This Holiday Season, I wanted to decorate with something that had a huge WOW factor. So, I decided to try to make Easy Outside Reindeer Christmas Decorations from Birch Wood! I had collected birch branches for Christmas Porch Pots and had some left over. So, I decided to give it a whirl! It was so easy and fun! I love projects that cost nothing, are simple and quick, and look fantastic. What a rush!
Do you love cheap outdoor holiday decorations? Want to see more? Check out my Easy Outside Christmas Carolers Decorations from Wood Pallets! And, my Easy Outside Christmas Tree Decorations from Wood Pallets. While you’re at it, see how I made these adorable and super Easy Outside Reindeer Christmas Decorations from Birch Wood. Last, but certainly not least, check out my super easy and free Holiday Porch Pot Decorations.
How to make Reindeer Christmas Decorations from Birch Wood
First, I had to gather some beautiful white birch branches to use for my Birch Reindeer Christmas Decorations. As I told you in my DIY porch pots post, when driving around the gorgeous northern Wisconsin area, you’ll see tons of birch trees. However, finding appropriately sized branches isn’t easy! I walked for probably a mile looking for just the right thing, thinking I’d found it only to realize it was way too big. Most of the small branches you’ll want for a regular size porch pot are at the TOP of the tree! And then, those older branches actually shed the white bark and look brown and drab. So, it’s a process to find the right birch branches. Some have capitalized on this; you can often find birch branches for sale this time of year on Marketplace or your local craft bazaar for a few bucks per bundle. I’m lucky in that my parents own 40 acres of woods, shock full of the perfect birch trees for porch pots!
By the way, by “gathering branches,” I don’t mean these things are laying around for you to pick up and go. As you can see, I brought a chainsaw with me to cut branches. Granted, some were laying on the ground and I took those first. Once I got them home, I used a handheld bow pruning saw to cut them to the size I wanted.
Second, I chose the branches based on where they’d be used on the deer’s body. For example, the body piece was the thickest piece of wood, the head was second thickest, the neck was thinner, and the legs were the thinnest. Of course, the antlers were much thinner.
By cutting different angles, I was able to pose the deer and give them different personalities. For example, my doe has a curious “I’m looking at you” stance. Whereas the buck is standing tall and proud. By using disproportionally large antlers, it gives them a whimsical feel that I think it irresistible! I love them so much!
I thought the legs were going to pose a problem (pun intended!) But, they were actually incredibly forgiving. I simply set the leg along side the body at a slight angle (for a wide stance) and screwed it in. The legs are posable, so I didn’t even have to be precise with length. If one leg was too long, I could just trim it or I could simply make a wider stance. Since they’re going to stand in deep snow, they stand on their own very well.
Third, I have read about folks who bore out a hole for the legs and fit them together, glue them, etc. But, my deer were supposed to be easy and fun. So, using long deck screws (2.5″ and 3″), I simply screwed the pieces in place. I was done in a snap! These deer might not withstand dozens of years of harsh winters, but they’re cute and it works for me.
Fourth, some people opt to make faces and really get detailed with their birchwood deer. I thought they had enough character without faces, so I skipped it.
Fifth, the antlers are probably my favorite part of the whole deer! You have to choose carefully when it comes to the perfect antlers. They have to be large enough to put a screw through ,and that can be tricky. Luckily, I had an almost unlimited supply of test racks to play with before I found the perfect sets. I simply put one screw through the base into the back of the head. Easy!
They’re so funny!
