Decorations and wrap... do you have a 'theme'?

[OhTheConfusion]

I was talking about the fab online bargin thread yesterday to a co-worker and she announced 'I must decide on my christmas theme soon.'

Does anyone really buy new decorations every year? I do like my wrap and ribbon to be pretty and matching but the decorations have been added to over a long time.

If you do... what's your 'theme'?

I dont have a theme. The decorations I have I've collected over the last few years since I moved out my mums (I'm 26 so only been moved out about 6 years). They're nothing special really but can't imagine ditching any of them in favour of a theme.

As for wrapping paper I don't have a theme for that either, but FC uses different paper to everyone else.

Wrapping paper is whatever's on office in the shops.

Deciratons are old and none match, we buy 1 new treedecoration every year form John Lewis but no theme, our tree looks bonkers with all manner of weird things ds made and other radom bits

My presents are all wrapped in the same theme if that counts?

Decorations are a collection that gets added to with one or two new things each year, plus a few new things I have made.

But we don't have Christmas at home, we have it at the in laws house.

I don't have a theme for either.
My tree looks like it's been puked on by mulicoloured baubles, tinsel, candycanes.

I'm paying for a 'christmas wrapper' this year so I might go themed with the presents as someone else is doing it

I usually try and have a theme for the wrapping. But not the decorations.

I do. my living room has just been done in duck egg and silver so all deccies and wrappings will be those plus splashes of pink.

There's no way I would have a decorations theme! I do admire beautifully coordinated trees but I like a mishmash on my own. My parents don't decorate for Xmas anymore so we have all my old favourites, and we the Elves give both DCs a new decoration every year, so there is a wide range. I top up cheap baubles etc as and when so no colour theme there either. Lights have to be white though.

Wrapping - I've never put any real effort into this before, and got cheap paper which ends up getting scuffed. This year I'm sticking with heavier paper (probably from Boots as I found theirs very good). I also got some ribbon from Hobbycraft, so I think I'll try and do it really beautifully this year - but no colour theme, just a range of nice paper. I will try and use different paper for Santa presents this year!

My theme is generally "explosion of colour"

The last few years my theme for wrapping has been plain old brown parcel paper (cheap as chips from post office) and then I splash out on pretty ribbons, mostly Christmas tartan type patterns. I've had lots of comments on how lovely they look under the tree! The tree is a different story since DD has been old enough to 'help' but I only stick with white/clear lights then you can go a bit more crazy on the rest! (Although I'm a strict no tinsel person!)

When we decorated a while back we got all new decs to match. There are a few older ones on the tree too, the dc have one special one each.

I try to match the paper and bows to the colours of the tree.

bangers where do you purchase your ribbons from? I fancy doing brown parcel paper this year.

I have just bought new lights - white LED is my only stipulation. Discovered that they flashed or stayed on when I tried them. Hope the DC dont realise they have various 'patterns' that would drive me insane.

I have lots of decorations, glass icicles that DH and I bought from a glass factory in Plymouth years ago. 2 gingerbread people with the DC dob on that we got in NY when the kids were little, lots from my childhood that my parents gave us... a whole mish mash but they all have special meaning and then the ones that the DC have made over the years.

Explosion of colour, but tasteful is my theme ones I fix it after the DC have decorated the tree

Whoa! Whoa! A Christmas wrapper!! Tell me more about this!!!

Pre DS I themed Christmas (3 years ago it was burgundy & plum, 2 years ago it was black & white), now I don't see the point in buying new stuff every year.
I've always insisted my presents are wrapped in newspaper (hate the waste element of Christmas) but DH is insisting we do it 'properly' now we have a DC.

I am looking forward to having a Christmas tree that looks like a Quality Street Box threw up on it.

I don't have a theme re wrapping but tend to buy tons of paper each year & started to try & wrap all DH in one type & MIL in another etc but then usually get to late Christmas Eve & plan goes to pot !

Looking online this year I like the Soldier wrapping paper in M&S & Next & may get that for DS. My 1st year as a Mummy & thinking that stocking presents from Father Christmas may all come in same paper ?

Re tree - mostly has clear glass icicles & dark purple decs (I refuse tinsel !) & each year we buy 1 new decoration for tree, This year may start tradition of bauble coming for DS.

I change most of the main colours every few years, but there are some decorations I could never part with. The wrapping theme this year is ..............drum roll .................. whatever was on offer and cheap in Tesco last February and is now stashed away lo the back of a cupboard

I love tinsel

Glad to see no one buys all new decorations every year!

We have two trees, the one in the lounge is decorated in silver and pewter colours with clear lights. All main gifts go under it in nice matching wrap... still to be decided this year!

The 'kids' tree in the family room normaly looks like Mr Tumble has decorated it . It is a mixture of bright lghts, multi coloured baubles and anything the kids have made over the years. This is where the christmas eve hamper appears too!

NO to tinsel. thats all. Yes to everything else.

Colour explosion here too, including fairy lghts. No presents under the tree as there isn't really room (we have a shorter tree but on a table so it reaches the ceiling without being too wide) plus in full view of front window feels like a burglar invitation. Wrapping paper is therefore random, cheap and colourful because it isn't out on display. I don't think I'd do coordinated wrapping even if it was on display, I like the colour explosion effect.

The only rule is no tinsel or anything else horizontal (strngs of beads etc) on the tree, hanging things only.

pickled a work colleague of mine is starting her own 'wraing service' as a sideline for those that hate/can't wrap.

All different options
she can pick up and drop off items
use her wrap and ribbons or you supply your own

My mother is able to do nice themes now because she has the Explosion of Colour decorations from twenty five years of massive trees but now has a small tree and can pick out different ones each year - it's funny to see the decorations become "tasteful". My favourite year wasn't a colour but "just the tiny ones" - they looked really delicate and lovely.

Our theme is just classic multicolor, abit of everything and I love it! With presets I get whatever paper I see that I like, I do like to have nice paper with bows ect on though

Our tree has white lights and is decorated in red, green and silver/white. We lived in Sweden for a time when I was younger so my tree always has a Julbock underneath it standing guard over the presents. I tend to stick to the same theme with the wrapping paper too, red, silver or brown paper with red ribbon, sparkly silver ribbon etc. Recently though I've been harbouring a longing for the multi coloured lights of my 70's childhood so may get some for DD to put on a tree in her bedroom.