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Original poster

To not have a theme for our Christmas tree?

143 replies

Fern86 · 04/12/2023 21:57

Our Christmas tree is so random.
4 kids and we pretty much let them do whatever ever they want re decorating the tree. Decoration day starts with a trip to Dobbies so everyone can choose a new bauble. Nothing matches yet i tell myself it’s kind of magical but I keep seeing all these wonderful themed trees and wondering if we should be making more of an effort?!

OP posts:
BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 04/12/2023 22:25

We find 'Christmas' works well as a theme.

Much better than the years we tried 'Higgs boson', 'Existential angst' or 'Memorable MPs of 1472'.

NoTango · 04/12/2023 22:27

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 04/12/2023 22:25

We find 'Christmas' works well as a theme.

Much better than the years we tried 'Higgs boson', 'Existential angst' or 'Memorable MPs of 1472'.

I think I'd quite like an Existential Angst themed tree. Though would it even be a tree?

Crunchingleaf · 04/12/2023 22:27

Who has a theme for their Christmas tree. Our tree has decorations on it as old as my husband as they were MIL plus the ones we have added ourselves along the way.
Its our unique tree full of our memories and we will make plenty more memories with all our mismatched baubles.

myusernamewastakenbyme · 04/12/2023 22:28

I started off with a red and gold theme too but over the years added baubles i found abroad and in charity shops and the cardboard angels my kids made....on the top of my tree is a wooden sleigh my mum gave me the Christmas before she died...its been on the top of my tree for the last 26 years and its priceless to me.

modgepodge · 04/12/2023 22:28

Mine is full of every piece of random tat my child has made plus anything a child at school ever gave me (teacher) and I love it. Every year we get the decorations out and I remember who gave me what. My daughter is 4 and for the first time this year is remembering making things last year and where she made it and so on and it’s lovely.

agree that themed trees are ok for shopping centres - that’s exactly it!! So impersonal. Yet I seem to be in a minority amongst my real life friends, who almost all have a perfect tree in their living room, and kids have their own in their bedroom which is full of the home made stuff.

beanontoast · 04/12/2023 22:30

Fern86 · 04/12/2023 22:14

😭
But actually I think I’ll keep our ‘shitty’ tree just how it is 😂

Show quote history

Sorry! But you did ask and said you're having to tell yourself it's magical! You can still take your kids to get a new bauble and try to gently steer towards ones that actually go together? There are a lot of 'themes' that also look shit...but the hodge podge random colours - and did someone mention toilet roll decorations? Shudder - I could never!

ALightOverThere · 04/12/2023 22:30

Obviously it’s personal taste but I find overly themed or coordinated decorations look a bit like a shop display.

LisaD1 · 04/12/2023 22:31

No theme here either, my girls do the tree and we do the deca as a family. Our eldest left home years ago but still comes back every year with her girlfriend to decorate the tree with our youngest. My house looks like Santa threw up and I love it, so many wonderful memories on that tree and hours of fun as a family.

Elfontheshmelf · 04/12/2023 22:34

Mine is mostly coordinated with a few special baubles made at nursery/school. I wouldn't like it if no two baubles were the same but each to thier own!

FrenchBoule · 04/12/2023 22:34

Our Christmas tree is a mixture. Baubles from the 80’s (old DH’s family home decorations), a couple of crackers the same age and some newish baubles gifted by family/neighbours that were acquired from all around the world. Some of these people are no longer with us so there’s sentimental value to these items. It’s lovely to think about them while putting the tree up.

Some decorations are made by the kids at nursery/school. They are very tacky but we love them- our favourite is the circle cut out of cereal box with half-bold tinsel clumsily glued in place. That goes on the top of the tree and tips the top sideways.

mrswhiplington · 04/12/2023 22:35

Ours is like this too. Full of all sorts. Just don't let your kids do what our DD did a few years ago. She watched a Christmas programme about making tree decorations. Made some cookies to hang on said tree. They were baked with boiled sweets in the centre to look like coloured glass. She hung them and then the following day decided to eat one. Only problem was the boiled sweets had melted onto all the tinsel because of the tree lights. What fun we had removing that lot.😯

Blessedbethefruitz · 04/12/2023 22:36

My theme for the lower branches is - is it safe if 1yo chews on it? Last year I made loads of felt decorations, Christmas cookie shapes and sea creatures. The upper branches are an eclectic mix of things collected for years, handmade bits from the kids, special bauble we buy each child per year (mario and elsa this year). I got the Harry Potter chocolate frog for me! We don't use any of the multipack baubles anymore but do still have them.

