Easy Ruched Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial

With Christmas right around the corner, does your Christmas tree skirt need an update?
With soft gathers…

And contrast bias tape trim…

This easy ruched tree skirt can be made in about an hour!

Ready to get started?

Materials:

1 3/4 yd 54″-60″ wide medium weight fabric – since the tree skirt will not be lined, make sure that the fabric is heavy enough to lie flat and keep it’s shape under the tree, but lightweight enough that it will still gather with elastic thread – I used a medium weight chambray cotton
3 packages double fold extra wide bias tape
elastic thread (I also give an option for without elastic thread)

Directions:

Fold your fabric in half and then half again to form a square.

Measure from the corner to the selvage. My fabric was 27″, but if you have more width, use it! Since we’ll be gathering the fabric in, the finished tree skirt will be smaller. Use that measurement to make marks in a curve shape all the way to the opposite corner.

 
Cut along marks.

Use a bowl to trace and cut a quarter-circle in the corner of your folded fabric.

Fold the fabric in half, and half again, forming a narrow triangle.

Press along folded edge to mark tree skirt into eight equal sections.

Using pins or a fabric marker (I used both because my disappearing ink pen started to fade on me), mark along pressed lines. You can ignore the factory fold marks from the fabric being on the bolt, and just mark the 8 equally spaced pressed lines.

Cut along one line from the outer edge of the circle to the middle.
Wind a bobbin by hand with elastic thread (wind it loosely), and stitch along 7 remaining marked lines. You’ll be using regular thread in the top still. If you don’t have elastic thread, you can also use a basting stitch and then hand-gather the fabric, but you may want to stitch over the gathers with a regular stitch to secure them in place afterwards.
Make 6 ties from bias tape (I made the ties out of fabric because I was short on bias tape), and sew onto wrong side of tree skirt opening, spaced equally apart on each side. Make sure to stay about 1″ away from the top and bottom to allow room for the bias tape trim.
Beginning at inner circle, sandwich bias tape around raw edge of fabric, with wider side of bias tape on the bottom. Stitch around all raw edges of tree skirt…
Tucking raw edges under and overlapping ends of bias tape when you reach the end of one.

At corners, backstitch, lift presser foot, and cut the thread so you can neatly miter the corner of the bias tape. Press ties away from tree skirt and topstitch in place.

  

Adjust gathers if needed and press each line of elastic thread stitching with steam to help the elastic shrink in and give your tree skirt even more ruching!

Tie your new tree skirt under your tree…
And have a Merry Christmas!

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20 Comments

  1. I think your tree skirt turned out lovely. I have never ruched fabric before. What foot do you use for the sewing machine? Thanks.

    Jessica

  2. This is such a cute idea! I’ll have to keep it in mind for next year, when we’re done remodeling and I can decorate. Thanks for sharing this tutorial! :)

  3. Your tree skirt looks so pretty, I love the colours! I’ve got this linked to my tree skirts project post too today, for inspiration – happy holidays!

  4. I would like to make one without elastic thread, but I don’t see your option to do it without – My thinking is just to gather it, yes?

  5. I have what is called a “slim” tree, or possibly a pencil tree. Can you give me some idea what modifications I should make with measurements.
    Thank you

    1. If it were me, I’d probably not make any adjustments, as it’s not a super wide tree skirt after the ruching is added. Hope that helps!

  6. I have some light blue with snow flakes in silver it is thin but if I can am going to try to make this for my tree as I am going with all light and dark blue in the tree this year wish me luck. do you think I should
    double it?

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