DIY Shaggy Rope Christmas Tree Exploded

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Don’t you love a DIY project that everyone loves so much you want to make another?

All projects should be that way!

But some I never want to make again!!

This one was popular, and now it exploded!!! 

DIY Shaggy Rope Christmas Tree Exploded

I made a sweet little rope tree for the holidays last year.  It turned out better than I envisioned.  Don’t you love projects like that?

The style is rustic and not too Christmasy; the little tree has not seen the inside of a box yet.  It has graced every level spot in the house at one time or another.

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DIY Shaggy Rope Christmas Tree | Country Design Style | countrydesignstyle.com

List of supplies to make the enormous tree

Rope (I used a jute 4-ply PLUS a sisal 3-ply rope…that I can’t find the picture I took of the package!!)
Scissors
PVC Pipe cutter {picture below used to cut the sisal rope}
1/4 inch wood dowel
Block of wood {I used a snowman head from last year}
Drill and 1/4 inch drill bit

 

Step 1.  Drill a hole in the center of the block of wood.  Insert the wood dowel and tap in just a bit.  To make it easier to slip the rope on the dowel, I cut an angle in the top using the PVC cutter.

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Step 2.  Start cutting the rope.  The jute cuts well with scissors.  The rope I used for the first little tree cut well with scissors, but the sisal for this tree is sturdy.  After trying several different tools, the PVC pipe cutter worked like cutting butter.  See the zig-zag metal piece in the center of the handles?  It causes a ratcheting effect.  When you press down, the pressure of the blade stays, and you can press again, cutting through the rope.

List of rope lengths to cut

My “exploded” rope tree is 28-inches tall.  Below are the sizes of rope I used.

8) 14″ sisal
8) 14″ jute
8) 12″ sisal
8) 12″ jute
8) 10″ sisal
8) 10″ jute
8) 9″ sisal
8) 9″ jute
8) 8″ sisal
8) 8″ jute
8) 6″ sisal
8) 6″ jute
6) 4″ sisal
6) 4″ jute
3) 3″ sisal
4) 3″ jute
1) 2″ sisal

After a piece of the rope was cut, frayed open the ends by untwisting the ply.  Untwist one way then twist the other way for the next ply pieces.

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I stacked the rope in the order listed.  To accumulate, I simply twisted the rope open a little and slipped over the dowel.  The sisal rope is stiff.  The curves remain in the rope when you uncurl it from the role.  Most of the rope was add in the 🙁 frown shape.

But it’s still a happy tree!!

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A growing forest of shaggy rope trees to display all year.

diy-shaggy-rope-christmas-tree-mess-country-design-style-countrydesignstyle-com

Fair warning this project makes a mess on the floor!  Heh, heh!

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Do you think I should make one more??  Maybe a medium-size tree.  What about a mixture of the three different rope types?

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16 Comments

  1. i have made 5 of these rope trees i love them ..i have remote timer fairy lights on all of them..i was wondering how the white cotton Nautical rope would work for these tree?

    1. Hey, Alice! I’m thrilled you made so many of the rope trees! And what a sweet idea to add fairy lights on timers! Although I haven’t used white cotton rope, I do think it would work. The trees would be “droopy” since most cotton rope is not as stiff as sisal. But, I like droopy trees!

  2. with your tree directions it makes it sound like you used two different color ropes on one tree// but to me the picture shows different color rope on different tree.very confusing

    1. Alice, It does sound confusing and I thank you for pointing it out. I will correct it in the text. I did use two different ropes in the larger tree. One is sisal and a rough rope and the other is very close to the same color but it’s a thick twine rope and softer. The smaller tree has only a sisal rope that’s light in color. Thank you so much again and for reading along with me.

  3. Looking forward to making some of these trees of different sizes. With having to stay in until the corona virus has cleared, crafting supplies are dwindling but I do have the roping. Thanks

    1. I’m sitting in the dark reading this and am very confused. It sounds like she used two different kinds of rope on one tree.? But it sure doesn’t look it, and I don’t want to. What am I missing ? I can do pretty much anything. I just completed my rag tree last night.

      1. Laurel, I did use two different ropes for the tree. They are the same color and maybe hard to tell in photos. One is a stiff sisal rope and the other is a softer rope. Of course, use whatever rope you have. One reader used a white rope and it’s beautiful.

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