This crochet Christmas tree skirt pattern makes a round, scalloped skirt in three sizes, 76 cm / 30 in, 102 cm / 40 in and 122 cm / 48 in across, from one set of double crochet rows worked from the centre out. It uses 4, medium (worsted) yarn in cream, green and cranberry with a 5 mm (US H-8) hook, is rated Easy, and ties shut, so it goes around a standing tree.
A scalloped tree skirt with a back slit and ties
The Hearthside Scalloped Tree Skirt is a round, flat skirt worked in rows from the centre opening out to the edge, and the rows are never joined, so the two row ends make a straight back slit. The slit is not cut. It is the two row ends, left open.
The body is warm cream double crochet. Near the edge, a stripe band of forest green, cream and cranberry red frames it, and a deep cranberry scalloped border finishes it. A soft cream edging runs down the slit and around the opening. Three pairs of red ties close it around the trunk, so the skirt slips around a tree that is already standing. No lifting the tree.
One set of rows makes all three sizes: you stop at the last row for yours. The scallops always fit.
Under a decorated tree, the scalloped skirt shows its stripe band and red border between the gifts.
A tree skirt dresses the floor; the tree itself takes ornaments and mini trees. For those, see Crochet Christmas Tree Patterns: Mini Trees and Tree Squares.
What you need: yarn, hook and gauge
A crochet tree skirt in this pattern takes about 450 m / 500 yd of 4, medium (worsted) yarn for the Small, and more for the bigger sizes. The table gives the total for each size.
| Size | Total yarn |
|---|---|
| Small | 450 m / 500 yd |
| Medium | 770 m / 850 yd |
| Large | 1090 m / 1200 yd |
The table shows the Large needs more than twice the yarn of the Small.
For the Small, our pattern splits the total by colour as follows:
- Cream (main colour): 300 m / 330 yd
- Cranberry Red: 120 m / 140 yd
- Forest Green: 30 m / 40 yd
The yarn is a worsted acrylic, wool blend or cotton blend. Pick one you can wash. You need a 5 mm (US H-8) hook, or the size you need to get the gauge, plus a yarn needle, scissors, 6 stitch markers, rust proof pins and a measuring tape. Gauge (UK: tension) is 14 dc and 7 rows = 10 cm / 4 in. Double crochet here is the US stitch; in UK terms it is treble crochet.
Gauge matters more for this skirt than for most projects, because the row height and the stitch width together decide whether the circle lies flat, and the gauge sets the final diameter. Tall stitches make it ruffle. Short ones make it cup. The Craft Yarn Council “Standard Yarn Weight System” lists 5.5 to 6.5 mm hooks for category 4 yarn and calls those ranges guidelines only, so your swatch, not the chart, decides your hook.
The work in progress shows the cream double crochet rows that make up most of the tree skirt.
How the scalloped edge is built
The scalloped edge is built in four stages, from the body rows out to the last scallop:
- Work the body in double crochet rows, adding 12 stitches per row, one in each of 12 wedges.
- Work the last 6 body rows of your size as the stripe band, changing colour at the start of each stripe row.
- Work Border Row 1 in Red, one single crochet in each stitch across.
- Work Border Row 2 as scallops of 7 double crochet, with a single crochet between them.
The increase moves between rows, at the end of each wedge on even rows and in the middle on odd rows, so the increases never stack and the edge stays round. You never count scallops by eye. Each scallop uses 6 stitches of Border Row 1. The last row of every size is a multiple of 6 plus 1 stitch, so the scallops fit exactly, with a single crochet at both ends. That is why any row works.
Border Row 2 reads: skip 2 sts, 7 dc in the next st, skip 2 sts, sc in the next st, repeated 50 (68, 82) times. If your scallops flare, the pattern’s fix is 6 dc instead of 7.
The close-up shows the seven double crochet in each cranberry scallop of the tree skirt.
How to pick a tree skirt size for your tree
Pick the size just larger than the spread of your lowest branches. Measure them first. Your skirt should reach a little past their tips.
| Size | Finished diameter | Best for | Slit length | Scallops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 76 cm / 30 in | tabletop and small trees up to 5 ft | 31 cm / 12 in | 50 |
| Medium | 102 cm / 40 in | standard 6 to 7 ft trees | 44 cm / 17 in | 68 |
| Large | 122 cm / 48 in | large 7 to 9 ft trees | 54 cm / 21 in | 82 |
The size table reads left to right: measure your tree, find its row, then note how long the slit and how many scallops you will make.
