Tree Skirt Pattern: Sizes, Fabric and Circle Math

A tree skirt pattern is a circle with a small hole in the center and a straight opening from the hole to the edge. For a 48 inch skirt, the radius is 24 inches, half the diameter. Cut the outer edge at 24½ inches and the center hole at 2½ inches from the same point. That includes ½ inch seams and gives a 6 inch hole. Each layer takes about 1½ yards of 60 inch fabric or 2⅞ yards of 44 inch fabric.

For more holiday makes, see the full list of Christmas sewing projects.

TL;DR

Common sizes: 36, 48 and 60 inches across.
Circle math: radius = diameter ÷ 2. Do the same for the center hole.
Close the back opening with ties, hook-and-loop tape or snaps.
Want it ready to print? The Christmas Tree Skirt pattern (Premium) comes in 36, 48 and 56 inches across. The circle method below is free.

What size tree skirt do you need?

Pick a skirt about as wide as the lowest branches, so it covers the stand without vanishing under the tree. These are rules of thumb.

Finished size	Radius	Good for
36 in	18 in	Tabletop trees and trees up to about 5 ft
48 in	24 in	Trees about 6 to 7 ft
60 in	30 in	Trees about 7½ ft and taller, or very full trees

How does the circle math work?

A tree skirt is a ring: two circles drawn from the same center point.

Outer radius = finished diameter ÷ 2. A 48 inch skirt has a 24 inch radius.
Hole radius = hole diameter ÷ 2. A 6 inch hole has a 3 inch radius.

With ½ inch seams, add ½ inch to the outer radius and subtract ½ inch from the hole radius. If you will bind the outer edge, skip the outer ½ inch.

Finished size	Cut outer radius	Cut hole radius (6 in hole)	Finished ring width
36 in	18½ in	2½ in	15 in
48 in	24½ in	2½ in	21 in
60 in	30½ in	2½ in	27 in

To size the hole, measure around the trunk just above the stand, divide by 3.14 and add an inch or two. A 4 to 6 inch hole is common. To draw the circles, fold the fabric in half and in half again, hold a tape measure at the folded corner and mark the radius as you swing it around.

How do you use the circle skirt calculator for a tree skirt?

A tree skirt is a full circle skirt with a tiny waist, so our circle skirt calculator can do the math. Enter:

Skirt type: Full.
Waist: 3.14 × the hole diameter. For a 6 inch hole, enter 18.85.
Skirt length: the ring width, (finished diameter − hole diameter) ÷ 2. For 48 inches with a 6 inch hole, enter 21.
Waist seam allowance 0.5. Hem allowance 0.5 for a lined skirt, or 0 for a bound edge.
Your fabric width, and 5 percent shrinkage if you prewash.

For the 48 inch example, it gives a 2½ inch waist circle and a 24½ inch hem circle, with 1½ yards of 58 to 60 inch fabric or 2⅞ yards of 44 inch fabric. Ignore its zipper note. A tree skirt gets a straight back opening instead.

How much fabric does a tree skirt need?

These amounts are for one layer, with ½ inch seams and 5 percent for shrinkage, rounded up to the next ⅛ yard. Buy the same again for the lining.

Finished size	44 in fabric	58 to 60 in fabric	108 in backing
36 in	1⅛ yd, one piece	1⅛ yd, one piece	1⅛ yd
48 in	2⅞ yd, two half circles	1½ yd, one piece	1½ yd
60 in	3⅝ yd, two half circles	3⅝ yd, two half circles	1⅞ yd

Two half circles suit a tree skirt well. One join becomes the back opening, and the other is a single seam at the front. For a 60 inch skirt, 108 inch quilt backing is the easy route for the lining.

Quilted or simple lined?

Style	Layers	Edge	Time (estimate)
Simple lined	Top and lining	Sewn and turned	About 2 to 3 hours
Lined with batting	Top, thin batting and lining	Sewn and turned	About 3 to 4 hours
Quilted and bound	Top, batting and backing	Bias binding	About 5 hours or more

Quilt in spokes out from the center or in rings, with a walking foot. Cut the layers 2 inches larger all around and trim to the circle after quilting, because quilting draws them in. Batting about 4 inches wider than the skirt is enough: crib size for 36 inches, throw size for 48 and twin size for 60. Curves need bias binding, about 222 inches for a 48 inch skirt, and the bias binding calculator turns that into yardage. If your backing must be pieced, the quilt size calculator shows how to join panels of 44 inch fabric.