Ds4 loves looking at the things he's made in past years. And they both redecorate the tree countless times before the big day. I think our tree is perfect 🥰

InefficientProcess · 04/12/2023 22:36

The theme of my tree is, like PPs, Christmas. It’s a muddle and a jumble of things. Some are home made. Some are nursery and school creations from years past. Some are baubles accumulated in fits and starts. I get the kids to choose a new bauble each every year, so they are pretty random depending on who chose them and at what age.

It’s not decorated to look good on instagram. It’s just our tree.

Over the time it’s up, the 3 year old will keep moving all the baubles he can reach anyway. So the fragile stuff will be up high.

hurlyb · 04/12/2023 22:41

I like a real, colourful mish mash of a tree.

I think themed trees are often really naff. I'd rather not bother than ever have a themed artificial tree.

The only theme exception I can remember is a very glamorous great aunt who used to have only painted wooden apples on hers when I was small. I think she got them in Sweden. This notion was highly exotic to me aged about 6.

HighlandCowSaysBooNotMoo · 04/12/2023 23:01

Themed trees make me wretch
Ours is all a total hodge podge of hand made shit from the kids being wee, baubles from far away places and very naff things. I love a good mixed up muddled up tree, we spend hours reminiscing and cooing over the decs when we pull them out the attic its always a real nostalgia fest

OnceUponATimeInChristmasTime · 04/12/2023 23:09

Christ no,
Outside our house is all neat and coordinated. Our tree is sheer chaos! I just let the kids go to town on it. We have a hot wheels on a bungee chord on there somewhere. It is what it is.

Pamalot · 04/12/2023 23:12

New bauble each year from a place we have been that year, pets, kids, last year we bought one of the late Queen. Been collecting many years. Great memories.

PickAChew · 04/12/2023 23:14

Themed trees are for Instabragging, not real homes and families.

Tisfortired · 04/12/2023 23:15

Same here and we love it. Coloured lights, white lights, rainbow tinsel and any old random baubles/decorations. We also go to the garden centre and all choose a new decoration every year so there’s all sorts on there from traditional ones to for some reason a recycling bin decoration this year? In amongst all this the handmade decs made by DC over the years and the personalised ones. I love our tree. Imagine liking a Christmas decoration but then thinking ‘shame I can’t get it as it won’t match’ couldn’t be me 😂

beanontoast · 04/12/2023 23:17

PickAChew · 04/12/2023 23:14

Themed trees are for Instabragging, not real homes and families.

We always have a themed tree and it's never been on my instagram. 'Real' homes don't have to look shit and have literal rubbish (loo rolls) as decorations to be considered a real home...

Lesina · 04/12/2023 23:18

Mine looks like excitement and joy has vomited over it. Piles of random shite that holds memories. We love it.

versiunal · 04/12/2023 23:23

My parents both passed away in the last year. We looked through their old photos and found so many of our Christmasses as kids. Our tree had no theme at all and was the most glorious sight. Enjoy the beautiful randomness 😊

CharityShopChic · 04/12/2023 23:25

You think mixed, mish mash trees look "shit" @beanontoast and I think your matchy matchy carefully curated tree looks equally shit.

Just as well there is no one way to do these things.

beanontoast · 04/12/2023 23:27

CharityShopChic · 04/12/2023 23:25

You think mixed, mish mash trees look "shit" @beanontoast and I think your matchy matchy carefully curated tree looks equally shit.

Just as well there is no one way to do these things.

Entitled to your opinion! Seems like username checks out 😂

Parker231 · 04/12/2023 23:32

For those with matchy matchy trees what happens to the decorations your DC’s make at nursery and school or the ones you have kept from your childhood or from grandparents?