Christmas Tree Skirts are a trendy decorating item during the Xmas season. They are functional and add a little extra character to other decorations. Although origins remain a mystery, some historians believe that Christmas tree skirts most likely originated from Germany, which is also where the decorating of trees started.
During those days, real candles were used to decorate trees. However, using candles meant that there was a chance that a fire might break out. To prevent this, a covering would be placed under the base of the Xmas tree. These covering were also used for collecting wax and needles that fell out of the tree.
At first, the mats used under trees were not for decorative purposes, and they were simply a piece of fabric that was placed beneath, washed and recycled when the holidays were over. At around 1879, Christmas tree stands became popular and led the standard mat to evolve into the tree skirt. In addition to being able to collect wax and materials that fall off, the skirt also helped to hide the unattractive tree stand.
During this time, Christmas tree skirts started becoming more decorative and ornate as families embroidered or quilted their them to match the decor in their homes. Eventually, they also began to be used for placing additional decorations such as an Xmas village or a vintage manger scene.
As the tradition of Xmas evolved and people started placing gifts under a tree instead of hanging them, tree skirts became an important decorating item for putting gifts.
If you like sewing, here’s how to make a skirt for this Xmas.
Christmas tree skirt design ideas
Nowadays, Christmas Tree Skirts are used mostly as a means of decoration to hide the unattractive tree stand. In a lot of homes, Xmas manger scenes get placed elsewhere; gifts gain the most attention under the tree.
Below are three beautiful design ideas:
Festive Christmas Tree Skirt by SewCraftyJess
This skirt measures approximately 60-inches in diameter (can be increased depending on preference). Its fabric consists of different red and green prints. The binding is made of a bias cut red and white striped fabric which can be found at Joann Fabric Coupons. It also has a straight line quilting that measures 1/4 inch on each side of the seam.
Batik and velvet patch design by Sew 4 Home
This Christmas tree skirt design features Victorian Velvet and Xmas Batik fabrics from Fabric Depot. Decorating homes using Batiks has grown familiar in a lot of households with various manufacturers coming up with unique designs.
The motifs are somewhat larger, and the colors might be a bit bolder from what you would normally expect from a traditional batik. It still manages to provide a festive look.
Read more about it here.
Mini Xmas skirt by Melissa Peda
This design is perfect for small trees. It is also a great size for the holiday table centerpiece. Other additional decorations such as candles and plants would fit nicely into this quilted skirt.
The design can also be made to be a bit more creative by choosing fabrics, mix matching fabrics, and adding embellishments such as beads, buttons, yo-yos, etc.
Here’s the post talking about this design: http://freespiritfabric.blogspot.com/2010/12/tutorial-that-will-get-you-in-spirit.html