Deborah Chan
Wedding dresses are often expensive and worn only once, so it's no surprise that many people look for ways to repurpose them. One creative way to do this is to turn the dress into a tree skirt. This can be done by cutting the dress at the bodice or midway down, ensuring a minimum of 30 for the skirt. The raw edges can be finished with a hem or ribbon, and any fabric shortages can be supplemented with matching fabric. The skirt can then be decorated with lace or other trimmings from the dress. When it's not in use, the tree skirt should be stored with care, just like the original wedding dress, to ensure it can be enjoyed for years to come.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First Step | Depending on the length of the dress, cut at the bodice or midway down, ensuring a minimum of 30" for the skirt. |
| Second Step | If the centre of the skirt has a raw edge, hem it or finish it with ribbon. If the skirt is not big enough to go around the back of the tree, add fabric as necessary. |
| Third Step | Cut the skirt along the hemline markings and finish off the freshly-cut edges with a zig-zag stitch to prevent any unravelling. |
| Fourth Step | Turn in the rough edges to give the skirt a smooth, polished look, or sew lace or other trimmings from the unused portion of the dress across the top of the edges. |
| Fifth Step | Position the homemade tree skirt around the base of the Christmas tree and gather the waistline of the gown around the tree's stand. |
| Sixth Step | Determine how tight the skirt should be in relation to the tree's stump and mark your measurement with pins at the point where the two sides meet. |
| Seventh Step | Sew one half of a snap to either side of the skirt's waistline to enclose the tree skirt around the Christmas tree. Fluff the wedding dress skirt around the tree's base as necessary. |
| Storage | Store the skirt in an acid-free cardboard box and encase the box in an unbleached muslin bag. Place it in a dry area. |
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What You'll Learn
- Cut the dress at the bodice or midway down, leaving a minimum of 30 for the skirt
- Finish the raw edge with ribbon or hem it
- Cut the skirt along the hemline and finish with a zig-zag stitch to prevent unravelling
- Smooth the edges or add lace or trimmings
- Mark the curve of the inner corner with a pen and cut along the line
Cut the dress at the bodice or midway down, leaving a minimum of 30 for the skirt
The first step in transforming your wedding dress into a tree skirt is to cut the dress at the bodice or midway down, leaving a minimum of 30 inches for the skirt. This will be the foundation of your tree skirt, so ensure that you have enough fabric to work with. If your dress is on the shorter side, cutting it midway down will give you the necessary length for the skirt.
When cutting the dress, use a fabric pen or tailor's chalk to mark the cutting line. You can also pin the fabric in place to ensure a straight cut. If you're cutting midway down the dress, use a measuring tape to ensure you have the desired 30-inch minimum length for the skirt.
After cutting, you'll be left with a tube of fabric that will form the body of your tree skirt. At this point, you can decide if you want to hem the raw edge or finish it with ribbon. If you choose to hem it, use a zig-zag stitch along the cut edge to prevent any fraying or unraveling. Alternatively, you can finish the edge with a ribbon, either by sewing or gluing it in place.
Now that you have the basic structure of your tree skirt, you'll need to gather the fabric to create a circular shape. To do this, turn the fabric inside out and locate the cut edge. Most dresses are sewn in panels, so you'll see where those panels were joined together. For each panel, mark the middle point between the seams. Then, using a yardstick, draw a line from the middle point down to the end of the seam on one side. Repeat this process for each panel, creating a guideline for gathering the fabric.
By following these steps, you'll have a beautiful tree skirt made from your wedding dress, ready to be displayed during the holidays.
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Finish the raw edge with ribbon or hem it
If you're turning a wedding dress into a tree skirt and the centre of your skirt is a raw edge, you can either hem it or finish it with a ribbon. Here's how to do it:
Ribbon Finish
Ribbon finishes are a great way to add a decorative touch to your tree skirt. It is a simple technique that can be done by hand or with a machine. First, cut a piece of ribbon that is the same length as the edge of your tree skirt. Place the ribbon with its wrong side facing down, and line up the edge so that it slightly overlaps the edge of the skirt. Sew the ribbon down using a coordinating thread, stitching just at the very edge. You can choose to let the ribbon show or hide it on the inside of the hem.
Hemming
If you choose to hem the raw edge, you can do so by hand or with a machine. To hand-finish the hem, use a slip stitch to secure the edge of the fabric to the garment. Be sure to only catch 2-3 threads from the garment at a time, so there is no visible stitching on the face of the fabric. To machine stitch the hem, work from the wrong side of the garment and stitch through the unattached lengthwise edge of the fabric, following the edge as a guide. This will result in an even, smooth topstitch on both the wrong and right sides of the garment.
