Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dh bought ridiculously enormous Xmas tree.

150 replies

Treez21 · 18/12/2021 05:19

The tree is 7 foot and really wide. Our living room can't take it. It's not even a nice shape. It's overpowering and feels like we have a forest in there. I'm actually quite embarrassed of it too, and I was looking forward to having people round for drinks, but not with this monstrosity.

We didn't really have a proper Xmas last year and I bought lots of nice decorations this year to make an effort even though I'm not really into Xmas. It looks bloody awful and even the kids don't seem that chuffed. We got a real one as they wanted one. First and last time.

Would I be unreasonable to take the decorations off the tree and saw it down a bit? Can I cut the back so it stands more against the wall, or move it to the conservatory. Or should I just suck it up??

So, would i be unreasonable to tackle the tree (advice on how to gladly received) or leave it?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
CorsicaDreaming · 18/12/2021 05:22

You could put it up outside the living room window and decorate with outdoor lights and unbreakable things.

Then have a more room sized one indoors?

CorsicaDreaming · 18/12/2021 05:24

They always look smaller when they are outside and you are choosing them than when you get them back home indoors! 😆

Bubblty · 18/12/2021 05:31

Let DH deal with it.

Or leave it and in years to come it will be part of your family story

Bubblty · 18/12/2021 05:33

Embrace the chosen tree which grew and will slowly die. Respect it for what it is.

FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 18/12/2021 05:54

@Bubblty

Embrace the chosen tree which grew and will slowly die. Respect it for what it is.
This is perfect and true. You need another mindset with a real tree. I remember my dad getting a short bush once year, great memory. This year’s one is a disaster as Dh chose it, but we all and the kids think it is hilarious and are loving it for what it is.
FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 18/12/2021 05:55

You can remove decs, saw off bottom and the bottom layer of branches. Then it will be shorter a d narrower. But I’d leave it!

Original poster
Treez21 · 18/12/2021 06:16

I have to leave it?? 😭

OP posts:
GoodnightGrandma · 18/12/2021 06:18

Chop some off the bottom and trim the branches to the size you want.
I always hack a bit off my tree to make it fit.

Original poster
Treez21 · 18/12/2021 06:20

Can you trim the back quite flat, or is that ridiculous?

OP posts:
JurgensCakeBabyJesus · 18/12/2021 06:24

First time my brother and I went with just DF to get the tree we ended up with a similar monstrosity, my parents have a very large bay window and it more than filled the space and DF had to saw the top off to get it in, it was enormous and partially blocked one of the sofas and the tv, but we still laugh about it thirty years later!

Mummyoflittledragon · 18/12/2021 06:24

You can trim the back if you put it in a corner I suppose. I have never trimmed a tree, we look for a narrower one.

Whingasaurus · 18/12/2021 06:24

Go with it it will be a funny story for years to come

HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 18/12/2021 06:24

Well you could trim the back but you really need to only be seeing it from the front then or it’ll look a bit sad. I agree with others, embrace the tree! Could we see a photo of it?

HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 18/12/2021 06:25

Also if you need to saw a bit off definitely take it from the bottom not the top!

Idontlikeworms · 18/12/2021 06:30

Can we see a picture of it? Please.

EewwwDavid · 18/12/2021 06:31

OP can you share a picture? I love these kinda stories Grin

MrsTerryPratchett · 18/12/2021 06:32

@Bubblty

Embrace the chosen tree which grew and will slowly die. Respect it for what it is.
This absolutely.
IHateCoronavirus · 18/12/2021 06:33

Ah poor tree. Sad

FaoinDrualus · 18/12/2021 06:35

OP, it sounds magnificent! I would vote for keeping it as as and embracing your forest-y living room.
But yes, you could trim it flat, google flat-backed trees to see how that looks - I think it might look a bit strange from the side but in a corner might look good. Not one for a bay window though!
Or you could trim it in a shape, like topiary.

Dh bought ridiculously enormous Xmas tree.
HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 18/12/2021 06:36

I really, really hope OP can find a way to embrace it! It sounds fantastic.

BeautifulTulips · 18/12/2021 06:37

@Treez21

Can you trim the back quite flat, or is that ridiculous?
You can trim the back to make it fit better against the wall. The beauty of real trees is their individuality but I understand you wanting to do that if it's too big for the room
Creepypastard · 18/12/2021 06:37

@Whingasaurus

Go with it it will be a funny story for years to come
I was going to say tackle it and chop it back a bit, but loving the idea of 'the year we had the enormous tree'....Grin
PenguinWings · 18/12/2021 06:38

I agree with the people saying keep it. Change the story to "that time Dad bought a crazy big tree-it was great- Mum was really angry but then she loved it".
It's just more fun that way.

PinkPrettyPearls · 18/12/2021 06:40

I’d trim the tree, height wise, and take the back off.

We often take the back part of our artificial tree off, to make it fit better

Oh and don’t forget to water your tree, they drink a lot of water

Original poster
Treez21 · 18/12/2021 06:42

I don't think you can see the scale.

Dh bought ridiculously enormous Xmas tree.
OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread