How to Make a No‐Sew Ruffled Tree Skirt
Choose a fabric for the base., Measure how wide you'd like your tree skirt to be., Use the string as a compass to draw a circle on your base fabric., Trace a smaller circle into the center of the fabric using the same method., Cut the circles out...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a fabric for the base.
You can use any type of fabric for the base, but a thicker type of fabric, such as canvas, felt, or linen, would work best.
The fabric won't be visible in the end, but it might still be a good idea to match it to your ruffle fabric as much as possible. -
Step 2: Measure how wide you'd like your tree skirt to be.
Take a piece of string and place it on the floor, with one end against the trunk.
Make a mark on the string, 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) below where you'd like the tree skirt to end.
You are making the base smaller because you will be extending the outermost ruffle past the edges by 2 inches (5.08 centimeters). , Pin one end of the string to the middle of your base fabric.
Tie a dressmaker's chalk or pen to the other end, where the mark is.
Swing the chalk/pen around in a circle, pulling the string taut as you do., Find the center of the circle.
Use a 6-inch (15.24-centimeter) long piece of string to draw smaller circle inside it., Discard the inner circle or save it for another project.
You will have something that looks like a giant doughnut. , Fold the doughnut in half, matching up the edges.
Cut along one of the folded edges, leaving the other one intact.
Unfold the circle when you are done. , You can use all one color for a simple tree skirt, or you can use different colors for a fancier one.
You could even use varying shades of the same color for an ombre skirt.
You will need a lot of fabric for this, about 5 to 7½ yards (4.57 to
6.86 meters). , You can cut the strips as wide or as narrow as you'd like, but something between 4½ to 8 inches (11.43 to
20.32 centimeters) wide would be ideal.If you want to hem the ruffles, cut the strips twice as wide as you want them. , Turn a strip so that the wrong side is facing you.
Fold the narrow ends down by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) and press them flat with an iron.Do this step for all of the strips. , Fold a strip in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides together.
Press the strip flat with an iron to hold the crease.Do this step for all of the strips.
If you are using ribbon, or prefer a rustic look, you can skip this step. , Set your base one the floor and choose one side of the slit to work on.
Set your first strip on top of the base, close to the slit.
The bottom/folded edge should extend 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) past the bottom edge of the base. , Draw a short line of hot glue along the slit on the back of the skirt base.
Fold the end of the strip over the edge of the slit, by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters).
Press the end into the glue., Draw a 2 to 3-inch (5.08 to
7.62-centimeter) line of hot glue along the edge of the skirt base.
Press the top/raw edge of the strip into the glue.
Make sure that the bottom edge of the strip is extending 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) past the bottom edge of the skirt base. , Pinch the next section of the strip between your forefinger and thumb.
Make a drop of hot glue on the base, right where you left off.
Quickly press the pinched fabric into it, and wait for the glue to set. , Glue down another 2 to 3 inches (5.08 to
7.62 centimeters) of your strip to the base fabric.
Pinch another section of fabric, and secure it with a drop of glue. , At some point, you will run out of fabric and will need to start a new strip.
Unfold the strip that's already on the base.
Draw a line of hot glue along the folded side hem.
Slide the next strip inside by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters).
Close the glued strip over it.If you made a rustic strip without a bottom hem: unfold the first strip's side edge.
Draw a line of hot glue along the edge.
Press the next strip's folded edge into the glue, overlapping it by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters). , Trim the strip down to 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
Fold the edge under by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters).
Draw a short line of hot glue along the back edge of the slit.
Fold the strip by another ½ inch (1.27 centimeters), and press it into the glue., Let the ruffles overlap by about 2 inches (5.08 centimeters).This will give your tree skirt a nice, full look.
It will also prevent any of the base fabric from peaking through. , This will make the inner hem and hide the raw edges.
You can use matching fabric or coordinating fabric.
You can also use a 2-inch (5.08-centimeter) wide ribbon instead.It needs to be long enough to wrap around the inside edge of your base, plus 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
If you are using wired ribbon, be sure to pull the wire out. , Turn the strip so that the wrong side is facing you.
