Learn how to make a quilted Christmas tree skirt and dress up that tree! We’ll show you how to create your very own tree skirt step by step.
What? Skirts? Don’t worry. I’m not talking about garment sewing. And even if I were, these are skirts. This means no sleeves, which are the bane of my existence whenever I do tackle garments… I swear those curves are at another level. But I digress…
We’re talking about a different kind of skirt – a quilted Christmas tree skirt. Phew. Nothing to try on, nothing to fit. It’s just a pretty little skirt for your Christmas tree. And a great quilting project that’s not a quilt for the holiday season!
And yes, you can absolutely make it quilted! So if you’re thinking your tree needs a makeover, you’ve come to the right place.
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What is a quilted Christmas tree skirt?
Just in case you were unaware of what a tree skirt is, let me start by explaining the basics.
A tree skirt is a decorative covering that is placed around the base of a Christmas tree, typically on the floor. It is designed to conceal the tree stand and any unsightly wires or cords while adding an aesthetic touch. Tree skirts are usually circular or oval in shape (although we’ll see that many different shapes can be used). They come in various materials, colors, and designs so you can choose one that will complement your Christmas decor theme.
They can also be purchased pre-made forms stores. But what gets us excited are of course the quilted Christmas tree skirt ideas you can make yourself! And that’s what we’ll be looking into today.
Quilted Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial
As you can imagine, there’s an almost endless selection of quilted patterns for tree skirts out there. Some are circular, some are square, some are star-shaped, … The possibilities are almost limitless. That’s why it would be near impossible to show you how all these different options are constructed.
But despite how different these tree skirts end up, the steps to making them (after you’ve made the quilt top) are actually similar. So in this tutorial, I will show you how to make a quilted tree skirt using our Gift Wrap Christmas Tree Skirt pattern (available Nov 9).
I mean. Is this the cutest quilted Christmas tree skirt you’ve ever seen, or what? It’s actually a companion pattern to the Gift Wrap quilt pattern, so yes, you can have a whole room of (quilted) Christmas gifts!
How to Make a Quilted Christmas Tree Skirt?
So, as I’ve said, in this tutorial, we’ll be making our Gift Wrap quilted tree skirt. The pattern includes the exact dimensions and fabric requirements for batting, batting and binding for two sizes: large (54’’x54’’) and small (38’’x38’’).
If you prefer you can use a different quilt pattern and cut it into a circular shape. But the finished quilt top size should be about 54’’x54’’ for a large tree or 38’’x38’’ for a smaller tree. These are general sizes, of course you can adjust depending on the actual size of your tree.
Required Tools:
Things Needed?
Steps to make a quilted tree skirt:
Piece your backing and batting so it’s about 3-4’’ larger than the diameter of your quilt top. You can use a square backing and batting piece or sew smaller pieces to fit around the irregularly shaped quilt to. We kind of did something in between, because we used some leftover fabric and this is all we had at hand. In any case, you will cut away the excess, so the material will not go to waste!
Using your preferred basting method, baste the quilt. Check out our Basting tutorial for Beginners for more information.
If you didn’t construct your batting and backing to fit around your quilt top, this is the time to cut away the excess. Using fabric scissors, cut around the quilt top, leaving at least an inch overage for quilting.
Quilt the quilt sandwich using your walking foot.
Read How To Machine Quilt For Beginners for some great tips on how to machine quilt on your domestic sewing machine.
Using fabric scissors, cut along the edges of the quilt top to cut away the excess batting and backing fabric.
You Christmas tree skirt needs an opening so you can place it around the tree trunk. Mark the center of the quilt top. Draw a circle for the opening around the marked point. Draw a line from the edge of the quilt top to the center.
Using fabric scissors, cut along the marked opening line and cut out the central circle.
Cut four 10’’ strips from your bias tape (make them longer if you plan to use the bows as a design element). Finish one edge on each and sew along the length to make a finished ribbon (with one raw short edge). Position the ribbons along the opening to the bottom of the tree skirt aligning the raw edge of the ribbon with the cut opening. Position two ribbons on each side of the opening (align them with their ‘pairs’ on the other side of the opening). Pin in place.
Attach binding like you would to a quilt. Refer to Machine Binding For Beginners for the basic steps.
As you sew along the opening, sew over the ribbons as well.
If you’re dealing with an inside or inset corner (like we are with Gift Wrap), check out How to Bind an Inside Corner for further guidance.
Attach binding to the top of the tree skirt by machine. (Or if you started by machine sewing to the top of the tree skirt, hand sew it to the back.)
Your quilted Christmas tree skirt is finished! Place it around the tree trunk and tie the ribbons underneath the tree skirt. If you prefer, you can also bring the ribbons up and tie them on top as an added detail.
Voila, that’s it! You’ve just learned how to make a quilted Christmas tree skirt. Now all that’s left to do is wait for Santa to come and bring the gifts. We hope you were very very nice this year!
