DIY Vintage Souvenir Pennant Christmas Tree Skirt

A Christmas tree filled with travel memories, vintage finds, and a little creative repurposing

Some people bring home refrigerator magnets when they travel. Some collect postcards. I apparently collect enough souvenirs to decorate an entire Christmas tree. And then, because a regular tree skirt simply wouldn't do, I decided to make one out of vintage felt pennants.

WELCOME TO JUNK IS MY LIFE.

I've been fortunate to travel to many wonderful places over the years. During my corporate career, I traveled frequently, and I've continued to enjoy vacations, road trips, and little getaways whenever possible.

Somewhere along the way, I started buying Christmas ornaments to commemorate the places I'd visited.

Before long, I had enough ornaments to justify a separate Christmas tree dedicated entirely to my travels.

Because why have one Christmas tree when you can find a perfectly reasonable excuse for another?

But I wanted something special to finish off this particular tree. Something that felt like travel. Something vintage. Something that told a story. And as luck would have it, I already had a stash of old felt souvenir pennants. I THINK YOU CAN SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING.

A Christmas Tree Full of Places and Memories

My travel tree has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions. Each ornament represents somewhere I've been, something I've experienced, or a memory I want to keep. Some are traditional souvenir ornaments purchased during a trip. Others are a little less conventional. For example, I picked up an iron-on patch marking the midpoint of Route 66. Was it intended to be a Christmas ornament? Absolutely not. Did that stop me? Also no.

I've added vintage travel-related objects over the years, too. At an auction, I found a little camera case tucked into a box lot. There wasn't a camera inside, but the case itself was charming. Now it hangs on my Christmas tree. I also found a tiny suitcase at an auction. I'm still not entirely sure what it was originally intended for, but it was too cute to leave behind. It became another ornament.

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That's one of the things I love about collecting vintage. An object doesn't necessarily need to serve its original purpose forever. Sometimes an old camera case becomes a Christmas ornament. Sometimes a miniature suitcase becomes a reminder of adventures past. And sometimes a pile of old souvenir pennants becomes a Christmas tree skirt.

Why Vintage Souvenir Pennants?

If you've spent any time digging through antique stores, flea markets, or estate sales, you've probably encountered vintage felt pennants. They were popular travel souvenirs for decades, featuring destinations, landmarks, attractions, schools, and vacation spots. I love their bold lettering, colorful felt, and wonderfully nostalgic graphics. They're little reminders of a time when people came home from vacation with a pennant to hang on the wall.

Some have wonderful illustrations. Some feature places that have changed dramatically. Others commemorate destinations that generations of travelers have visited. And because they're long and triangular, they lend themselves beautifully to being arranged in a circle. Which gave me an idea. WHAT IF I TURNED THEM INTO A TREE SKIRT? Not exactly a traditional use for a souvenir pennant. But that's never stopped me before.

Supplies for a Vintage Pennant Tree Skirt

This is a fairly simple hand-sewing project, although gathering the right pennants can take a little patience. You'll need:

• Vintage felt souvenir pennants of similar dimensions

• Embroidery floss or sturdy thread

• A hand-sewing needle suitable for felt

• Scissors

• Measuring tape

• Pins or sewing clips

• A flat surface large enough to arrange the pennants

The most important part is selecting pennants that are approximately the same size. Ask me how easy that is. IT IS NOT EASY. Vintage pennants come in all sorts of lengths and widths. But getting a reasonably consistent group makes the finished tree skirt much easier to assemble. I made mine several years before starting this blog, so unfortunately I don't have step-by-step construction photographs.

I can, however, explain how I put it together.

Step 1: Choose and Arrange Your Pennants

Start by gathering pennants that are the same size, or as close as possible. Lay them out on the floor or a large table, arranging them in a circle. The wide ends will form the outside edge of the tree skirt, while the pointed ends will meet near the center. Experiment with the placement before sewing anything.

I liked alternating colors and arranging the different graphics so the finished skirt would have plenty of visual interest. One of the things I love about this project is that the pennants don't need to match. In fact, I think it's more interesting when they don't. Different destinations. Different colors. Different graphics. One wonderfully mismatched collection of roadside history. MY FAVORITE KIND OF MATCHING.

