Balsa wood Christmas trees

Add a touch of Scandi chic to your Christmas décor with these handmade balsa wood trees. 

Materials needed

• Christmas tree design (download below)
• Sublimation print of your choice via Artspira* (optional)
• 2mm balsa wood sheets: two pieces of 13 x 17cm each per large tree and two pieces of 11 x 15cm each per smaller tree
• Fine sandpaper – approx. 220 grit or higher

Equipment needed

• Brother ScanNCut machine – any SDX model
• CanvasWorkspace (desktop version) or USB stick
• Standard auto blade
• Standard or Fabric mat
• Painter’s tape or masking tape
• Brother SP1 Sublimation Printer (optional) 
• Heat-proof paper (optional)
• Heat press or iron (optional)

Download cutting file here

How to

Step 1

Download the Christmas tree cutting file and open it in CanvasWorkspace to transfer wirelessly to your Brother ScanNCut or save the download on a USB stick. Load the USB into your machine and open the file.

Step 2

Prepare your ScanNCut cutting mat by placing the balsa wood sheet onto it. You can use a Brayer tool to roll over the wood to make sure it’s nicely stuck down. Use painter’s tape or masking tape around the edges to secure it firmly so it doesn’t shift during cutting.

Step 3

Install the auto blade into your ScanNCut.

Step 4

Feed the mat with the wood applied into your ScanNCut, click the ‘background scan’ symbol and it will scan your mat to display a picture of where the wood is placed on your mat. You can now move the shapes on the screen to place it correctly.

Step 5

Thanks to the ScanNCut auto blade, you should not have to change any of the cutting settings, but I recommend that you do a test cut first to check if you need to amend the cutting depth or pressure as the balsa wood is a bit more solid than other cutting materials.

Take note that the machine will do several passes, each time cutting a little deeper into the wood, until it has cut all the way through. Make sure the machine has completed the total process before removing the mat or stopping the machine.

After the test cut is complete, carefully check if the machine has cut all the way through the wood. If not, you may need to repeat the cut, so don’t remove the mat from the machine. Just select ‘Cut’ again to repeat the process or alter the cut depth or pressure a bit more.

Once happy, go ahead with the full cut.

When the machine is done with cutting, carefully remove the balsa wood sheet from the mat. Slowly peel it away so the tree shape doesn’t snap. Clean up any rough edges with a sheet of light sandpaper if needed.

Step 6 – sublimating onto balsa wood Christmas trees

Push the boundaries a bit and decorate your wooden trees by sublimating a festive design onto the balsa wood, using the Brother SP1 Sublimation Printer. There are many great designs available on Artspira to choose from, or you can also use your own sending it to the sublimation printer from your PC.

Step 7 – sublimating onto balsa wood Christmas trees

Lay down a heat-proof mat, followed by a sheet of heat-proof paper. Place the balsa wood tree shapes on top and then lay the printed pattern design face down on top of the wood. Fold over the heat-proof paper to protect it and then press at 190°C for 40–50 seconds. Peel away carefully to reveal your sublimated design.

Step 8 – assemble the trees

Assemble the trees by lining up the two slots and then pushing gently until the two tree tops are at the same height.

 
And that’s it! You now have beautiful handmade balsa wood Christmas trees! Display them on a mantelpiece, use them as table décor or give them as a unique handmade gift.