Fold both of the side edges down by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) and press them flat with an iron. , Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together, and press it flat with an iron.
Tuck both of the long, raw edges inside, aligning them with the crease.
Press the strip again with an iron.
Your strip should now be 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) wide. , Unfold the strip so that is it 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) wide and the raw edges are still tucked against the crease.
Draw a squiggle of hot glue inside the strip, from edge to edge, about 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) long. , Align the strip's edge with the slit's edge.
Fold the strip over the raw edge of the skirt base, sandwiching it inside., Work 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to
5.08 centimeters) at a time.
When you are done, you should have a 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) wide border on the inside rim of your skirt base. , You will be using these to close your tree skirt, so make sure that the colors work well with your ruffles.
Wider ribbons will look best for this.
If you have a large skirt, cut eight lengths of ribbon. , Turn the skirt so that the back is facing you.
Find the top, middle, and bottom of the slit.
Hot glue the ends of the ribbons accordingly.
Make sure that they are evenly spaced, and right across from each other.
If you have a large skirt, glue four ribbons to each side of the slit. , Turn the tree skirt over so that the front is facing you.
Wrap the tree skirt around the base of your tree.
Tie each set of ribbons together into a big bow.
Consider trimming the ends of the bows down into notches or angles. -
Step 3: Use the string as a compass to draw a circle on your base fabric.
-
Step 4: Trace a smaller circle into the center of the fabric using the same method.
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Step 5: Cut the circles out.
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Step 6: Cut a slit into the circle so that you can put the skirt around the tree.
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Step 7: Choose a fabric to use for your ruffles.
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Step 8: Cut the fabric into narrow strips.
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Step 9: Fold and iron the narrow ends of each strip to make side hems.
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Step 10: Fold the strips in half and iron them to make hems.
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Step 11: Get set up.
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Step 12: Glue the end of the strip to the underside of the slit.
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Step 13: Glue down a small section of the strip to the base.
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Step 14: Make your first ruffle.
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Step 15: Continue gluing down small sections of fabric
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Step 16: followed by pinches.
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Step 17: Join two strips when necessary.
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Step 18: Finish the round when you reach the opposite edge of the slit.
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Step 19: Continue making ruffles until you are 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) from the inside edge.
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Step 20: Cut a 4-inch (10.16-centimeter) wide strip out of fabric.
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Step 21: Hem the side edges of the strip.
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Step 22: Turn the strip into a double-fold bias tape.
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Step 23: Add some glue inside the strip.
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Step 24: Glue the strip to the inside edge of the tree skirt
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Step 25: starting at the slit.
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Step 26: Continue gluing the strip until you reach the other end of the slit.
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Step 27: Cut six equal lengths of ribbon.
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Step 28: Glue three ribbons to each side of the slit on the back of the skirt.
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Step 29: Tie the ribbons together into bows.
Detailed Guide
You can use any type of fabric for the base, but a thicker type of fabric, such as canvas, felt, or linen, would work best.
The fabric won't be visible in the end, but it might still be a good idea to match it to your ruffle fabric as much as possible.
Take a piece of string and place it on the floor, with one end against the trunk.
Make a mark on the string, 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) below where you'd like the tree skirt to end.
You are making the base smaller because you will be extending the outermost ruffle past the edges by 2 inches (5.08 centimeters). , Pin one end of the string to the middle of your base fabric.
Tie a dressmaker's chalk or pen to the other end, where the mark is.
Swing the chalk/pen around in a circle, pulling the string taut as you do., Find the center of the circle.
Use a 6-inch (15.24-centimeter) long piece of string to draw smaller circle inside it., Discard the inner circle or save it for another project.
You will have something that looks like a giant doughnut. , Fold the doughnut in half, matching up the edges.
Cut along one of the folded edges, leaving the other one intact.
Unfold the circle when you are done. , You can use all one color for a simple tree skirt, or you can use different colors for a fancier one.
