Help solve a debate (Christmas)

[Tinselled]

Please help me!

We have decided that we're going to have a real tree this year! Yay!! However... we need help to settle a debate.. this happens every bloody year!

Tinsel on the tree or not? I say not, we never had it when growing up it just doesn't feel right.. DH is adamant tinsel only goes on the tree and they always had tinsel on the tree as a child.. his Mum disputes this fact and her tree is always beautiful and tinsel free

I did the tree beautifully last year with no tinsel, went out for a night shift and he covered it in tinsel...

I've attached pictures of our first tree together which he did himself and is atrocious and his mums to prove there's no tinsel!

TLDR- tinsel on tree yes or no?

[BadTasteFlump]

I would only use tinsel on a real tree if it's a bit 'thin' looking, to bulk it out.

I wouldn't use it on a fake tree at all, there's no need. I use strings of beads on my tree as well as the lights & baubles.

[GrumpyMcGrumpFace]

I don't put tinsel on. We do have a million ornaments though, so I'm not going to claim non-tackiness!

[BadTasteFlump]

PS though, I have to say there's something lovely and nostalgic (for me) about trees covered in multi-coloured lights and tinsel. Takes me right back to my 80's childhood where Christmas was one big tack-fest!

[Lizzie48]

Definitely have tinsel, it doesn't have to look tacky!!

[liquidrevolution]

No to tinsel. Yes to little stars on a wire thingy. It gives some interest and fills in gaps without being too in your face. You can also get little jingle bells on wire as well. Cant find a pic of mine but it is less shiney and ore antique gold than this pic.

[Redpony1]

Tinsel on a Christmas tree is criminal!
We never had it growing up so it's not even 'essential' if you have children

I love tinsel, just not on trees!

[SeraphinaDombegh]

We used to have it when I was a kid but we don't now. Our tree is very tall and thin, and tinsel just swamps it. It'd be all out of proportion. LOADS of shiny baubles though!

[AdalindSchade]

No way. Tinsel is fugly on the tree. Lots of ornaments and pretty lights for me

[Moanyoldcow]

I like lamella rather than tinsel - you get the twinkle and reflection without the bulky nonsense.

[Oysterbabe]

We always had it growing up but it's a no from me. It looks tacky.

[Tinty]

Blobby10 We do the same, one tree in the hall with all matching decorations and one in the lounge covered in tinsel and all our terrible decorations (the dc try and outdo each other each year, we have a worst decoration competition, where they both buy the most terrible decoration they can for the tree!) .

Anyway, we tinsel around the bottom of the tree to cover the pot the tree stands in, on the posh tree in the hall.

[MrsKTx]

No tinsel! Hate it on a tree - I think it looks tacky. I like the tree to have lots of lights and baubles

[MadeleineMaxwell]

I love a bit of tinsel, but the thick stuff is indeed much nicer.

You could compromise on one of those feathery boa tinsel things?

[blueskyinmarch]

I hate tinsel on a tree. It makes it look really messy i think. I don't mind some down a banister or draped over a picture though.

[strawberrypenguin]

Yes - tinsel on the tree. Makes it extra sparkly as the light reflects on it

[SlothMama]

No to tinsel on the tree, it's too bulky imo

[longtompot]

I have tinsel on our tree. I put on the lights first and then put the tinsel on to follow the lights and have it pushed back on the branches a bit. It really makes the lights sparkle more.

I really need want to put my tree up

[RestingGrinchFace]

Is your DH insecure about class? Tinsel is technically 'common' so you can cheat and win by manipulating his insecurities if you really want to. It's worth it imo. Tinsel just makes the tree look weirdly segmented (I had tinsel growing up more often than not so I have had lots of time to think about this). While tinsel is so wonderfully sparkly and plasticy and conjures images of big, snowy, American christmases, it makes trees look bad.

[kaytee87]

We do lights then tinsel spiralling down the tree, then baubles. I like the lights sparkling against the tinsel

[ShowMeTheElf]

Tinsel is back. I'm glad.
Hopefully those horrid beads will never make a return though.

[gamerchick]

Totally amused at this thread. You’re putting a tree up in your house and decorating it. There’s nothing tasteful about that. Christmas is supposed to be tacky. It doesn’t matter what you do to stay in style in 30 years your great grandkids will still laugh and point it.

[lynmilne65]

I LOVE tinsel and don't care if it's tacky!!

[bluesu]

I never have tinsel but am intrigued by the ‘tinsel round the trunk’ idea. Can we have some pics of this please PPs??

[martellandginger]

hide the tinsel.

[Trinity66]

I think Tinsel looks tacky on trees