• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Paper Glitter Glue
  • Tutorials
  • My Favorite Supplies
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Paper Glitter Glue Library
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Tutorials
  • My Favorite Supplies
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Paper Glitter Glue Library
×

Home » Cardboard house » Spooky Tree Tutorial

Spooky Tree Tutorial

July 4, 2017 by Lucy 11 Comments

Be sure to Pin to your Favorite Pinterest Board!

7589 shares
  • Share

How to make Spooky Trees from Wire and Paper

Here's my tutorial to make cool, spooky trees from wire and brown packing paper and glue. And here is another tutorial, called the Twisted Tree Tutorial, that includes a video on how I make this kind of miniature paper mache tree.

What do you need to make the Spooky Tree?

Brown packing paper or even newspaper would works. I've made 6 so far and each time I make one I get better at it. You can make these spooky trees pretty quickly. This is a fairly photo-heavy post to help you better visualize how to make these cool Halloween trees.

Twisted Tree supplies - glue, brown paper, wire, wire cutters

Supplies to make the spooky trees to decorate your Halloween crafts

Brown packing paper wire wire cutters to make spooky tree

Tear the paper into strips to wrap around the floral wire

First, tear the paper in strips to wrap around the wire. If the branch is pretty small I don't use glue, but on the longer, fatter branches I do glue them because the paper unwinds. When I paint the trees, the paint also functions as glue to hold the twisted ends together permanently.

wrap brown paper around wire DIY spooky tree

Wrap paper around the wire for making the spooky tree

I usually make the wire longer than the paper because it is easier to twist the ends of the paper on the wire. Also if you use a shorter piece of wire, the wire tries to slip out of the paper and you can't bend the limbs as easily.

You can trim the wire when you are done.

Wire wrapped with brown packing paper

See, doesn't it look better with the paper wrapped around the wire?

Twisted brown packing paper wrapped around wire for spooky tree

Just twist tightly and it usually stays very well. If you have to use a little glue on the ends, that's fine. As you can see below it is the fatter strips that tend to unwind.

Twisted wires for making Spooky tree

Glue the fat ends together so they don't unwind.

glue the twisted wrapped paper around wire for making spooky tree

Wind two branches together

Now wind 2 branches together. I try to offset them a little so the branches aren't all the same size. Then wrap a strip of paper with glue on it around the 2 branches so they become one branch.

wrapped branch for spooky tree

Keep doing that until you have a tree. I try to vary the length of the branches. Since each one has wire in it, you can bend them however you like. The base of the tree and the roots need more filling out.

Here you can see how I've wrapped the trunk and even wired 2 branches together.

Overwrap tree branches for spooky tree

Use a short piece of paper-wrapped wire to help make 3-pronged branch

I used a short piece of paper-wrapped wire to make a 3-pronged branch.

branch of spooky tree showing twisted wires together

Fill in the tree at the base of the trunk of the Spooky Tree

Here is the tree with the base of the trunk filled out and more paper wrapped around the roots. If your tree doesn't stand up very well you can bend the roots to get it to stand the way you want it to.

Completed spooky tree before trimming wires on the end

Trim any excess wire with wire cutters

I trim the wire with wire cutters when I am satisfied with the shape of the branches. The trees are not fancy or perfect, but they work well with my Halloween houses. Below is a photo of the tree standing up. It tilts a little, but I will play with it when I glue it to the base of one of the the houses.

Completed spooky tree before trimming wires on the end

I like this spooky tree and as I said earlier, each time I make one, I get better at it. Let me know if you make one or if you have any questions.

Spooky Tree to Twisted Tree - new Tutorial with Video

I've written a more detailed tutorial on the making a Twisted Tree if you would like to check that one out. I've even included a video tutorial for making a twisted tree. Thank you for stopping by.

If you like making things from paper, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with my newest ideas.

Learn to make spooky paper trees

How to make a twisted tree for your Halloween Decor with paper wire and glue

« Vacation to Utah and the Grand Canyon
Monday Challenge - Red, White and/or Blue »

Be sure to Pin to your Favorite Pinterest Board!

7589 shares
  • Share

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn Koeppen

    July 04, 2017 at 4:04 pm

    This is a great tutorial! The tree looks so realistic!

    Reply
  2. Audrey Pettit

    July 04, 2017 at 4:04 pm

    Thanks for the tutorial! These are awesome!!

    Reply
  3. Redanne

    July 04, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    A great tutorial Lucy, you make it look so easy!

    Reply
  4. Laney

    July 05, 2017 at 12:13 am

    Oops! I entered my comment on the wrong post. Thanks for this tutorial.

    Reply
  5. Lucy

    July 08, 2017 at 2:51 am

    Thank you everybody. I hope this helps someone make trees.

    Reply
  6. Julia Aston

    July 14, 2017 at 3:01 pm

    What a labor of love making this tree but the results are fantastic! Thanks for sharing how to! Julia xx

    Reply
  7. Mary W

    June 10, 2018 at 5:26 pm

    Lucy about how big do you make your trees? I was thinking quarter to half again the size of the house. I have an idea for a Spooky Tree for when I make a Halloween house and the flat silhouette tress are nice but now that I've seen this tut I (of course) want one of these.

    Mary

    Reply
  8. James.

    October 13, 2022 at 6:07 pm

    thanks for presenting that approach of wrapping the wire in paper, I didn't think of this.. I'm trying different ideas to create trees myself for my stopmotion animation....

    Thanks,
    James.

    Reply
    • Lucy

      October 14, 2022 at 12:35 am

      I am glad that this helps you. And it's especially cool that it is for stop motion animation. Thank you.

      Lucy

      Reply
  9. Paula

    February 27, 2023 at 7:49 pm

    Hi Lucy!
    Thank you so much for this great idea! I was wondering which kind of glue is best for gluing the brown paper when needed?
    Thanks,
    Paula

    Reply
    • Lucy

      March 01, 2023 at 11:05 am

      Paula,

      I'm sorry it took 2 days to get back to you. Honestly, you can use any white glue for the tree. Mod Podge, Ranger's Collage Medium, and Elmer's Glue-All work well. Your fingers will get very sticky, but the glue is easy to peel off your fingers.

      I do hope you will make a spooky tree or two.

      Lucy

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Lucy author of paperglitterglue blog

I'm Lucy - the crafter behind Paper Glitter Glue. I just love to make things - mostly from paper or cardboard. I hope to inspire you to make fun stuff too. So look around and find something to MAKE. You can read more about me here.

Get my Halloween book! 13 Handcrafted Halloween Houses

13 Handcrafted Halloween Houses book cover

What is a Putz House and How Do You Make One?

Halloween house putz house

Learn to make the cutest House Pop-Up Cards!

Cover for Playful Pop-Up Houses book

Footer

You are welcome to link to PaperGlitterGlue.com or use a single image with a brief description and a link back to any post. Do not republish any post. That's not allowed. But I do like it when you share my photos to Pinterest.

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Lucy Foxworth of PaperGlitterGlue.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. So as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you.

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2021 Paper Glitter Glue