Each year Elektor designs a new Christmas project, and this time the result is the Wordy Christmas Tree, a beautifully engineered, multilingual LED decoration powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico.

Although LED Christmas trees are nothing new, this one adds a distinctive twist: it gently illuminates seasonal greetings in seven languages, each word precision-milled into the front panel. The lighting is refined and silent — no jingles, no beeps — just tasteful RGB animations.

The tree is a fully 3D construction made from eleven PCBs: a base board with the Pico, a front and rear panel, and eight internal “bone” boards that form the LED frame. These inner boards divide the tree into separate light compartments so each word can glow independently. Twenty-seven addressable RGB LEDs provide soft, controlled illumination.

Designing the tree required careful engineering, from manually drawing each milled letter in KiCad to refining the internal structure for optimal lighting. Earlier prototypes placed LEDs behind the panel, but the final design mounts them inside the skeleton for more even illumination and easier assembly.

The software is built on the Arduino environment using the Adafruit NeoPixel library. The Pico controls the LEDs through a display-style buffer, enabling smooth fade effects and customizable colour sequences. Each greeting is shown word-by-word in a calm, elegant animation.

While the PCBs are green, giving green light a natural boost, the system balances brightness automatically by driving red and blue harder. Because all 27 LEDs at full white can draw substantial current, a 5-V supply capable of at least 1 A is recommended.

The Wordy Christmas Tree is a thoughtful mix of craftsmanship, electronics, and holiday spirit and presents a rewarding build for makers and a charming decoration when finished. The article includes source code for those who wish to customise the display.