Christmas Vignette Ideas: Build a DIY Wooden Sled for a Festive Display (and more!)

Are you looking for some cute Christmas table decor ideas that add seasonal flair to your vignette without overpowering the room? Try this adorable DIY wooden sled! I used it to elevate some existing books and florals on my dining room sideboard and I think it added the perfect touch of Christmas spirit without cluttering up the space. 

This cute little sled would be perfect anywhere in your home as part of a vignette on a mantel, end table, or sideboard, or it could even be part of the perfect dining room table centerpiece! It would also make the perfect gift basket base. The possibilities are endless, especially considering you can alter its size and colour to match your needs.

What you need to make this sled 

• Kraft paper and marker (for templates)

• Pine hobby board 

• Table saw 

• Miter saw

• Clamps

• Jig saw 

• Belt sander

• Brad nailer

• Wood glue 

• Watered down brown furniture paint (or stain, depending on your preferences)

• Satin finish clear coat 

Planning the sled 

The first step for any kind of build is to plan it out! I used kraft paper and a marker to sketch out some templates for the wood pieces I needed to make. The shape of your sled is totally up to you, so feel free to look at pictures and get a feel for the style you want. Just in terms of basic pieces needed, you will have to sketch: 

• Sled runner (X2)

• Front of the sled 

• Sled body 

Once I was happy with the design and shape of these pieces, I cut them out so I could use them to make my sled pieces out of wood. 

Cutting the hobby wood

To make my sled, I chose a piece of hobby wood from my local hardware store. You could use any scrap wood you have, since you don’t need a lot! I like this hobby wood pine for projects like this because it is very easy to sand and shape. 

First, I used my table saw to rip the large board into manageable pieces: one for both runner pieces, one for the base, and one for the front. 

Then, I used my templates to map out my cuts on the wood itself. I traced around them and drew the lines in marker. Wherever possible, I used the edge of the board as the outline to save me time and effort later. 

I used the miter saw to cut the pieces even smaller and make them easier to work with when it came down to cutting out the exact shape of each sled piece.

Then, it was time for the jig saw! I clamped the wood pieces to my work bench and cut out the detailed sled elements. 

Putting it all together

When I had the pieces cut out, I got out my trusty old belt sander and rounded off all the edges (the hobby pine melts almost like butter under pressure from a power sander). I shaped and smoothed each piece until I was happy with how they looked. 

Then it was time to put the pieces together! Because this piece is decorative and I didn’t need it to bear a lot of weight, I used a bit of wood glue and my brad nailer to fasten the whole thing together. 

The finishing touches

My first attempt at finishing this piece involved a dark walnut stain. But the colour just wasn’t quite what I wanted, even when I put a different stain on top of it. I decided to use my trusty paint stain hack instead.

I used a brown furniture paint (anything acrylic and water-based will do) for this technique. I first dipped my brush in the paint then in a container of water, and then I applied it to the sled. This is an excellent way to get the colour of the paint I wanted but still have the wood grain show through like a stain! 

Once I was done my paint stain and the colour was just right, I sprayed it with a satin finish clear coat. 

When the sled was dry, I placed it on my sideboard under the books and pot of painted eucalyptus leaves that were there already. It was the perfect festive touch that didn’t add any clutter to the tabletop, and I just love it. This is one of my favourite Christmas table decor ideas and I’m so happy with how it turned out.

Other ideas for the perfect Christmas vignette 

Maybe you’ve decided to use your new wooden sled as the centerpiece in your Christmas tablescape! Do you need some other ideas that will add Christmas spirit to your table or sideboard without adding clutter? I’ve got some Cricut ideas that will add a holiday element to objects you need to put on your table anyway. Read on for details!

H&M Home Dupe: DIY Starry Glassware with Cricut

I created a whole new set of gorgeously starry glasses and serving dishes using just some Permanent Smart Vinyl and my Cricut Joy Xtra, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. You could add these vinyl stars to just about any vase, candle holder, or serving dish you wanted, making it perfect for any vignette.

Rustic Wood Bead Garland

I love using natural elements in my displays. There’s something so warm and cozy about wood DIYs, and today I’ve got a perfect one for your Christmas table. I’m going to show you how I turned some discarded decorative wooden balls into a beautiful  wood garland! I spent less than $15 on three packages of these dated decor pieces and used a few materials and some elbow grease to turn them into something wonderful. This would be perfect on the centre of a dining room table or curled around the wooden sled we talked about above! I created it for fall, but it’s such a great neutral piece that works with any type of decor for every season.

Now you have three beautiful Christmas table decor ideas that will make your Christmas merry and bright without adding unnecessary clutter. Would you try any of these projects (or maybe all three)? Let me know why or why not in the comments!