Tinsel on xmas trees - naff or necessity... Discuss!

[Queenofknickers]

I always have tinsel but notice this year many other people don't Am I hopelessly naff? Yes I realise this is VERY MUCH a First World Problem but my cat has just died and I'm sad and need distracting

[CointreauVersial]

Can't bear lametta - we always had this on the tree during my (70s) childhood, and the bloody stuff went everywhere.

[santasballsack]

I love the smell of tinsel! Smells like Christmas.

[callmekitten]

Isn't the whole point to be over-the-top and tacky and joyous? We always had tinsel on our tree when I was growing up but I don't have it on mine now. The cats try to eat it.

Sorry about your cat.

[sonlypuppyfat]

My tree is a mix of decorations expensive ones and things the kids have made. And lots of tinsel and lights. I like the tree to look busy.

[lanbro]

I hate tinsel with a passion. As a visual merchandiser my job used to be to dress trees for retail shops and we never used tinsel! My tree has feather boas instead. This is our first year where the dc can be a bit more involved so we've agreed I'll do posh decorations in the lounge snd dh will do naff decs in the dining room for the dc!

[attheendoftheday]

I don't like tinsel, so we don't have it. We don't have baubles either. We have white lights and decorations in natural materials, plus things the dc have made.

[SilveryMoon]

I'm not a huge fan of tinsel, but we have it. My parents have beads and all that jazz going on with their trees but I always think they look a little bare. I like busy trees so I'd literally have a bauble on each branch!

[Trills]

Necessity.

[Flossiechops]

Real tree in our house NO tinsel - naff!!

[Trills]

Christmas is not the time to be worried about naffness

[OneMoreThenNoMore]

No tinsel here! A mish mash of brightly coloured decorations, homemade strings of wooden beads, lots of lights and various other decorations around the house, but never tinsel

[BananaNotPeelingWell]

I like a bit of lametta.

[tobiasfunke]

I can never get tinsel to look right. Instead I have this gold, see through ribbon I got in Costco which I 'artfully' wind round the tree. It worked really well on a real tree but actually was a bit rubbish on the fake tree we bought last year. I put my Granny's threadbare tinsel in bowls instead so it's still around. I remember when tinsel was really expensive.

[HerlockSholmes]

i love tinsel- it has to be proper thick bushy tinsel though, when it looks even the slightest bit straggly i replace it.

and i like the smell

[BillyBanter]

Tinsel has been out of fashion for a few years now. Most traditional trees look bare and rubbish without it though.

That said my current tree is quite minimal. It looks lovely. It wouldn't suit tinsel.

[WholeNutt]

We'll have 1 bit of tinsel but that's only because our elf needs it

[eddiemairswife]

Don't like 'tasteful' trees. Mine has tinsel, lametta, baubles, home-made decorations. My (adult) children would be horrified if it were any different.

[Beachcomber]

Surely tinsel is both naff and a necessity .

[apocketfulofposy]

i like it but it has to be the chunky stuff.

[ArbitraryUsername]

I love tinsel. Given a choice between tinsel and baubles, I'd take tinsel. The sparklier the better!

[apocketfulofposy]

i think it looks good on real trees not the fake ones though.

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

I have tinsel but usually only one colour - my favourite is the reddish-gold (coppery?) sort, or just gold. I don't like the thin sort that looks all ratty though!

[Gluezilla]

Lametta -remember it now and Angel hair - have we been catapulted back to the 1970s -NOOOOOO !

[mumtoone1]

I love tinsel. I have quite expensive tinsel and it's lasted me a good 8+ years. My tree is extremely traditional, red and gold with vintage decorations. The whole things cost me a fortune but what a collection to pass down!

Yes yes yes to tinsel, just no pink or black! Yuck