Start by throwing the drop cloth into the washing machine. Wash with the hottest water and a little bit of detergent to wash away any of the coating the drop cloth has on it. And then throw it in the dryer to pre-shrink your material.

Once your drop cloth is washed and dried, cut out a square that is 45 inches on every side (or larger if you're opting for a larger tree skirt). Just make sure whatever size you make your tree skirt, it is the same measurement on every side, forming a square.

To cut your skirt into a circle, fold the square you just cut into 4ths (in half one way, then half another way). Divide whatever measurement you made in the previous step by 2.

In my case that number is 22.5 inches. So, I measured 22.5 inches down from the tip of the interior corner (the corner where there are no outside edges of fabric) and made a mark with tailors chalk. Then moved the measuring tape over 3 inches (while the top of the measuring tape is still at the interior corner tip) and made another mark. Repeat every 3 inches until the outline of the rounded curve is marked out

Then, cut along that curved line that was created.

To cut out the center circle for your tree stump, measure 3 inches from the interior corner tip on each side and then in the middle and mark with tailors chalk again, Then cut along that rounded line that's been created, forming a circle.

Now that your skirt is cut into a skirt shape, cut a line from the center to the edge to be able to wrap your skirt around the base of your tree. Set that piece aside.

Now, cut 3 long strips of drop cloth that are both 4' long and 3 inches wide. Sew them together long ways so you have one strip of fabric that is approx. 12' long. Starting on one side of the slit in the circle, sew the strip and the edge of the skirt together.

Once you've sewn the strip all the way around the base of the tree skirt, heat up your iron and grab your ironing board to press the the hems. You'll want to fold the strip inward so that there are no raw hems shown. Press the fold all the way around, then pop back onto your sewing machine and sew the hem about 1/4" from the edge.

Do the same thing with the hem of the circle that'll wrap around your tree stump. With that, you'll want to cut a strip that's about 20" long and 3" wide. Sew that strip together with the strip laying on top of the top of the skirt. Repeat the same process of folding and pressing the hem. Sew that hem 1/4" from the edge.

Now, go back to your ironing board and press both of the slit edges about 1/2" underneath the skirt. Sew them both.

Now it's time to prep your dye bath. I did mine in the kitchen sink. Ours is stainless steel, so I didn't really worry about it getting dyed on accident. If you don't have a stainless steel sink, you can also do this in a large bucket like the ones they sell at hardware stores.

*Instructions may vary slightly based on the type of dye you are using, so be sure to follow the instructions on your bottle or box dye. But I've included what I do just in case.

Fill your sink or bucket up with enough HOT water to completely submerge your completed tree skirt. And when I say hot, make sure its the hottest water you can use. Without your skirt in the water, pour in a tbs of table salt and stir to dissolve.

Now, pour about 1/4 of the dye into the water. Fully submerge your skirt into the dye bath and stir it with a spoon (make sure not to use a wooden one or it will soak up the dye).

After about 5 minutes, you can remove your skirt and drain the water. Rinse your skirt and get as much of the dye out. The water should run mostly clear after you give it a good rinse.

Throw it into the wash for a quick wash with a small splash of soap. Then dry it. It'll come out pretty wrinkled so you'll want to iron it before applying the tassel trim.

After ironing the skirt nice and flat, take it back to the sewing machine for the final step - applying the tassel trim. Pin your trim along the underside of the skirt all along the base.

Make sure your machine is loaded up with the thread that matches the dyed skirt so that you can't see it after you sew.

Sew the trim all the way around making sure the back stitch at the start and end. Trim you thread, and you're all set!