle repeated at three different lengths per tree to build the tapering silhouette. Attach the base to the vertical back support first, extending the base off the edge of your workbench so you can lay the whole project flat while nailing — a small but genuinely useful positioning trick for a piece this size.

The bottom (widest) tree layer goes on next, centered on the base and nailed from both the front and the bottom for a secure hold, then glue goes between each subsequent layer as it stacks, with the back support anchoring every layer from behind. Two full sizes are included — a larger version built from 1x6 stock and a smaller one from 1x4 — and the cut list, layer count, and back support length all scale down together for the small version, so pick one size and stick to its full cut list rather than mixing dimensions between the two.

This is a genuinely fast build with minimal material, good for a small pile of pine or cedar offcuts, and works equally well as a candle holder centerpiece or a simple decorative shelf accent.