You could even use varying shades of the same color for an ombre skirt.
You will need a lot of fabric for this, about 5 to 7½ yards (4.57 to
6.86 meters). , You can cut the strips as wide or as narrow as you'd like, but something between 4½ to 8 inches (11.43 to
20.32 centimeters) wide would be ideal.If you want to hem the ruffles, cut the strips twice as wide as you want them. , Turn a strip so that the wrong side is facing you.
Fold the narrow ends down by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) and press them flat with an iron.Do this step for all of the strips. , Fold a strip in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides together.
Press the strip flat with an iron to hold the crease.Do this step for all of the strips.
If you are using ribbon, or prefer a rustic look, you can skip this step. , Set your base one the floor and choose one side of the slit to work on.
Set your first strip on top of the base, close to the slit.
The bottom/folded edge should extend 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) past the bottom edge of the base. , Draw a short line of hot glue along the slit on the back of the skirt base.
Fold the end of the strip over the edge of the slit, by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters).
Press the end into the glue., Draw a 2 to 3-inch (5.08 to
7.62-centimeter) line of hot glue along the edge of the skirt base.
Press the top/raw edge of the strip into the glue.
Make sure that the bottom edge of the strip is extending 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) past the bottom edge of the skirt base. , Pinch the next section of the strip between your forefinger and thumb.
Make a drop of hot glue on the base, right where you left off.
Quickly press the pinched fabric into it, and wait for the glue to set. , Glue down another 2 to 3 inches (5.08 to
7.62 centimeters) of your strip to the base fabric.
Pinch another section of fabric, and secure it with a drop of glue. , At some point, you will run out of fabric and will need to start a new strip.
Unfold the strip that's already on the base.
Draw a line of hot glue along the folded side hem.
Slide the next strip inside by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters).
Close the glued strip over it.If you made a rustic strip without a bottom hem: unfold the first strip's side edge.
Draw a line of hot glue along the edge.
Press the next strip's folded edge into the glue, overlapping it by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters). , Trim the strip down to 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
Fold the edge under by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters).
Draw a short line of hot glue along the back edge of the slit.
Fold the strip by another ½ inch (1.27 centimeters), and press it into the glue., Let the ruffles overlap by about 2 inches (5.08 centimeters).This will give your tree skirt a nice, full look.
It will also prevent any of the base fabric from peaking through. , This will make the inner hem and hide the raw edges.
You can use matching fabric or coordinating fabric.
You can also use a 2-inch (5.08-centimeter) wide ribbon instead.It needs to be long enough to wrap around the inside edge of your base, plus 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
If you are using wired ribbon, be sure to pull the wire out. , Turn the strip so that the wrong side is facing you.
Fold both of the side edges down by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) and press them flat with an iron. , Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together, and press it flat with an iron.
Tuck both of the long, raw edges inside, aligning them with the crease.
Press the strip again with an iron.
Your strip should now be 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) wide. , Unfold the strip so that is it 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) wide and the raw edges are still tucked against the crease.
Draw a squiggle of hot glue inside the strip, from edge to edge, about 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) long. , Align the strip's edge with the slit's edge.
Fold the strip over the raw edge of the skirt base, sandwiching it inside., Work 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to
5.08 centimeters) at a time.
When you are done, you should have a 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) wide border on the inside rim of your skirt base. , You will be using these to close your tree skirt, so make sure that the colors work well with your ruffles.
Wider ribbons will look best for this.
If you have a large skirt, cut eight lengths of ribbon. , Turn the skirt so that the back is facing you.
Find the top, middle, and bottom of the slit.
Hot glue the ends of the ribbons accordingly.
Make sure that they are evenly spaced, and right across from each other.
If you have a large skirt, glue four ribbons to each side of the slit. , Turn the tree skirt over so that the front is facing you.
Wrap the tree skirt around the base of your tree.
Tie each set of ribbons together into a big bow.
Consider trimming the ends of the bows down into notches or angles.
About the Author
William Coleman
Specializes in breaking down complex cooking topics into simple steps.
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