{the only photo I could find that showed part of my tree skirt–a leftover piece of fur–no one ever focuses on the skirt, you shouldn’t either}
I’m going to get hate mail for this one I just know it:
Do not ever purchase a tree skirt–use that money to buy more tree lights, we both know you could use them. Or use the extra money to buy gifts, if you have lots of gifts then who needs a skirt? If you have a skirt already, fine use it, but I’m convinced tree skirts were created by the government as a ploy to get us to buy yet one more unnecessary, unitasker thing.
Here are some things you can use to clothe your tree bottom instead:
- An old curtain
- table cloth {scrunch it up so you don’t see the stains}
- burlap
- a piece of fur
- two pillow shams layered around
- extra fabric you have packed away
- tulle
- place baskets around the ugly tree stand and fill them with gifts
- one of your own skirts from your closet–a full one
- a quilt or pretty blanket
- a sheet
- lots of gifts {my personal favorite}
- An old bridesmaid dress {strait from the brilliant comment section!}
If you don’t have any of this stuff and live in an empty house, you probably need to buy other things more than a tree skirt. If you still insist on purchasing something, buy yourself a pretty fur throw and then after the holidays put it on your sofa so it has more than one use.
{I try to pick a tree where I can have lots of low branches–there’s barely room for gifts, much less a poor little skirt}
Let the hate mail flow.
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I so agree with not buying an expensive tree skirt! I usually use an old white sheet under my tree! I would rather see lots of presents under MY tree! :)
I totally agree! I hate the store-bought tree skirt! I always used a beautiful old quilt my great-grandmother made for me when I was born. Since Christmas is about faith and family, why not, right? It also gave me an opportunity to tell my kiddos stories about my family and the traditions that we celebrated. Nowdays, I use a tree skirt on our main tree, but only because it was handmade by a dear friend who gave it to me as a Christmas present a few years ago. The old quilt is still used on another tree in the house, so we still get to share stories and family memories! :) Merry Christmas!
This is brilliant. I was on my way to purchase a tree skirt until I read this. Now I think I will just pull out this gauzy cream colored fabric I have had since forever and drape it under the tree.
well, I must confess… I have a tree skirt. It has been around for YEARS, since my daughter was very young. I still use it every year, but after all the presents appear, you can’t see it anyway. I’m very sentimental, so I’m sure I’ll keep using the same store bought skirt for many years!
However, now that my daughter is grown, I would NOT purchase one at this point.
I love all of your alternatives!
Merry Christmas!
gail
hooray! i’ve been w/o a tree skirt the past few years b/c i simply can’t find the right one, plus, each year my tree changes a bit and so it’s been such a frustration for me. but i’m so thankful i read your list of alternatives!! i have the perfect family-made quilt that i just put down and it’s perfect, my husband loves it too~ many thanks & merry christmas!! sara : )
I use a sheet that’s scrunched up. It looks shabby and that’s the look I was going for. Love your trees!!! Great ideas as well.
How affirming! We didn’t have a tree skirt and I kept balking at the thought of having to spend money on one but thought it was a “must.” Turns out, it isn’t! Thank you for the creative suggestions.
I’m in complete agreement!
As a matter of fact, I’ve never owned a tree skirt! I’ve done a couple of the things already mentioned! This year it’s the red round tablecloth. Last year, it was a burgundy window scarf. Previous years, have had the stuffing of pillows to resemble snow and everything else in between. However, the present filled tree bottom is the all-time fave! After it’s all said and done, the presents cover any trace of a tree skirt, so why waste any money on a store bought one?!
A tree skirt is just something else to take up space for 11 months of the year. I usually use fabric that I have left over, but this year I probably use a table cloth that seldom gets used any more. I like the fur throw idea, too.
Thank you! Thank you! I needed this very post today! Our attic ate our tree skirt this year, and I wasn’t ready to go out and buy a new one. Now, I am searching through my closets for the perfect skirt! Great idea!
Hayley
Agreed – this year I used my great gran’s christmas red crocheted table cloth over an old white table cloth for our skirt. Not only is is lovely but it incorporates the old with the new.
OK! I know It’s waaaay after Christmas, but I have to tell you what I did this year! I got the biggest round galvanized metal wash-tub from Home Depot…it was like $30. Plopped my tree in the middle…put a white blanket over the stand part(It’s a fake one!) Put little white lights over the blanket…then put fiberfill (pillow stuffing)over that…It looked like glowing snow! soooo coool!
Of course the fiberfill had been sitting in my closet for two years waiting for me to get done sewing those silly pillow covers…and the blanket & lights… we had! Now that spring is comming around, I plan on using that big wash tub to keep beverages nice and cold during cookouts!