1980s throwback tree

[1980stat]

Every year since DH and I have lived together, I have bought and put up the Christmas decorations. I enjoy it, he isn't really bothered. I like the tree to be tasteful, with soft white lights and matching decorations in a colour theme, usually gold red or green or a combination of those.

Dh hankers for the Christmas decorations of his childhood. Coloured lights with foil flowers, tinsel, wooden rocking horses and Santas, baubles, those satin thread covered balls, and those paper fold out garlands and bells/balls on the ceiling. And Christmas cards on a string.

So, I have the tree, and the old multicoloured lights. I know where to get the wooden horse/snowman/Santa type decoration. Beyond that I'm stuck. Would you have multicoloured baubles in the same colour as the lights? What colour tinsel? And has anyone seen for sale the satin thread baubles and paper bells/garlands (other than eBay, because they seem to be selling for a fortune on there, presumably to other nostalgic 30/40 somethings).

I'd like it to look 80's-tastic without looking a complete mess but desperately need help!

This company have lots of the honeycomb paper shapes,bells,stars ect and they look like they're mostly under £3 each.

www.partypacks.co.uk/tissue-shapes-cid34198.html

Wilko,Habitat and Etsy are also selling some of the 80's style decorations as well.

Good luck OP,I hope you find what your looking for and I think what your doing for your DH is really lovely.

I noticed paper and foil ceiling decorations in Wilko today.

We had a 6ft silver tinsel tree throughout my childhood, from the early 70s to the mid 80s, and it was so lovely with the lights on it. I managed to find a 6ft gold tinsel one from Tesco a few years ago, I love it but my 18 year old hates it. According to him, tinsel trees have no place in Christmas.

I would love to do this one year! My childhood Christmas tree was covered with baubles of various colours and shapes. My favourite was a half bauble that had a 3D scene inside of Santa standing at a fireplace. We also had bells, candy canes, those thread covered baubles as mentioned by PP. It was a whole mishmash of decorations that had been collected over decades. Plus multicoloured lights and tinsel. On top was an angel that my dad had through his childhood. And of course, those shiny ceiling decorations that hung from each corner of the room.

I do love our red, gold & green tree but there's just something wonderful and nostalgic about an 80s Christmas tree

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza yes we had Cinderella lights! Love them. In fact my mum and dad still have them and they still put them on the tree every year. I think they replaced the actual string of lights but kept the covers.

I've just looked, and the same lights are going for hundreds on eBay!! (pic attached)

There are some vintage-type lights on Amazon which look nice... but they're not the same...

They have these in the Range. I have an annual hunt for fairy lights from my childhood! They do have blue in them I'm afraid though! www.therange.co.uk/christmas/christmas-trees/tree-decorations/fairy-lights/traditional-fairy-lights/#438071

@HermioneWaslib you have made me all nostalgic! We had everyone of those decorations that you linked to

I bought the once from the range today. They are nice and not too blue. Really want some flashing ones too though.

Home bargains have foil hanging decorations. I saw them today.

I found wonderfully tacky foil hanging decorations in the pound shop a few years ago, which were used to turn my mums tastefully grown up Christmas into a 80s/early 90s tacky throwback Yes to the smell of the foil taking me back to childhood!

I feel Christmas should be a bit tacky! My tree is full of an assortment of individual baubles, none of this all matching colour scheme nonsense! I do have a pre-lit tree though so no coloured lights.

I have a confession, last year my tree was in its last legs. There were broken branches (thank you cats) and I couldn’t afford a new tree. My ex was obsessed with ceiling garlands. So last year my tree was festooned with ceiling garlands as tinsel!

Filled the holes nicely and you couldn’t tell it was wrecked!

The Range also have the foil ceiling decorations in different colours for £1.99

Aaaahhhhh a proper tree. None of this modern, all matching, clinical nonsense. My tree tells a story. First bauble to go on is a little house with an angel, a deer, and a tree that I've had since I was at least 4. It goes on the crown of the (real) tree. Anything goes once that one is on.
I might have to get some retro stuff this year.
I loved the foil decorations as a child. Not sure I'd have them now but we love making paper chains so might get some of those.
My ex Boyfriend thought everything Christmassy was tacky, even Yankee candle candle holders, my beautiful house flags or expensive Swarovski Crystal decorations from New York. The man had no soul and Christmas made it obvious. This year I'm going all out!

I have an 80s inspired tree in my kitchen. I got most of the baubles and decorations from eBay. I looked for people selling small lots of their old unwanted decorations with a low start price rather than those who start at a ridiculous higher price just because they are vintage.
Also got a lot of the decs from charity shops, bought about 50 baubles for £1.25 in one shop, absolute bargain. I also bough new decorations in shops that look vintage. Traditional fairy lights came from Primark and the pound shop as my only requirement was that they contained pink, can't have vintage look lights without pink!

I tried thick tinsel but it was too much looked like santa spewed up! So I have skinny tinsel that I got in b and m in 3 colours.

My tasteful matching tree is in the living room, but with this tree, anything goes, it just full of colour I love it!

@1980stat can we see a pic of your tree?!