How To: A Vintage Inspired Tree Skirt

After scouring Etsy, eBay, a few thrift stores and your recommendations, the craft bug got to me. I set out making a tree skirt that was mostly inspired by this 1950s wrapping paper posted on the blog Present & Correct.

So cute. With this pattern in mind, I went to our local fabric store to get some felt. Here’s what you’ll need for this project. Trust me, it’s easy and cheap.

Supplies:
Felt for the skirt: I made my skirt for a smallish aluminum tree, so in the end I needed 1 1/2 yards. It was on sale and only $2.99 a yard so $4.50 total.

Felt for the shapes: I used three different colors and bought the individual sheets of felt that were four for $1.00. This time I tried to pick something more modern (the neon pink), because I like to pair vintage with modern. I had a lighter pink and it looked super granny.

Aleene’s Tacky Glue: Hopefully you have this on hand because it’s so useful. If not, it’s around $1.50.

Scissors: I used my Fiskar’s spring-loaded scissors because I was lazy. You can also use a nice pair of shears.

That’s it! Here’s how you make it.

I folded my felt in half then in half again and drew a semicircle using my measuring tape and a marker stolen from my son’s markers. Fancy. Just hold the tape in the corner with all the folds and pull the marker around in a semi-circle. Cut it out.

Then, use a glass to mark a small middle circle where it will wrap around the tree stem. I should have used a smaller glass. Now you know.

Next, cut a line from the outside if your skirt to the inside circle you just cut out. My felt was heavily creased so I carefully followed that fold line.

Then, cut your little shapes. I used three colors of felt and cut a strip 1″ long out of the felt. Then I cut each strip to 1″ square. Some I made into little triangles. You can layer the felt and cut two at once. This speeds things up!

Cut out…oh…45 shapes of each color. It goes quickly, believe me. I think I spent half an hour cutting shapes. If you have a rotary cutter, a cutting board and a ruler this goes so fast. If not, you can cut strips with scissors.

Next, put them as randomly as you can on your skirt. I’d like to say I didn’t stare and over-analyze every shape placement. But I totally did. Once you’re happy, glue them in place with your tacky glue.

My skirt was done in about an hour and a half and cost $5.50. It looks so vintage and no one else has one like it I’m sure!

Now if everything else in here wasn’t so beige. Work in progress I keep telling myself!

I love the skirt peeking out from below the aluminum tree!

The last thing I’m wondering is if I need to finish the felt edge. Pom-pom fringe maybe? What do you think?