Choosing the Right Ribbon/Tape
When choosing the right ribbon or tape for your project, consider the thickness of the fabric. For heavy, thick fabrics, a wider tape of 1/2" or more is suitable, while lightweight fabrics require a narrower tape of 1/4". If you are unsure, test different widths on a scrap of your fabric. It is best to match the colour of the ribbon or tape to your garment as closely as possible. If you can't find a close match, opt for a neutral or complementary colour. You can also use a contrasting colour to incorporate it into the design.
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Cut the skirt along the hemline and finish with a zig-zag stitch to prevent unravelling
The first step in transforming your wedding dress into a tree skirt is to cut the skirt along the hemline. If there are no existing hemline markings, you can create a curve by pinning a piece of string of the desired width to the very edge of the inner corner and marking the curve with a pen as you move the string from one corner to the other. Cut along the pen lines, then unfold the skirt and cut 1/4 inch away from the line on each side, from the outer edge to the inner edge.
Once you've cut the skirt, you'll want to finish the freshly cut edges with a zig-zag stitch to prevent any unravelling. This is an important step to ensure that your tree skirt remains intact and doesn't fray over time. You can then choose to turn in the rough edges for a smooth, polished look, or you can sew lace or other trimmings from the unused portion of the dress across the top of the edges for a decorative touch.
If the centre of the skirt is a raw edge, you can either hem it or finish it with ribbon. This will help to create a neat and tidy appearance. Depending on the length of your dress, you may want to cut at the bodice or midway down, ensuring a minimum of 30" for the skirt. You can also add fabric as needed if your skirt is not big enough to go around the back of the tree.
By following these steps, you can create a beautiful and unique tree skirt from your wedding dress, adding a personal and sentimental touch to your holiday decorations.
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Smooth the edges or add lace or trimmings
If the centre of your skirt is a raw edge, you can either hem it or finish it with a ribbon. To hem the edge, you can use a serger, a zigzag stitch, or bias tape. Sergers wrap the thread around the edge of the fabric for a strong and neat finish. Zigzag stitches are great for preventing fraying and can be done on a regular sewing machine. French seams are another way to hide raw edges inside folds, making them strong and clean.
If you want to add lace to the edges of your tree skirt, you should first wash and prepare your fabric and lace trim. This is important as lace and fabric may shrink by different amounts. Cotton lace trim, in particular, is prone to considerable shrinkage. If the lace is stiff, you may want to soak and hand wash it to remove starch. Pin the lace trim to the edge with at least a 1/4-inch overlap and stitch along the lace edge with a narrow zigzag stitch. When adding lace on top of your fabric, pin it in place and then zigzag along the edge. You can also use lace insertion to cover the seams of your tree skirt. Simply sew your seam, trim the seams, and press open. Then, centre the insertion lace over the seam.
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Mark the curve of the inner corner with a pen and cut along the line
To turn a wedding dress into a tree skirt, you will need to mark the curve of the inner corner with a pen and cut along the line. This is a crucial step in ensuring the tree skirt has a smooth and polished finish.
First, take a piece of string that matches the width of the folded square and pin it to the very edge of the inner corner. Move the string from one corner to the other, marking the curve with a pen as you go. This will create a smooth and even curve for the inner corner of the tree skirt.
After you have marked the curve with the pen, carefully cut along the line. It is essential to be precise during this step to ensure a clean and straight edge. Once you have cut along the line, unfold the fabric and choose one of the fold lines. Cut 1/4 inch away from the line on each side, moving from the outer edge to the inner edge.
At this point, you can decide whether to sew or glue the tree skirt together. If you choose to sew, pin the binding along the edges and sew it in place using the fold line as a guide. If you prefer to glue the skirt, unfold the bias tape once and glue it along the top. Then, flip the skirt over and repeat the process on the other side.
By following these steps and marking the curve of the inner corner with a pen, you will create a well-fitted and elegant tree skirt from your wedding dress.
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Frequently asked questions
Start by cutting away the bodice of the dress, then pinning the skirt in place. You can use hot glue to hold everything in place and hide the seam with ribbon. If you want to sew the skirt, cut along the hemline markings and finish off the freshly-cut edges with a zig-zag stitch to prevent any unravelling.
Before gluing or sewing, make sure your gathers are nice and even. You can sew on the bias tape around the inner circle if your tree skirt is large, but if it's small, it's much easier to glue it on. You can also sew on fasteners to enclose the skirt around the tree.
Bridal fabric is very delicate, so make sure to store your tree skirt properly at the end of the season. Package it in an acid-free cardboard box and encase the box in an unbleached muslin bag. Place it in a dry area so you can enjoy it for years to come.