How do you close the back opening?

Fabric ties: 3 or 4 pairs, cut 2 x 14 in and folded to ½ in wide. The classic look.
Ribbon ties: 3 or 4 pairs of ⅝ in ribbon, 12 in each. Cut the ends at an angle.
Hook-and-loop tape: a strip the length of the opening (21 in on a 48 in skirt), or four 2 in pieces. Closes flat.
Snaps: 4 to 6, neat and hidden.

Place the first pair of ties about 1 inch from the hole and the last about 2 inches from the edge, with the rest evenly between.

What trim can you add?

The outer edge is the diameter × 3.14: about 113 inches on a 36 inch skirt, 151 on a 48 inch skirt and 188 on a 60 inch skirt.

Trim	36 in	48 in	60 in
Pom-pom or ric-rac trim to buy	3½ yd	4½ yd	5½ yd
Ruffle strip, 1½ times fullness	170 in	226 in	283 in
Ruffle strip, 2 times fullness	226 in	302 in	377 in

For a ruffle, cut 5 inch strips, join them, fold in half lengthwise and gather. That gives a 2 inch ruffle after a ½ inch seam. Divide the length by 40 inches for the number of strips across 44 inch fabric. A 48 inch skirt at 1½ fullness needs 6 strips, or ⅞ yard.

How do you sew a lined tree skirt, step by step?

Cut the top and the lining, plus thin batting if you want padding.
Cut the back opening: one straight line from the edge to the hole. With two half circles, join them on one side only.
Baste any trim to the right side of the top along the outer edge, facing in.
Stack the batting, the top right side up and the lining right side down. Pin the ties between top and lining at the opening, pointing in.
Sew all around with a ½ inch seam, leaving an 8 to 10 inch gap on one straight edge.
Trim the batting close to the seam. Clip the hole curve, notch the outer curve if there is no trim, and clip the corners.
Turn through the gap, press and close the gap by hand.
Topstitch ¼ inch from the edge. Add hook-and-loop tape or snaps now if you chose them.

How can you decorate it?

A big bow at the back opening finishes the look. The Quilted Bow is a beginner pattern that takes about 1 hour, in Mini (about 5 in wide), Medium (about 9 in) and Large (about 14 in). The Large uses one fat quarter of each of two fabrics. It attaches with a clip, a pin back or floral wire, so it can move from the tree skirt to a wreath. More matching projects are on the Christmas sewing patterns page.

On iPhone, search “Sewzy” on the App Store for the step-by-step guide and every size.

Make it with Sewzy

Sewzy is a sewing pattern app for iPhone, with free patterns and Premium. Every pattern comes in every size, with a printable PDF and a written step-by-step guide. Get Sewzy on the App Store.

FAQ

What size is a standard tree skirt?

Common sizes are 36, 48 and 60 inches across. A 48 inch skirt suits most trees around 6 to 7 feet tall. Pick one about as wide as the lowest branches.

How much fabric do I need for a 48 inch tree skirt?

About 1½ yards of 58 to 60 inch fabric, or 2⅞ yards of 44 inch fabric cut as two half circles. Buy the same again for the lining.

How do I find the radius for a tree skirt?

Divide the finished diameter by 2. A 48 inch skirt has a 24 inch radius, so with a ½ inch seam you cut it at 24½ inches. For the hole, halve its diameter and subtract the seam allowance.

Can I use a circle skirt calculator for a tree skirt?

Yes. Choose a full circle, enter 3.14 times the hole diameter as the waist and the ring width as the skirt length. For a 48 inch skirt with a 6 inch hole, that is 18.85 and 21 inches.

How do you close the back of a tree skirt?

Sew 3 or 4 pairs of fabric or ribbon ties into the back opening, or use hook-and-loop tape or snaps. Ties are the classic look, and hook-and-loop closes flat.