My Christmas Confession: No Tree Skirt (Yet!)
I’ve got a little holiday secret to share—I’ve never had a tree skirt before. Not just that I’ve never made one; I’ve never owned one at all!
This year, I decided it was time to join the tree skirt club. So, I dove in with three super easy no-sew options.
The best part? These tree skirts are ridiculously easy to make. The only downside? You’ll have to choose just one unless you’ve got three trees!
Supplies
- Fabric (we used felt or faux fur)
- Hot glue gun
- Matching ribbon
- Fabric scissors
- Ruler and marker
General Instructions
Here’s a step-by-step guide for making your own tree skirt. I’ll go into the specific details for each version below.
Step 1: First, cut a big circle out of your fabric. The easiest way to get an even circle is to start with a big square that’s at least as wide as your tree skirt (I used 40” wide for my small tree).
Fold the square in half to form a long rectangle (20” x 40”), then fold that again at the middle (20” x 20”). If you’re using thin fabric like felt, you can even fold it one more time to form a triangle.
Once folded, use a ruler to measure out half the diameter of your circle from the center of the fold (20” for me). Cut along the marked line with fabric scissors; when you unfold it, you should have a perfect circle.
Step 2: To make a small center circle for your tree trunk, fold your fabric circle in half. Place a round can or jar halfway across the middle point, trace the half-circle, and cut it out.
Step 3: Keep the fabric folded and cut through one side to open it up. This slit will make it easy to fit around the tree base.
Step 4: For closures, cut six pieces of 6” ribbon. Attach them to the underside of the skirt with a hot glue gun in sets of two.
Those are the basics! Now let’s move on to the fun part—personalizing each skirt.
Pom Pom Tree Skirt
For this one, just follow the main steps and then hot glue some pom pom trim around the edge. I went for jumbo pom poms that I found at the craft store. They add such a cute touch!
Scalloped Tree Skirt
To get a scalloped edge, use something round (like a ribbon spool) to trace half-circles around the edge of the skirt after you’ve cut your large circle. I added a white tip to the scallops to mimic little snowbanks. After cutting out both the grey and white scallops, use fabric glue or a hot glue gun to secure the white pieces onto the grey.
Faux Fur Tree Skirt
This one’s the easiest! The main steps are the same, but you need to be a bit gentler cutting through the fur to keep it looking nice. Mark your cutting path as you fold and refold the fabric, but cut only one layer at a time to maintain the length of the fur around the edges.
Tip: Keep the bottom blade of your scissors close to the backing of the fur to avoid chopping off the ends. After you cut, take it outside and give it a good shake to remove any loose bits.
Making these tree skirts was surprisingly quick and easy. Elsie’s tree helped model them for our photos, which turned out adorable.
Be sure to check out our archives for more holiday projects and recipes! Happy crafting!