$9 DIY Easy-Sew Ruffled Tree Skirt

Have you seen the prices they are selling tree skirts for?  It’s insane!  I’m not a big fan of theme-y or orverly ornate tree skirts, which are logically priced higher because they involve more work.  However, even a simple tree skirt at any store I could find was at least about $50 or more.  I said, “No way, no how” and did a little thinking and searching around online.  Many bloggers have gotten crafty and have DIY-ed a tree skirt.  Mine is nothing spectacular, but I like to share what I’ve been up to, so I’ll post the details and steps.

I wanted a neutral tree skirt with a little bit of interest, so I went with a white ruffled one.  I picked up one and half yards of 90” white cotton fabric for about $8 and bought a white tree skirt at the dollar store.  $9 out of pocket – not bad!

Here is the tree skirt before:



I ripped the fabric in about 8”x90” strips and sewed the edge to make it look nicer after ironing it down.



Then, I flipped the dollar store tree skirt over so that none of the leaves would show through my white fabric and decided where I wanted the outermost ruffle to land so that it would hang over the tree skirt edge below it.



I used a pen to mark the starting point at the slit.



I then measured how far from the edge the mark was and went around the entire circumference marking the points and connecting them in a smaller circle.



I did that until I got all the way around.



Then, instead of using a basting stitch to ruffle the fabric, I simply bunched it up right as I was sewing it to save time and thread.  I would stop every few inches, scrunch up the fabric, sew, and then repeat all the way around the circle.  I used the line as a guide.  I had trouble taking a photo of it, so I just showed the ruffling part, but I really sewed it all along the line I had marked.



When finished one piece of fabric in the middle of one row of ruffles, I would add another by ruffling it with another piece so that they were slightly overlapping, making sure that the ruffles would hide the slit between the two fabric strips.

I added each inner layer by repeating all the steps.  I would measure where I wanted the next piece to lay, add marks around the circle, connect them, and sew along the line.

When I got to the outer layer, I flipped the whole tree skirt over, ruffled it and sewed it on the back side, and then flipped it through the whole back to the front and laid it flat.  I did this so there would be no visible stitches on the front, even around the small circle.

Here is the final product:



And with the tree (I had to sneak in a photo of our tree – I can’t get enough of it!):



I must say, for a couple hours of work and only $9 out of pocket, this tree skirt may be one of the best money I’ve ever spent!  I’ve been told a couple times that it looks store-bought, which I believe is a compliment.  I’m absolutely in love with it.  I hope to still have it and use it in a couple years when we can lay a little baby on there and snap away.  Can’t wait!

Have you gone the DIY route this Christmas because you can’t stand the prices stores charge for certain items?  What does your tree skirt look like?

Linking to: Centsational Girl, House of Hepworths, Bower Power