Two-tiered luxe Christmas tree skirt

DIY luxurious Christmas tree skirt
DIY luxurious Christmas tree skirt
Go look at your Christmas tree skirt. How bad is it? Is it made of white flannel with some goofy Santa picture printed on it? All right then, it’s time to get fancy with your under-tree decor. Making your own Christmas tree skirt is easy. If you have a sewing machine and can sew a basic straight line, you can do this. Really!

Supplies

(Click fabrics for direct links for purchase at Warehouse Fabrics Inc.)

2.5 yards Betty, wine
2.5 yards Betty, wine

2.5 yards Dotty, wine
2.5 yards Dotty, wine

3 yards of ribbon
3 yards of ribbon

Tape measure
Tape measure
I wanted to do something different with my Christmas tree skirt, and I had these two beautiful fabrics that I wanted to showcase. I could have done a simple reversible skirt, but you’d still only be able to see one fabric or the other. I also considered a ruffle along the edge, but in the end, I thought that a two tiered Christmas tree skirt might be a pretty and unique way to display both fabrics at the same time. Of course, it will soon be covered with presents anyway, but since I’m procrastinating on shopping this year, I can enjoy it for a while.

This skirt is fully reversible. I can turn it over and flip the smaller tier and have the opposite of what you see here (so polka dots on the big part, and the other fabric on the small part).

Step 1: Go watch these videos

I found this site with some great step-by-step videos for how to make a Christmas tree skirt. I pretty much followed these instructions, but added a few steps because I had extra fabric and wanted to make the second layer. I could not do a better job explaining, so please watch the videos and then come back for my additions. Go on, then!

Step 2: My changes to the project

All done? Let’s proceed. I had 2.5 yard cuts of fabrics, so I cut those into 1.5 yard and 1 yard pieces for each fabric. With the 1.5 yard piece, proceed exactly as in the video up to through point where you cut out the inner circle and the slit up to it. Don’t sew the slit or the inside circle yet. Set the big piece aside.

Cut your smaller tier
Cut your smaller tier
Please click images for bigger versions. Here, I’m demonstrating how to cut the smaller tier. It’s just like you cut the bigger tier, but you’re using the 1 yard cut of fabric.

Pin your tape measure to the corner and measure the shortest side of the fabric (where the black arrow is in the photo). This is your radius limit. I chose a 17.5 inch radius. The messy white lines indicate my arc, which I drew on in dotted lines with chalk, but you couldn’t see well in the picture.

Cut inner circle and slit
Cut inner circle and slit
Just as with the big circle, cut a small circle in the center (refer to videos) and a slit. My small circles had a radius of 2.5 inches. (Geometry reminder: the radius is from the center of the circle to the outer perimeter, so half of the distance across. When your fabric is all folded up as in the previous photo, you are measuring the radius, or half of the circle.)

As you saw in the videos, with the big, outer tier, you will sew up one side of the slit, around the inner circle, and halfway down the other side of the slit. You will turn through the lower, unsewn part of the side. We are NOT doing it that way on the smaller tier. Sew only up the two sides (and all the way up both) but not the inner circle. You will turn it right-side out through the open inner circle.

Finish the small tier
Finish the small tier
Turn it right-side out and press. You may want to clip the corners first so they will have a nice point. Top stitch along each slit side and around the bottom. The inner circle is still open, but you may want to baste it closed.

Attach ribbons to big circle
Attach ribbons to big circle
We are now looking at the big circle you set aside before. I wanted ribbon ties to hold it closed, so here is where we’ll attach those. Cut your ribbon into four equal pieces. Your big tier is still right-sides together, so pull back one layer and pin and stitch two ribbons along the straight side on the slit, aligning them on each side to match. Note how my ribbons’ raw edge more or less lines up with the raw edge of my fabric and the rest of the ribbon is sandwiched between the right sides of the fabric.

Attach the two tiers
Attach the two tiers
Now we want to sandwich the finished smaller tier inside the bigger tier. Again, the right sides of the big tier are still facing together, so insert the smaller tier between them.

You will be sewing the straight slit sides of the big tier together, then the small circle of BOTH tiers together as one, then sewing down halfway on the other slit side of the big tier (leaving a space for turning — I like to sew about an inch or so at the bottom corner, too, just so I’m not dealing with the corner after I turn it right-side out and have to close the hole). Take a moment to absorb that if it seems confusing. The only place the two tiers will actually be sewn together is along the smaller, interior circle. Keep the finished edges of the small tier away from the seam allowance of the slit of the big tier so that the small tier will hang free.

Turn everything right-side out and press the seams. Turn the opening seam allowance inward and press. Top stitch around the big tier as you did with the small one, sewing the opening closed as you do so. Press around the small, interior circle.

As always, if you have questions or find my instructions confusing, you can email me through the contact link on the right side of the blog.

More views

Click for bigger images.

Shiny!
Shiny!

Pretty!
Pretty!

Pretty ribbon closure
Pretty ribbon closure

Really tall tree
Really tall tree