Dh bought ridiculously enormous Xmas tree.

[Treez21]

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?

I was your DH many years ago. Went to buy the tree and last thing DH said before I went was "please don't spend too much". When I got back I was bouncing around really chuffed because I'd got a 7ft tree for the price of 5. It filled the room. In the end, my sister locked me in the kitchen because I was refusing to let her touch it, and she took off the lowest layer of branches all the way round,which made space for presents underneath, and then trimmed two sides so that it fitted into the corner. It looked amazing when it was decorated.

I should have looked at the pictures first. That tree is amazing, and far less wide than my one was. Once the net was off, mine was 12 foot in diameter at the bottom.

@Changingtheweather I like your post. I think I've been working so hard and was looking forward to retreating to my cosy living room and shutting the world out. The tree is very dark and imposing when not lit and is overbearing. I'd bought new decorations and was looking forward to having something a bit more grown up as previously I just let the very small dc do it.

Yes there are bigger things, and I do feel this thread is more light hearted now, so thank you!!

@ultra88

That's what it ended up as. You can't look at it in daylight as you can really see how bad it is 😀😀

It's beautiful in its minimalism! You just need to brave it out and tell visitors it's part of your new reductionist strategy for life. Friends of ours moved into a new property and cleared the overgrown garden, and had to remove a small random fir tree. It was way more pathetic than yours, so they stuck it literally in the middle of the room and went tinsel crazy. It was a good conversation point! I think yours is great too.

@Bubblty

Let DH deal with it.

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

Part of the family tree, so to speak.

@ultra88

That's what it ended up as. You can't look at it in daylight as you can really see how bad it is 😀😀

Your room is so beautiful - why is your OH being so cheap over this?? (although you have definitely made the best of it!).

Don't ever send a man to choose something that needs to be aesthetically pleasing.

@Treez21

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

We do that if ours is too bushy and protrudes in to the room too much.

@Treez21

I don't think you can see the scale.

It looks great! 🎄🥳⭐️

I love the tree. Like you said though last year was so disappointing that you've probably put too much pressure on yourself for a perfect Christmas but for me part of the magic of Christmas is the non perfect stuff like losing the cat, hunting everywhere and finding it in the tree, things going wrong at a nativity, not being able to find sellotape, buying more then later 10 rolls appearing from nowhere.

I remember one year as a child we had a real tree, no idea where it came from but it was huge!
Mum had to rearrange the furniture for Christmas to fit it in. Our living room wasn’t small either!
One half of the sofa was behind the tree so you couldn’t see the telly if you sat there!

But op if you are not happy and can’t embrace it, then I would cut it to a more suitable size and shape. You can take the branches of at the back without affecting the look of the tree. But do it slowly and keep taking a step back to make sure it’s even!

OP I have no idea what you're upset about. Your tree is beautiful!
@ultra88 your tree made me laugh. It's like one of the ones Phoebe rescued! I love it!

@Changingtheweather

That tree is glorious, I’d be dragging total strangers in to admire it (not this year obviously) And I’m quite grinchy about a lot of the commercial aspects of Christmas. BUT To me the tree is a reminder of a darker, scarier, more primitive time when nature had unbounded power, but we welcome the tree in as a temporary family member. It becomes a thing of light, a sign of hope in the darkness and the decorations (no matter how eccentric or unfashionable) become part of the family story. Think of this tree as the year crazy Aunt Katy came. This year of all years we’re not about perfection. We’re about survival, we’re about hope, still suddenly, shockingly at the mercy of a natural world we in the west thought we had subdued. But we travel in the footsteps of our ancestors and can draw strength from their traditions.

And by the way, my tree is over 11 feet and I hope my select few visitors are awed by it!
,

Beautifully written, and so true.

@Treez21 I turn the Christmas tree lights on as soon as I come downstairs in the morning. It’s such a happy sight to have it twinkling away all day long.

If it’s in your budget I suggest buying some glittery baubles and some, hmmm, I’m not sure what the word for it is when they have cut surfaces - they will reflect the light beautifully and add extra sparkle to the darker elements of the tree. They don’t need to be expensive as they’re just filler baubles.

Find peace in the strength and steadfastness of that dark and moody tree. Lean into it, as they say.

🎄🎄🎄

I want a real tree but our cat is an idiot and always chews plants and I have heard pine needles are very bad for them. At least she is older now and doesn’t climb it all the time which she used to.

I love that tree! Enjoy your Christmas OP

(And when you take the tree down again you'll love your room feeling so very spacious!!)

Don't be put off real trees, a 5 footer would be much better.

I agree, don’t be be put off. There is a real joy in every tree, each with its own character and a different story to tell. Over the years it all becomes part of the tapestry and memories...like pp said - friends welcomed into the home.🎄

OP i think your tree is lovely.

We have a 7ft tree every year for our bay windows. We love it.

Xmas should dominate a room!

@Treez21

I don't think you can see the scale.

It's perfect!

Lovely tree - the decorations are great too. You are definitely overthinking and worrying about it. #loveyourtree

@Christmascakecakecheese thank you, lovely message.

Tell him great and leave it as it is. It’s up for a couple of weeks

Looks lovely and I agree with whoever said in January, you’ll be loving how big your room feels.

@Treez21

I don't think you can see the scale.

Is your husband Clark Griswald? 😂😂😂

I say embrace it! The bigger the better for me. We've gone massive this year and bought an 10.5 foot one which is far too out of proportion for our living room really, but I love the ridiculousness of it!