How to Make Homemade Christmas Tree Flocking

A flocked Christmas tree—one that appears to be dusted with snow—adds some winter wonderland magic to your holiday home decor. Both real and artificial Christmas trees are available already flocked, or you can flock your own Christmas tree at home as an easy DIY project.

You are probably familiar with commercial fake snow products including flocking sprays and flocking powders. It's also possible to make your own Christmas tree flocking out of common household supplies.

Advantages of the DIY approach to flocking include low cost, control over the ingredients and texture of your artificial snow, and a considerably more pleasant smell! So get to work with this easy DIY tutorial.

There are several different recipes for DIY Christmas tree flocking. All of the recipes in this tutorial are suitable for real and artificial Christmas trees alike. Experiment with the different options to see which you prefer, or choose according to the ingredients you already have on hand.

The recipe for making fake snow with soap flakes requires white soap flakes or grated white bar soap as the main ingredient. If you're grating bar soap, use the finer side of a box grater or a grater attachment on a food processor. The flakes really resemble fallen snow in color and texture, making this recipe an excellent choice.

In a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups of soap flakes or grated white bar soap with 2/3 cup of liquid starch or white glue. Add 1 to 4 Tbsp. water to create a thick texture, and whisk the mixture to add some air. Aim for stiff peaks.

Optionally, add a drop or two of blue food coloring to tone down the glaring whiteness of the flocking. You might also add some white or silver glitter to the mixture for sparkle.

Shaving foam makes a handy base for DIY Christmas tree flocking as it already has the right color and texture. Mixing it with white glue and cornstarch helps that fluffy texture hold up for a longer-lasting "white Christmas."

In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 part white glue to 1 part cornstarch, and then fold in 2 parts shaving cream. As with the soap flakes recipe, stir in blue food coloring and glitter, if you wish.

Desiccated coconut is an all-natural product that resembles snow, making it a good base for homemade flocking. This recipe is fully biodegradable and safe to use around pets.

In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup of water and 1 cup of cornstarch to create a slurry. To this, add approximately 1 pound of desiccated coconut. The mixture will be lumpy, so break up clumps and whip the mixture to get a fluffy snow-like texture.

Applying your homemade flocking material to a Christmas tree takes a little time, but is so much fun. You should apply the flocking before adding any lights or ornaments, and allow at least 24 hours of drying time before you trim the tree. If you have an artificial tree, prepare by fluffing the Christmas tree. Also move the tree away from walls and furniture so you have easy access to all the branches.

Wrap the Christmas tree stand and lower trunk with plastic bags. Lay drop cloths over the floor and any other nearby surfaces that need to be protected from flocking.

With a paint brush and your mixing bowl of homemade flocking, paint the flocking onto the pine needles along the tops of your tree's upper branches. Start with a small amount and add more flocking as needed to create your desired effect.

Remember that snow settles mostly on the tops of the branches of real trees, so don't apply it directly to the sides or undersides. You can, however, let blobs and drips of flocking fall onto lower branches, which creates a realistic snow effect.

Work your way down to the lower branches of the tree, applying the flocking in the same way as you for the upper branches. Every now and then, step back from the tree and walk around it to assess the effect and make sure the flocking is even.

Leave the flocked Christmas tree undisturbed for about 24 hours so that the fake snow can dry. It should be stiff, not sticky, before you add any lights or ornaments to the tree. You can speed up the drying time by pointing a low fan toward the tree, or opening a nearby window.

Making and applying your own Christmas tree flocking is easy and inexpensive, with several different recipes to consider. If you need more reasons to try DIY flocking, remember that most local trash services won't pick up flocked trees. But homemade flocking is washable! Just take the tree outside and hose it off. Then you can easily dispose of a real tree or store an artificial one until next year.