Holiday desking is a real thing when you spend more than 40 hours per week tied to your office. If you're really lucky, you might have room for a standing artificial tree or wall-mounted tree like one of these, but if not? When your canvas is a cubicle, follow this tutorial to make a small-space rustic tree that adds cheer without getting in the way of your productivity.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Select a variety of boards for your project. A couple of things to keep in mind:
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Use a miter saw to cut the cup into a triangle. Once you have made your cut and have determined the scale of the tree canopy, plan your cut for the next branch of the tree. Plan all subsequent cuts so that the layer and canopy of the lower branches, but continue to widen as you build the tree down. For example, as I've done here, it can be helpful to use a pencil to mark where a cut might be ideal for an awning. Note that you can continuously adjust the angle of the saw to suit the angle you want for each board.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
From your lowest board, set aside a piece of scrap wood and trim it down to act as a footer that sits perpendicular to the tree. This will prevent the tree from leaning forward while you have it sitting on your desk. (The goal is to have the back of the tree against a wall, so there's no chance of it tipping over backwards.)
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Apply wood glue to the edges of each board.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Lay flat on a work surface, mount the tree and use clamps to clamp the boards together horizontally and force the wood glue into solid contact. You may want to place heavy scrap boards on top of the tree to reduce the wood's tendency to buckle.
If the glue squeezes out, use a cloth to wipe it off.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Attach the footer to the lowest branch of the tree with wood glue. Let all the glue dry completely.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Use a drill and narrow bit to drill out spaces for embellishments. Drill at an angle. Hook ornaments directly into the holes, and the angle will prevent the ornaments from falling off.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
If desired, stain and paint at this point. When it's dry, you can pick it up and decorate it to cover your desk.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
I can't decide which I like better:evenly dyed or natural?
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
From:Emily Fazio From:Emily Fazio From:Emily Fazio From:Brian Patrick Flynn From:Emily Fazio From:Emily Fazio Keep Reading 