Monday, December 3, 2012

TUTORIAL: How to Sew a Christmas Tree Skirt - lace and suede tree skirt

How To Sew a Christmas Tree Skirt
 
Sewing Tutorial - Tree Skirt
This weekend the Christmas decorations went up in our house and the kids had a ball putting the ornaments on the tree. You can tell my children are young because of how high they can hang the ornmanets. All the pink and red ornaments are hung on the lowest branches and all the blue ornaments are slightly higher than them. My husband and I had to spread the ornaments out once they went to sleep that night just the tree wouldn't be too bottom heavy!
 
If you've been looking for a Christmas tree skirt and simply couldn't find the right one that matched your style, or the one that you wanted but was a bit too pricey, try sewing a Christmas tree skirt!
 
This way you can get just the right colors, style and price that you are looking for.
 
Sewing TUTORIAL:
 
How to Sew a Christmas Tree Skirt
 
1. Gather materials:
 
1 and 2/3 yards of your lining fabric  (mine was red microsuede 58 inches wide)
1 and 2/3 yards of your main fabric (mine was lace with bows and was 58 inches wide)
9 yards of ribbon
thread, sewing machine, iron, scissors, measuring tape, fabric marker, pins
 
 
2. Fold your lining fabric in half lengthwise and then widthwise. My corner that is the double fold is at the top left. This is very important to know where your corner is so you get a circle when you cut it out.

 
3. Repeat for your main fabric and place it on top of your lining fabric. Match up the double folded corners.
 
4. Pin at all four corners to hold it in place.

 
5. Lay your measuring tape along the top edge, starting at your double folded corner. Measure out the right 28 inches and make a mark.

 
6. Measure out diagonally from the double folded corner and make a mark at 28 inches.

 
7. Measure straight down from your double folded corner and make a mark at 28 inches.

 
8. You can make as many marks as you like and then connect your marks to form a quarter circle.

 
9. Pin to the inside of your quarter circle so the fabric will stay in place as you cut.
 
10. Cut along the quarter circle markings you drew.
 






 
11. Starting at the double folded corner measure out 2 inches to the right, diagonally and straight down. Make your marks.
 
12. Cut along your marks.
 
 
 
13. Open up your circles and lay them RIGHT SIDES together.
 
 
14. Cut from the outer edge up to the middle circle in one spot only. This will allow your tree skirt to open and spread out around your tree.



15. Cut four pieces of ribbon 21 inches long each. Fold back your main fabric and pin two ribbons evenly spaced along your cut, making the raw edges meet. Place the other two on the opposite side of these ribbons.

 
16. Lay your main fabric back down so the ribbons are inbetween the two layers. Pin all the way around the edge of the circle, up the cut side, around the inner circle and down the cut side again.

 
17. You will sew around the entire edge of your tree skirt using a 5/8 inch seam allowance but you will STOP SEWING 6 inches before your starting point. This will leave room for turning right side out.  ****I started sewing in the back of the circle. I sewed around towards the front, up the slit, around the inner circle, down the slit and back around to where I started, but STOPPED sewing 6 inches before my starting point. Backstitch.
 
See the hole I left...

 
18. Using small scissors, clip up to but not through the sewn line all the way around your tree skirt and especially around the inner circle. This will give the fabric some ease and help it turn and lay better.

 
19. Turn right side out. Press with an iron. Use your fingers and your iron to turn in the hem of the opening you left. Pin it closed.

 
20. Topstitch using a 1/8 inch seam allowance all the way around your tree skirt again, up the slit, around the inner circle, down the slit and all the way to your starting point.

 
21. You DID IT!!!
 
Lay it around your tree and enjoy!!



 
Merry Christmas! I hope you all are enjoying decorating, shopping, baking, sewing and looking forward to some time with your loved ones!!
 

 
 
Happy Sewing!
Jenny Hall

1 comment:

Rebecca said...

Such a great picture of y'all!!! And love that tree skirt too. I like the mix of delicate lace and rich suede