Ruffled Tree Skirt

I saw this ruffled tree skirt a few years ago, and fell in love, but I had just made a new tree skirt to match my new Christmas color scheme...which is green, chocolate and cream. So....then we decide to move...and our new home has higher ceilings than our last house....and my tree looks a little dwarfed. I know, I should just buy a new tree, but I can't seem to find one that is not pre-lit...and really...hundreds of dollars for 1 more foot of height, seems silly. I have a really good quality tree now, so the plan is to put the tree on a box...stay with me now...I'm getting to the point...my tree skirt however, is not large enough to cover the box and down onto the floor....so...yay...I get to make the tree skirt I wanted...the ruffled tree skirt.  I already had some cream linen, I think it was an old tablecloth...and I've never used it, so time to repurpose it. I headed to the fabric store for some chocolate fabric...lucky for me, they were having a sale, buy 1 meter get 2 free. So for 14.00 I walked away with 3 meters of chocolate brown fabric. Do not underestimate how much you need...I didn't use all the fabric I bought, but had enough to make 4 new stockings as well, but thats it.

Started out with a pattern...I used some wrapping paper to cut the shape, or half the shape of the skirt, and although I didn't take a pic...I did cut half a hole in the middle of the long straight edge, which will go around the tree trunk. Size will be determined by what you need...I measured with the box and tree stand, and I needed more than four, not quite 5' in diameter...so I think I settled on 56"

 I used an old sheet for the base...I mean, what are you going to do with a sheet that doesn't match your bedroom decor anyway???

 Then I cut the linen and the chocolate...3" strips...the longer the better. I also decided to zig zag what would be the exposed edge of each strip. I was concerned about fraying over time, so I figured I might as well take care of that issue.

 Starting on the outermost edge, I began hot gluing the strips (after running to the store to purchase a new hot glue gun, as my 20 year old one decided it didn't have another project in it), pinching as I went along. Only a couple of burns...after which I usually exclaim "HOT glue"

 When I came to the end of a strip, but not the end of the row, I put some glue down on the previous strip edge, and put the next strip right side to right side of strip already down and glued...so it looks like another pinch

Stay tuned for a finished product picture on the weekend, when I set up my tree with the new skirt and the new matching stockings.

 Here, as promised, is the finished tree skirt under the tree...I am very happy with the finished product.