Disappointed with Christmas tree

[ImStayingInside]

For the past 3 years we have got real Christmas trees, we went somewhere different this year and I am so disappointed with how it looks.
It looked fine in the garden centre, but now it’s decorated I can’t see past its funny shape, especially with our tree from 2 years ago just showing on Snapchat memories and how perfectly shaped it was 😭
It’s very obvious which is which, I can’t wait for this one to come down!

[FortunesFave]

I prefer this years! I love trees which aren't that perfect conical shape. You might as well get a fake tree if you want one that looks perfect OP!

This one is beautiful! The branches are far enough apart that you can actually see the ornaments dangling. It's magical!

[ShowOfHands]

Aww. I like it. It has character.

DH bought a too small one last year and I relegated it outside with its own lights (potted thankfully) and got a new one.

Last year's is now big enough for this year so will be brought in soon.

[HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule]

It’s honestly not a funny shape, and it looks lovely! The whole point of a real tree is that each one is beautiful in its own way even if it’s not perfect - that’s part of the charm and if you want perfect symmetry every time you might be better off just going with a fake one.

If it really bothers you and you haven’t grown to appreciate it within a few days to a week, you could always go a little bit retro/nostalgic and add some tinsel (the skinny kind, definitely not too thick!) or lametta which will work really well with that shape.

I think it’s beautiful and I think you’re being a bit harsh on the poor tree.

🎄🎄🎄

[FortunesFave]

@HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule

It’s honestly not a funny shape, and it looks lovely! The whole point of a real tree is that each one is beautiful in its own way even if it’s not perfect - that’s part of the charm and if you want perfect symmetry every time you might be better off just going with a fake one.

If it really bothers you and you haven’t grown to appreciate it within a few days to a week, you could always go a little bit retro/nostalgic and add some tinsel (the skinny kind, definitely not too thick!) or lametta which will work really well with that shape.

I think it’s beautiful and I think you’re being a bit harsh on the poor tree.

🎄🎄🎄

Yes! The skinny tinsel looks wonderful draped and looped around. Silver OP. I adore it. I'm English but live in Oz and the real Christmas trees here are weird...they're not firs like this because we can't bloody grow them but they're really fluffy...I'd give anything for a tree like yours.

[CrimbleCrumble1]

It looks nice, maybe just add some more decorations.

[CaribouCarafe]

The cat seems to love it at least!

[Pegasussnail]

I love it!!

[Gotthetshirt23]

I'm the person that goes in the last week and buys the weird random gap one that everyone else has left!

[Bluntness100]

I’m with you op, did you buy much cheaper? For me it looks very sparse indeed.

[BHX3000]

It looks fine. Nothing wrong with either tree. It doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy, it’s just a Christmas tree.

[Saisong]

I think it looks fab OP, we're waiting until 2nd week of Dec, but I'd be happy with that. I find so many trees are bottom heavy - I want to be able to see my decorations higher up.

[NotMyselfWithoutCoffee]

I don't think it's bad just a different shape.
You can always cut/saw off the sticky out branches I would probably do the one poking out on the bottom, little things like that can make a tree look so much better.

[NotMyselfWithoutCoffee]

Also my favourite strategy, finding the trees good side the placing it so the bad side is facing the wall and the good looking side is facing the room.

[ImStayingInside]

I was perfectly happy with it, until I saw the other photo for comparison.
DH, DD and the cat love it and I’m not going to say anything to them (obv not the cat) because I don’t want to put this in their heads too.
@Bluntness100 they were around the same price, just from a different place as the one we usually go to weren’t selling until this weekend and we are visiting family, so wouldn’t have had a chance to go there, but I will make sure that’s where we go from now on!
Skinny tinsel sounds like a good call! Thanks to those who suggested it, it’s something I hadn’t thought of.

[nahnahna]

They are two very different species so have a different nature, I think I would prune it at the top to make it a more conical shape ? Maybe might feel better about it then ?

[ImStayingInside]

@nahnahna they definitely are, I didn’t know picking a Christmas tree was so difficult 😂🙈

[Bluntness100]

I don’t think it’s bad, I just think the other one is much nicer, it’s just a bit sparse for me, I prefer a full tree, but as you can see plenty of folks on here love it. I suspect it is actually a much cheaper tree in realty and if you were to buy one like you had last year it would cost much more

[Bimblybomeyelash]

I also prefer this years. I find that when trees are too ‘full bodied’ it’s harder to hang the decorations properly. The decorations sort of sit on the tree instead of hanging from it. I prefer a tall sparser tree. I’d probably have a go at trimming a branch or two to tidy it up, but that’s all. IMO the main thing is the decorations that we have made and collected over the years, so the tree should properly show them off.

[HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule]

Be very careful about pruning/sawing, it can end up looking quite odd. I really would leave it as is.

It’s a different species, that’s all - that’s why it’s more sparse, and as pp said it means the baubles really shine. It’s actually my preferred type for that reason (and I’m Danish so I speak with some authority when it comes to Christmas trees ).

[converseandjeans]

I prefer the one from this year (assume it's the first pic).

[NotMyselfWithoutCoffee]

@bimblybomeyelash

I agree the sparser tree is much better for decorations, stick some lovely tinsel or lametta on it.
I think a few trims of the branches here and there would also make a big difference, but the beauty of a real Christmas tree is its not always the same, especially if you buy a different species!
At least your dd and dh love it.

[RubyTuesday70]

It's perfect.

We've got a woodburner so any real trees are a PITA. So I went mad and bought a stupidly expensive snow covered artificial one with lights. It's no better at all, as the dogs are snow covered too at every opportunity and I'm hoovering just as much

[80sMum]

I marginally prefer the one from 2 years ago, although this year's is not "bad" at all, it's just not been trimmed to a uniform shape.

I think I've become conditioned to expect symmetry evenness of shape. Your tree from 2 years ago had obviously been pruned, whereas this year's one is more like nature intended.

Real Christmas trees in the UK never used to be pruned, in my experience, so came in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

I first encountered pruned trees in the US in the 1980s and when we got back to the UK our tree just didn't compare, so we got an artificial one, which we had for about 15 years.

As is often the case, what happens in US eventually arrives over here and the trend for pruning Christmas trees was imported to the UK and many Christmas tree farms prune the trees to make them more symmetrical and a conventional Christmas tree shape.

[ImStayingInside]

I’ll use this as a learning curve and keep the picture of my preferred shape handy for when we go to pick next year’s tree!
I wouldn’t mind, but we spend ages looking to pick one we liked too 🙈

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Looks fine to me, OP! It’s got its own individual style!
Whenever I went to buy a tree with dds, they always wanted to buy the wonky looking one that nobody else wanted. (They get that from their mother.).
So we usually did, and prettied it up nicely with stacks of decorations accumulated over the years, so that it’d have its moment of glory, and not end up all sad and unloved. 🎄

TBH I’d rather have a wonky real one than any ‘perfect’ fake.