If your tree is a standard 6 to 7 ft tree, choose the Medium. If it stands on a table, choose the Small. Measure before you buy yarn, because the Large takes more than twice as much.
The three skirts side by side show how far the Small, Medium and Large reach.
A size in between the three
Your tree may fall between two sizes. For a size in between, stop at any body row, work the last 6 rows as the stripe band, then work the border. Each extra body row adds about 2.9 cm / 1.1 in to the diameter. The scallops still fit, because every row is a multiple of 6 plus 1 stitch.
Under a tabletop tree, the Small size shows the smallest skirt the pattern makes.
Finishing: edging, ties and blocking
Finishing takes four steps once you have worked the last scallop:
- Work the cream edging down one slit edge, around the opening and up the other slit edge.
- Make 6 ties of ch 46, each about 22 cm / 8.5 in long, and sew them on in three pairs.
- Wet block the skirt flat, check the diameter with a tape and pin each scallop.
- Place the skirt with the slit at the back and tie the three bows.
Keep your edging fairly firm, so the slit edges stay straight and do not stretch. Prefer buttons? Sew 3 buttons of 20 mm on one edge and make three ch 6 loops on the other.
Acrylic can be steam blocked instead, with the iron held above the fabric, never on it. Block on a flat surface large enough for the whole skirt; the Large needs a space about 125 cm / 50 in across. To wash it, hand wash or use a gentle cycle in a laundry bag. Then reshape it. Dry it flat.
From above, the finished tree skirt shows the cream edging along the slit and the red ties tied in bows.
When a granny square or chunky tree skirt suits you better
If you want a granny square tree skirt, this pattern is not it. It is worked in worsted double crochet rows, not granny squares, and it uses no chunky yarn. It also has no mini size: the Small, at 76 cm / 30 in, is the smallest. For a granny square look, a chunky skirt or a mini tabletop skirt, you need a different pattern, because the scallop maths here depends on these rows.
An easy first big crochet project
The skirt uses only chain, slip stitch, single crochet and double crochet, so it suits a maker moving from small pieces to a large one. The size is big. The stitches are not. You already know them. For smaller starting points, see Beginner Crochet Projects: Easy First Patterns to Make.
The tree skirt sits with our other Christmas crochet patterns in Christmas Crochet Patterns: Ornaments, Stockings and Decor. For tree ornament patterns, see Crochet Christmas Ornament Patterns: 15 Types to Make. Every design in the shop sits in Crochet Patterns to Make: Christmas Decor and Winter Wear, our full list of crochet patterns.
Questions makers ask
Is this crochet tree skirt pattern easy?
Yes. The pattern is rated Easy and uses only chain, slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, increases and simple colour changes. Every row ends with its stitch count for all three sizes, so you can check your work as you go and never guess where a wedge should end.
What size crochet tree skirt do I need?
Choose the size just larger than the spread of your lowest branches. Small, 76 cm / 30 in, suits tabletop and small trees up to 5 ft. Medium, 102 cm / 40 in, suits standard 6 to 7 ft trees. Large, 122 cm / 48 in, suits large 7 to 9 ft trees.
How much yarn does a crochet tree skirt take?
A crochet tree skirt in this pattern takes about 450 m / 500 yd of worsted yarn for the Small, 770 m / 850 yd for the Medium and 1090 m / 1200 yd for the Large, in total across Cream, Cranberry Red and Forest Green. Buy all the Cream from one dye lot.
Can I put the skirt around a tree that is already standing?
Yes. The rows are never joined, so the two row ends leave a straight back slit, and three pairs of red ties close it around the trunk. You slide the skirt in from the back of the tree, then tie the three bows. Nothing has to come down first.
Is the crochet tree skirt pattern free?
No. The Hearthside Scalloped Tree Skirt is a paid PDF pattern sold on Etsy. This page sets out the sizes, the yarn totals, the scallop method and the finishing steps, so you can judge whether the skirt fits your tree before you buy the pattern.
