christmas tree skirt DIY | The CSI Project

I know there is a computer between us and we really can’t connect in this virtual world of blogging, but I know you, my dear CSI readers. You are just like me. With 4 kids, a husband, dance class, boy scouts and somehow dinner has to be on the table. Leaving you just enough time to ask, what did you learn at school today? Only to get the answer, “nothing.” {sigh} You are most likely juggling a busy life and it is balancing act just like me. You probably have kids surrounding you on every side and if you don’t yet, you want them or are thinking about having them. Maybe your kids turned into BIG kids also known as adults and now the kids surrounding you are calling you grandma. Maybe you are sitting at work working 9 to 5 and if someone else comes to you for one more thing, you just might scream. You are also maybe a wife or as I said to my husband today, as he pushed my luggage in the airport, that I am his princess. The expression on his face said it all, but he smiled so I am still claiming the princess title. I didn’t hear a resounding NO, so I am going with it. Sometimes it is best to take what you get. Maybe some of you are training that boyfriend to accept that Princess title and marry you already. Maybe you are still waiting for that “right” guy to come along so he can call you and treat you like his princess. Maybe you have skipped over that completely and reign supreme as Queen of the house. You go girl!!! Where ever you are, what ever you are doing and no matter what is going on around you, we are the same in many ways. We all come here to Create, Share and Inspire which is exactly why this blog was created. It is the heart and soul of this blog and why I am passionate to bring you this creative outlet each and every day of every week. I also think we gather here for another reason because in the midst of our balancing acts that we call life, family and home, we also wanted to live our lives in a stylish and chic way. We, most likely, all have a desire to welcome guests into our homes knowing that we have decorated, crafted or cleaned,{ah-hem} the best we could. It depends on the day for the last one. If you come a day late, you may have missed a clean house. I am just saying! Our houses will without a doubt not be perfect, nor will our hair always be done, nor will the men in our lives always act in a lovely manner or our friends say the right things. Nor will the toys be picked up off the floor but I think we desire to live life in the {Chic Lane}. Insert, The CSI Chic Chronicles. Among the weekly fun we have here of amazing tutorials, a great challenge and a chance to link up and possibly take home the TOP prize and/or win an awesome giveaway, we can also gather here to learn ways to live that {Chic} way of life. Each week after all you have come and linked up, because you know you will. The craft gods want you to, hint-hint. But after you link up and the party ends, come on back for a new edition of The CSI Chic Chronicles. Each week you will find an article on decorating, crafting, fitness/health, fashion and maybe even some marriage/dating tips. This is just an added bonus as we all try to find balance, serenity and a alot of joy in this thing we call life. I hope you enjoy this extra here at The CSI Project and come back every week. I hope to help you create, share and inspire others that are living life in the Chic Lane. Enjoy, CSI lovelies! Well, for your decorating pleasure, here are great and easy ways to decorate this holiday season with ruffles. Oh yes, ruffles!!! Hey ChiKKaboom ladies, take it away…………. Have a holly, jolly, ruff-ly Christmas The Ruffle Tree Skirt I needed a new tree skirt this year, so after searching to the ends of the earth I realized that there is absolutely NOTHING out there that I liked! So I made my own what do you think? I very much wish that I could take full credit for this idea, but I actually was inspired by a similar skirt I saw on Pinterest, so this is our version! I started out with 1 1/2 yards of a heavy muslin fabric (this helps the skirt lay well). I folded the fabric in on itself like you would to make a snowflake. Then I measured from the base of my tree to the outer edge of the branches (mine was about 22 inches), then I set my measuring tape down on the inside corner of my fabric and traced a line with a pen. Then I just cut along my traced line and cut the tip off to make a hole for your base. After you’ve done this you should have an almost perfect circle when you unfold it! Then just cut a straight slit down one side so that you can wrap it around your tree base. Now your ready for your main fabric! I ended up using almost 4 yards of fabric! Then just cut your fabric in long strips, I did mine about 4 inches thick and I totally eyeballed it! Why stress yourself out with being precise?! Then you take your handy dandy glue gun and starting on the outer edge of your circle make a line of glue about 5 inches long and start pinching and pressing your fabric strip into it. It feels awkward at first but once you get the hang of it it goes pretty fast! Then just continue along your edge till you get to the end and start a new layer about 2 inches above your first! After you have burned your fingers off and said a few choice words you will have a FABULOUS tree skirt to show off this holiday season!!! The Ruffle Table Runner So to take the ruffles one step further my cute mama came up with another way to bring out your inner Ruffle Diva! The Ruffle Table Runner! YAY! Oh yes my friends this is FABULOUS!!!! Once again mom you have outdone yourself! I hope one day you pass on your magical powers of decor onto me! So believe it or not this is actually easier to make than the tree skirt! She just used the same technique I just showed you, but glued it to an old table runner! She used all different fabric prints which I LOVE! Then she just Folded the edges over and glued them to give it a more finished look! Then when she was done she glued some chunky ribbon across her middle seam to finish it all off! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! What do you think? Really let us know, we LOVE hearing from you all!!!!! Here are a few others we threw together for you! P.S. A little trick to ensure that you dont burn your fingers off, gardening gloves work great when you are using hot glue! We would like to THANK the CSI Project for inviting us to be a part of their amazing site! For more fun decorating ideas come and visit us at www.ChiKKaBoom.com We are constantly adding fun ideas to inspire you! Until next week, keep living your life in the {Chic} Lane!