Hey! I’m back today with a really cute project for your holiday front porch – this DIY Wooden Sleigh.

These antique sleighs are such a pretty addition to your Christmas décor but they can be crazy expensive! And really hard to find. Unless you are lucky enough to have one already or scoop one up through a flea market.

Wood Sleighs from Wayfair

I found this one on Wayfair when I was perusing Black Friday Sales.

I made a look-a-like version with leftover wood from my Dad’s Hutch project (coming soon), and I’ll show you step by step how to make one too.

Make your own Wood Sleigh with this easy tutorial!

Things You’ll Need

DIY Wooden Sleigh Decoration

This goes without saying but I’ll say it anyways – this is not a “REAL” sled. It’s for décor only. Now that got that little disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to the tutorial.

DIY Wood Sleigh on a Front Porch for Christmas

Step by Step Tutorial for Creating a DIY Wooden Sleigh for the Holidays.

Total time: 2 hours

  1. Cut Wood To Size

    Showing a Mitered Edge on a Sled

    You’ll need to use a miter saw (one that can do angled cuts), and make the following wood cuts from your furring strips:
    2 legs with 45 degree mitered ends (one one end each) – 37 inches
    6 sleigh top boards – 24 inches each
    2 sleigh supports – 15 inches
    1 crossbar – 17 inches

  2. Create Sleigh Top

    You can make this! DIY Wood Sleigh Tutorial

    Attach 6 sleigh tops to the two back pieces using 1 inch black screws. I highly recommend drilling a pilot hole in the wood first so you don’t split or crack the wood. I left a small little gap between each board (just eyeballed it). You want to leave room on each side to attach the back supports to the sleigh legs in the next step. Use a pencil to draw a round edge for the top.

  3. Use Jigsaw to Round Sleigh Top

    You can make this! DIY Wood Sleigh Tutorial

    Use a jigsaw to carefully follow your pencil template that you made the previous step. We are just rounding the edges here. No worries if it’s not perfect – we are going to sand it down later. And it’s supposed to look old!

  4. Attach Sleigh Top to LEgs

    You can make this! DIY Wood Sleigh Tutorial

    Line up your sleigh legs, and attach the two supports to each leg using black wood screws. Again – drill a pilot hole first. You want the mitered ends to be at the front (top) of the sleigh. Use your best judgement for placement, but leave enough room for attaching a crossbar at the top.

  5. Attach Crossbar

    You can make this! DIY Wood Sleigh Tutorial

    Attach the crossbar to the top of the sleigh using wood screws. Pilot holes!

  6. Sand Sleigh

    Use an orbital sander to sand the sleigh nice and smooth. Feel free to rough it up a bit. I like the look of a vintage sleigh.

  7. Stain and Protect

    Use your favorite wood stain and then follow up with a couple coats of polyurethane or polycrylic. This sleigh will hold up best under a covered porch.


And that’s all you need to make the wood sleigh! It adds the perfect touch of vintage.

DIY Wood Sleigh on a Front Porch for Christmas
Close up view of a wooden sleigh for Christmas Decor
Close up view of a wooden sleigh for Christmas Decor
DIY Wood Sleigh on a Front Porch for Christmas
Close up view of a wooden sleigh for Christmas Decor
DIY Wood Sleigh on a Front Porch for Christmas
DIY Wood Sleigh on a Front Porch for Christmas
DIY Wood Sleigh on a Front Porch for Christmas

For a decorative touch, I added some reindeer bells I found at an antique shop and a pretty velvet green ribbon. I like to keep things somewhat simple. I start to get all twitchy when it’s too cluttered looking. I like balance and simplicity.

I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial!

Check out my other Christmas posts here:

xo Karen

Easy DIY Wooden Sleigh Decoration

Karen Sloan

Karen Sloan is the founder, editor and syndicated content writer of www.decorhint.com. She offers hints of inspiration for everyday living, including home ideas, DIY projects and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared on Google News, MSN, Pioneer Woman, Apartment Therapy, and Bustle, among others.