Before you begin sewing, check that the arrangement will fit around the base of your Christmas tree.

The final diameter depends on the length and number of pennants you use.

Step 2: Sew the Pennants Together

Once you're happy with the arrangement, begin joining the pennants along their adjoining sides.

I used embroidery thread and a buttonhole stitch. The stitching adds a little decorative detail while securing the pieces together. Work your way around the circle, attaching one pennant to the next.

Because the pennants are made of felt, the project is relatively forgiving. You don't need a sewing machine or complicated construction techniques. Just some patience and a willingness to sit with a pile of old pennants for a while. Which, frankly, sounds like a lovely afternoon to me.

Step 3: Leave an Opening for the Tree

This part is important. DO NOT SEW THE ENTIRE CIRCLE CLOSED. Unless you intend to assemble your Christmas tree directly on top of the skirt every year. And even I don't need that kind of complication in my holiday decorating. Leave one seam open from the outer edge toward the center. This allows you to wrap the finished skirt around the base of your tree. You can let the edges meet or overlap slightly, depending on how your pennants fit together.

Step 4: Create the Center Opening

With the pennants arranged in a circle, their pointed tips meet in the center. I folded the tips underneath and tacked them in place to create room for the tree trunk. This kept the center neat without cutting away the ends of the pennants. Take your time adjusting the points so the opening is large enough for your tree stand. The finished skirt should sit comfortably around the trunk without bunching excessively.

And that's it! ONE VINTAGE SOUVENIR PENNANT CHRISTMAS TREE SKIRT. No elaborate pattern. No expensive supplies. Just a collection of vintage pennants and a little hand sewing.

Tips If You Want to Make Your Own

A few things are worth considering before starting.

Choose pennants with similar dimensions. This was the biggest challenge with my project. Pennants of very different sizes can make the circle uneven.

Lay everything out before sewing. This helps you decide on color placement, overall size, and how the pieces fit together.

Be selective about which pennants you use. Some vintage pennants are collectible in their own right. If you have a rare or particularly valuable example, you may prefer to preserve it rather than incorporate it into a sewing project.

Handle fragile felt carefully. Older felt can be weakened, faded, or damaged. Test a small, inconspicuous area before stitching and avoid pulling the thread too tightly.

Consider the tree stand. Measure the space you need around the trunk before finishing the center opening.

And remember, this is a vintage repurposing project. A little irregularity is part of the charm. Perfection is overrated. Especially when we're working with old things that have already lived interesting lives.

The Best Part of My Travel Christmas Tree

As much as I love the pennant tree skirt, my favorite part of this Christmas tree is decorating it every year. I wait until after Thanksgiving to put up my Christmas decorations. Yes, I'm one of those people. And every year, when I unpack the travel ornaments, I get to revisit the places I've been. A vacation. A road trip. A memorable stop along the way. A little antique discovered somewhere unexpected. Each ornament brings back a story. Some remind me of wonderful places. Others remind me of the people I traveled with. And a few remind me that apparently I cannot go anywhere without stopping at an antique store. SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE.

The vintage pennants underneath the tree make the whole display feel complete. They're colorful, nostalgic, and perfectly suited to a tree dedicated to travel. But more than that, they're another reminder of something I've come to appreciate about collecting old things.

The Stories Are the Best Part

I love finding vintage objects. I love the graphics, the patina, the craftsmanship, and the little details that make them interesting. But what I love most is the connection they create. A souvenir pennant once reminded someone of a trip they took. A tiny suitcase once belonged to someone with a story of their own. A camera case was carried somewhere, used by someone, and eventually tucked away. Now those objects have found a new purpose. They're part of my Christmas traditions. Part of my travel memories. And part of the story I'm still collecting.

I think that's why this tree means so much to me. It's not just decorated with ornaments. It's decorated with places I've been and memories I've made. And every year, I get to unwrap those memories all over again. So the next time you're digging through a box of vintage souvenirs at an estate sale or antique shop, take another look. That old pennant might be more than a forgotten vacation souvenir.

It might be the beginning of your next Christmas project. Or at the very least, a perfectly good excuse to buy more old junk.

Take the back road. Find the good junk.