3 Adorable Tree Skirts Made From Drop Cloths

Upgrade your outdated tree skirt and save some serious cash this holiday season by handmaking your very own with an inexpensive drop cloth.

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Drop-Cloth Tree Skirt

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A drop cloth is transformed into a cheerful tree skirt with ruffles, stripes or pom-poms.

Tree skirts are surprisingly expensive for a decorative item you'll only use one month out of the year. And if you’re looking to find a fashionable one and still stay under budget, well … good luck. Fortunately, simple drop cloths (usually used for protecting surfaces when painting) can be very inexpensive, and with just a few crafty tweaks, they make the perfect tree skirt.

Pleated to Perfection

A Christmas Tree With a Pleated Skirt and Gifts

A Pleated Tree Skirt Made From a Drop Cloth

This pleated tree skirt is made out of a canvas drop cloth. The drop cloth has been cut to shape and layered with ruffled strips of drop cloth to achieve the pleated look.

Photo by: Jalynn Baker

Jalynn Baker

Start by laying your drop cloth on a flat surface. Next, cut a piece of twine to 2 feet. Make a dot with a marker at the estimated center point, then move the marker to the far end of the string and rotate around the center point like a compass. The end result should be a large circle with a 4-foot diameter. Cut along the line with scissors. Next, place a dinner plate in the center of the circle and trace using a marker. Using scissors, cut directly from the outside of the circle to the smaller traced circle and continue to cut until the center portion is removed.

Jalynn Baker

Photo By: Jalynn Baker

Cut any leftover drop cloth pieces into 8-inch wide strips, removing any bulky seams. Depending on how large of a drop cloth you used and how lush you’d like your layers to be, you may need to use a second drop cloth for extra strips. Once you’ve cut out your desired number of strips, place your tree skirt on a piece of cardboard to protect your work surface and begin hot gluing the strips onto the skirt. Start by placing the end of one strip against the opening of the skirt and hot gluing to secure. Neatly fold gathered pleats and hot glue as you go around the skirt. Once the first layer is complete, work toward the center of the skirt adding layers as you go. For a lusher look, make the layers very tight. For a more relaxed look, add more space between the layers.

Jalynn Baker

Photo By: Jalynn Baker

Simple Stripes

A Canvas Drop Cloth Tree Skirt Beneath a Christmas Tree

A Striped Canvas Tree Skirt Made From a Drop Cloth

This beautiful striped tree skirt is made out of a canvas drop cloth and painted with red paint. The stripes are formed using ordinary painter's tape.

Photo by: Jalynn Baker

Jalynn Baker

Following the same method as before, cut a drop cloth into a circle tree skirt with a 4-foot diameter. Next, place painter’s tape across one side of the skirt and leave small strips between the pieces. To get perfectly sized strips, use thin pieces of painter's tape between the larger tape and remove when you're ready to paint. Once you’ve taped down your desired pattern, use a foam roller to paint your favorite color within the stripes and allow to dry. Remove the tape to reveal the elegantly festive design!

Jalynn Baker

Photo By: Jalynn Baker

Pom-Poms Galore

A Christmas Tree Surrounded by Yarn Pompoms on a Tree Skirt

A Drop Cloth Tree Skirt With Yarn Pompoms around Edge

This tree skirt is made out of a recycled drop cloth and decorate using handmade pompoms. The pompoms are made out of bunched up yarn and attached in a red and green pattern.

Photo by: Jalynn Baker

Jalynn Baker

Cut out a drop cloth tree skirt by following the above procedure. Next, wrap thick green yarn around your hand 60 times. Remove from your hand and tie another long piece of green yarn around the middle of the entire bunch. Use scissors to cut the loops out of the yarn bunch and form pom-poms. Clean up any stray yarn pieces with the scissors, being sure to leave the long piece for tying. Use a hole punch to create holes along the edge of the tree skirt and tie the pom-poms in place. Use scissors to cut off the excess yarn from the knot and continue alternating colors until the whole skirt has been decked in poms. All done! Just don’t forget to accessorize with beautifully wrapped presents.