Make a No-Sew Ruffled Christmas Tree Skirt

My crafty friend Jenni posted some photos of an absolutely gorgeous DIY Christmas tree skirt that she had made this week, and I knew the instant that I saw it that I needed to share it with all of you here! Isn’t it so pretty and country-shabby-chic-y wonderful? Here’s what Jenni had to say about this project:

Years ago I bought a bright green felt tree skirt from Canadian Tire, with tacky Santa Claus appliques all over it. I have pretty much hated it ever since. The past few years I have been collecting rustic, country-style decor to outfit my home for Christmas, and I was so inspired by this burlap and plaid ruffled tree skirt (http://doneoverdecor.blogspot.ca/2011/12/ruffle-tree-skirt.html) that I had to give it a try! The best thing about it is that there is no sewing required at all, which is great because no matter how often I say I’m going to get better at sewing, I just cannot motivate myself. All this tree skirt requires is an old tree skirt, a glue gun, and 2 meters each of burlap and a Christmas print of your choice.

My mother-in-law, who turns everything she touches to gold with her craftiness, provided the blue tree skirt and the burlap. We cut the two fabrics into strips 2 inches wide, sat on her kitchen floor with a glue gun each, and spent the afternoon gluing the fabric down in rows until my two daughters woke from their naps. Basically, all you are doing is starting at the outside, gluing down the top edge and folding it over every few inches to create ruffles (see the link for the full tutorial). We also put a dot of glue under the ruffle and pressed against the fabric beneath to ensure the ruffles stuck instead of standing straight up. Once you’ve done one row, just layer the next piece of fabric a few inches above so it overlaps a bit and continue gluing. From start to finish, it took me about three hours with a bit of help. I love the contrast between the shimmery gold strands in the cranberry plaid fabric and the stray bits of burlap coming loose at the edges, giving it a cozy rustic feel!

After Christmas, I am going to spend some time gluing down the bottoms of the rows, as you can see the original tree skirt underneath. Regardless of whether I ever get around to that, though, I now have a gorgeous tree skirt that matches the rest of my decor and that I am proud of – so long, Santa!