Yesterday I mentioned that Jeff and I went to the local tree farm and cut down a tree for my Christmas HGTV.com photo shoots. It was a pretty odd event…cutting down a Christmas tree just a couple of days before Easter, but I have gotten used to the seasonal confusion that happens in the decorating and retail world. You always have to be thinking and working well ahead of the seasons.
Not only did we have to cut down and trim the tree yesterday, but I had to decorate it three times to photograph three different tree skirts. My arms had so many pin pricks on them it looked like I had hives! I guess I usually have long sleeves on when I’m decorating the tree in December! Despite my flesh wounds, the process was fun in its own weird little way.
The first tree skirt was a “sunburst” design, made of felt, and a no-sew project. I pictured using many colors of felt…like those found in vintage ribbon candies and I played with different designs in my mind. I didn’t find the felt colors that were right, so I decided to go with simple red and white. I chose a pattern of rectangles (or large-scale fringe) to make the “sunburst” pattern. It could obviously be done in a variety of colors, though, depending on the kind of felt you can find. Felt colors (in large yardage pieces, anyway) are pretty limited in my experience.
This one turned out so cute and was my favorite tree to decorate. I used red wooden beads, candy canes, vintage German ornaments and oversized “sweater” balls to emphasize the red and white color scheme. Since I had to reuse the packages for three different shoots, I wrapped them in glossy white paper and changed out the ribbons. I, of course, used red and white for this shoot with one tied in chunky lime yarn.
The second tree skirt was one of those off-the-wall ideas I threw out to my editor. I was really inspired by the designs in the decor and clothing in the Disney film Frozen. It reminded me so much of the detail found in quaint German homes, on hand painted toys and patterned dirndls.
I found a circular pattern on the castle floor shown in “For the First Time in Forever” that I really liked, so I used that as inspiration for a cutout felt design. I really wanted to do the entire skirt in the jewel tones that are so prominent in the film, but again, my felt colors were really limited, so I worked with what I could find. Since the skirt is so busy, I kept the tree simple with white decorator’s mesh. This skirt is a departure from my usual style, but it was really fun to make and I think it’s playful and fun.
For the last skirt, I made it out of an old cutter quilt. The quilt was dated to the 1870’s, which made me sad to cut it, but it was really falling apart in some areas. This gives it a new life and I love how it turned out. It’s definitely the skirt that is most “me” in the roundup.
And my very favorite project and shoot were for the stockings made out of the same quilt as the skirt. I styled them on the market shopping cart I found at an antique store a few weeks ago. I attached them with iron hooks from my pot rack and filled the basket with tree trimmings and large pinecones. These stockings are a keeper for sure!
Tutorials for all of these projects will be available on HGTV.com sometime in July. I’ll make sure I link to it when they are live. Until then, if you want some other projects to work on…like, maybe some Easter projects, you can check out my HGTV.com tutorial page.
Here are a couple of my favorites from past seasons – a Spring table setting…
…and painted/glittered egg garland…
I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend with your family!
If you want a great read about Easter, beyond the egg dying, chocolate bunnies, frilly dresses and Sunday brunches, check out this beautifully written post by my dear friend, Shaunna, about the true story of Easter.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
20 Responses
All these skirts are pretty, although the first one is my favorite. I envision that in white and beige felt (if such a thing ever exists). Looking forward to the tutorials! Happy Easter to you and yours!
I like your thinking! That sounds lovely!!! You’ve got my brain working now – for my girls’ room – and maybe with some vintage lace every few layers. Hhhmmmmm.
As pretty as these all are, I just couldn’t do anything Christmas before Easter. I am hardly over the season by now as it is, heh. Artist who do calendars often speak of how they hardly know what year it is because they work so far ahead.
Yeah, personally, I don’t pull anything Christmas out until after Thanksgiving, but this is for work. 🙂 The tree went out the same day it came in.
LOVE the last tree skirt and stockings! Definitely my style too! It’s been such a cold spring we might as well have a second Christmas 😉
For an extensive range of colors in wool felt you might want to check out http://www.joggles.com they sell both sheets and yardage. Your tree skirts are lovely.
Love them all! The third one looks most like you!
Marian,
Happy Easter to you and your family as well. I think we can all agree that the third tree skirt has your name written all over it.. I have to hand it to you its not easy getting motivated to cut down a Christmas tree and decorate it a few days before Easter. I am always amused when magazine or video shoots are done months out of season.
Thank you soooooooo much for the inspiration. I have a quilt made by my grandmother
(b.1880) and was about get rid of it because it is in such bad shape but it pained me to do so. There it has sat waiting for a new home. Now you have solved that problem for
me as it will be reborn into a quilt skirt.
The skirts are all very pretty, but I would love to see more trees in baskets and containers, as to keep more trees alive! A similar wrapping for a container, under a tree, would be beautiful as well!
Happy Easter! or should I save that greeting for December? Thanks for more inspiration. Happy Spring; I think it may finally be here.
Like Mary Young, I too have a quilt that is made of my mother-in-loves’ childhood dresses. What a great idea to make a Christmas tree skirt out of it. Love all the skirts, but the quilt is my fav. Happy Easter!!!
I love all the skirts but love the blue quilt one the best and the stocking are just to cute!
Hi, Marian, Happy Easter/Christmas!!! Loved all of your ideas for trimming the tree, and will keep them in mind for December. I recently moved, and discovered, much to my dismay, that rats had invaded my storage room so an entire life’s worth of collecting had to get the bounce. Hence, I am starting over again, at midstream, and always looking for ideas ahead of time. You gave me just the right oomph to get going again. Thx for your continued inspiration and ideas; who knows, maybe we can start some new MMS traditions!!!
Merry Christmas on Easter Sunday, Marian! 🙂
I love the stockings, and you are right: the red and white felt tree skirt looks beautiful – my favorite of the three.
Oh, I love them all! My absolute favorite though, would be the one made from the blue and white quilt–it just has such a classic look about it. The contrast between its colors and the green of the tree is very striking. I adore blue/white or red/white quilts–the simpler the better. Thanks so much for the preview!
Happy Easter to you and your family!
So cool! Loove the Frozen one! My daughter just got the movie in her, coincidentally, early Easter basket from my in-laws last weekend and so we’ve watched it a bunch of time since then. Great movie! I too was totally loving the colors and patterns in it, very inspirational:) Happy Easter (and Merry Christmas!)!!
So much inspiration! Yes its early…but I can never have enough time!
My daughter would LOVE the Frozen inspired tree skirt. I actually really love the design of it too (even if the colors would be a bit bold for our seasonal decor as well). I could see making it in red and white with the pom pom fringe. So fun!