To be a tad disappointed with my balsam hill tree

[Timinfuckingruislip]

As a big treat got a Balsam Hill tree - I’ve bemoaned my other trees for years and don’t like the smell or mess of real trees.

Now it’s great, and Pre-lit etc.. but for the price, I don’t know, I expected it to look amazing- it’s nice enough - but not quite as “wow” as I was expecting.

Anyone else?

Love mine it looks gorgeous

I got mine from next

70sWitch - I’m liking your copper theme with the long silver baubles. Different sizes and shapes of baubles ( while still working within a theme of course ) please me a great deal.

My sister has three balsam hill trees. Hers looked fabulous after decorating she is very gifted interior design wise. So to me it is down to the fluffing and decorating. When naked and unfluffed they look pretty average imo.

I had a moment of madness and ordered a frosted tree, not thinking that the fake snow effect would fall off and I would be still trying vainly to vacuum up the sparkly sequins that fall off whenever you look at the tree in June...

I still like it though, but mainly the tree is a way of displaying all the mixed baubles and decorations I've collected over the years Photos with the prelit lights, and with coloured fairy lights instead. I'm a seventies kinda gal

when naked and unfluffed they look pretty average imo story of my life 😂

Loving all the tree pix. I buy a real one every year so I'm not much help. But I think they pretty much all look great.

I've never heard of Balsam Hill until now, so I went and had a google. Baaaad news! Whilst I am unbothered by the trees, the baubles are absolutely stunning, I want some especially these ones.

@TheNoodlesIncident coloured lights always remind me of Christmas parties as a child. Very comforting.

kristinaM why thank you. I try.

@nokidshere well the price of those baubles makes my tree seem positively frugal.

In fact my whole family comment on how trying I am.

@RufusthebewiIderedreindeer Your tree is so Christmassy! And at 29 years old surely it’s a member of the family by now? Don’t part with it!

Second vote for the Mountain Pine tree from Christmas Tree World. Its irregular shaped like a real tree and very very realistic even up close. However, it is WIDE at the bottom and takes up a massive amount of room, and the taller you go, the wider it is at the bottom. Stunning tree though.

Fucking hell. Those baubles. HOW MUCH ?

I have two Balsam Hill trees. IMO they have a very good publicitiy machine and I suspect have promoters working on MN each year. They are fine but they're not anywhere near as amazing as they're made out to be. Anyone who thinks they look real has never seen a real Christmas tree before. Plus I really don't want to spend four hours fluffing bloody branches each year.

We are slowly growing our own Norway spruce. Its 4 years old now and about 2' tall. One of the DC nicked it as a tiny sapling from woodland outside our holiday cottage in the Scottish Highlands.
We are not in the habit of stealing but also didnt fancy driving 400 miles to take it back.
In the meantime we have a £30 Tesco tree.

I've got a balsam hill tree, had it a couple of years. Got it in the sale for£120 so still expensive. I think they are the best artificial tree on the market but are over priced.

The Mountain Pine IS realistic. I was quite taken aback when I saw it in the flesh as it were.
Im going to get some fir scented decorations for it and see who is fooled

@Timinfuckingruislip @70sWitch too pricey sadly but I'm going back after tochristmas to see if they are reduced further

Thanks to everyone that likes my tree...we do love it

We’ve a very eclectic selection of ornaments but they are in a vague colour theme. And its huge, there’s normally an armchair there! Doubt we’ll get another quite as fat

Really enjoying all the beautiful trees on here...

I saw something called a korean fir (real tree) and it looked beautiful!

DH is allergic to everything so an artificial tree is the only way forward in this house. We had one from Wilko for several years but I upgraded to a BH tree a few years ago (though it wasn't more than £120 or so, presumably in a sale). I think it was worth it as I was sick of the Wilko one being so sparse.

I recommend fluffing more fold out all the baby branches even towards the trunk, because they are what help camoflage it all.

And agree with the observation about putting the lights towards the middle a bit. I have a set of lights in the middle and a set that go more around the outside. I'd post but I don't have mine up yet. Loving all the pics!

I have a Balsam Hill tree, and find it ok, but a cheaper tree would do the job just as well.
I had never heard of fluffing, and will google. This will probably improve the result even if I still don't really understand what it is. I had often wondered why the tree had come with gloves
Wish I'd discovered this thread before putting up the tree though ....

Oh good luck. In the meantime then. Keep on fluffing.

I got mine in August and it was cheaper then.

And at 29 years old surely it’s a member of the family by now? Mine is only 28, but what feels very strange is that it's older than DIL.