DIY: No Sew Tree Skirt

In sticking to a holiday decorating budget and my neutral/rustic holiday color scheme, it was difficult for me to find a tree skirt that wasn’t (a.) bright red and green or (b.) $100+.

As a novice sewer and non-sewing machine owner, I had to get a little creative for a no-sew tree skirt. I initially wanted a burlap tree skirt, but thought I better go with an easier to work with material for my first try. I ended up ordering this chocolate brown basket-weave fabric from Amazon.  

End result:

Supplies:

2 yards of fabric
Sharp scissors
Ribbon (preferably with wiring)

Steps:

1. Fold the fabric into quarters. Have the two sides with the ends of all four single layers farthest from you and to your right. The side with one big fold should be on your left and the side with two folds should be closest to you.

This video is super helpful in doing the cutting. I suggest watching it before going at it with your scissors – just to prevent accidentally cutting the fabric in half… ruining both holiday cheer and strategy.

2. Pin a flexible measuring tape (or string) to the lower left-hand corner. Measure about 27" out. Keeping one end of the string or measuring tape at the pinned corner, move the other end around the fabric and mark dashes to outline the radius. It should look like an even quarter of a circle. (Don't mind my lovely diagram.)

 3. Cut along the dashes.

4. Keeping your string pinned at the corner, measure three inches out. Mark your dashes and cut. (This will be the inner circle of the skirts that goes around the trunk.

5. Unfold the fabric. You should have an even outer circle and an inner circle.

6. Cut a straight incision from the outside of the circle all the way to the winner circle. This will be the opening of your skirt.

7. I decided to tie my skirt onto the tree with ribbon. To do this, make sure your ribbon has some wire in it so that the bow isn't limp.  Cut a one inch (adjust based on the width of your ribbon) incision about an inch from the top of the center circle and about an inch in from your skirt opening. Thread the ribbon through. Then cut another one inch incision about three inches from the first incision. Repeat all the way around the top of the skirt, weaving the ribbon in and out. Note the the ribbon should be on the inside of the skirt for one inch, then on the outside for three inches -- this way you maximize the amount of ribbon that is shown. Wrap the skirt around your tree, tie a bow and viola! a homemade tree skirt.