John Lewis Christmas department - is it me?

[Gingernaut]

Have they gone for the outright bonkers?

The decorations are themed by colour.

Green/peacock, pale pink, white, red and russet.

Each set of beautifully made glass baubles contain odd additions.

Green for example has avocados, asparagus, onions, wellington boots, greenhouses, Santa as a gardener and a floret of broccoli.

Red has a roast turkey and all the trimmings, a turkey staring straight at you with a full fan tail, a cook book, bacon and eggs in a frying pan, a chocolate Yule log and a pork pie, complete with red berry.

Russet has a caravan and a variety of toadstools.

Tinsel, decorative objects and tree skirts all coordinate.

Who's going to buy all this?

Who's buying a gigantic bauble filled with feathers (white)?

Who's buying a garland consisting of folksy pom-poms and bells?

I buy us a new bauble once a year, themed on whatever has been going on that year. So last year was a cat (because, er, we got a cat) and this year will probably be something to do with our baby. I like unusual decorations!

Well I’m with you Gingernaut

I absolutely love Christmas, but I don’t get the need for the constant mass consumerism, and need for new themes/decorations every year. I would much rather see our big companies leading the way with more ethical choices.

I have a traditional tree. I prefer Christmas to be Christmas themed and coloured.
But that is me, I don't care what others do, that is up to them.

I was astonished to discover via mn though that some people treat Christmas decs as disposable, so they buy a new set, with a theme each year, then chuck them out after Christmas. That I find appalling, and I think it is quite a shocking waste of money and resources.

I've not seen anybody say that on this thread, @steppermum. Just that one or two perhaps are added each year.

Someone asked about squirrels - I’m fed up of lots of mice, squirrels and hedgehogs and never a rabbit. I need a rabbit for a specific collection of decorations which each have a meaning and can never find one 😡😡

Others in the collection include Santa, angel, fruit basket, flower basket, bird, teapot and house (that I can remember offhand - there are 12 in total).

Ours is eclectic. We have:

A felt streak of bacon with a smiley face and a red bow.

A Playmobil policeman keyring, I took the keyring but off and adapted it a little. About 5 years old now, my son is obsessed with the police, it was in his Christmas stocking, he was ecstatic.

Felt pink Martini glasses with olives, 4 of those.

Small felt replicas of my favourite books (Blind Assassin, A Christmas Carol, To Kill a Mockingbird), embroidered titles, little pages.

Big felt Texas FC.

Felt sewing machine.

I made all but the FC, my Texan friend made him

Plus I have the odd bauble and wooden animal. I buy a wooden FC every year from a place we visit near Christmas (always a different place).

This year we'll be in the UK, so will keep my eye out for something lovely. I quite like the look of the JL squirrel on a twig, but we'll be visiting castles and museums and such, so will no doubt find what we're looking for.

As a caravaner I’m going to have to go and look at the russet theme now It sound fab. I am tempted these Alessi friendly folk from the home dept.

Either you're happy for people to have their own style, OR you're with the OP. You can't be both!

You can!

Honestly I don't think it's that cut and dry. We always thought full on traditional but I think that's evolved as we've seen things we particularly like for random reasons. It doesn't take away from the traditional to have a couple of 'out there things' you add to a collection.

As it is we've moved to a bigger place and said we'd go back to a real tree when we had the space to do that as we prefer them and it's been something we've not been able to do since DS was born. So we are going to do that in traditional style.

We still have a small artificial tree we bought for a tenner a few years back though, so we are going to do in the crazy neon rather than just consign it to landfill. It's seen better days, so we figure this might be a good way to give it a little more love and life. Just for fun and to do something really different. Especially if it keeps DS away from the delicate and sentimental glass decorations I've had in the loft for the last few years out of fear of toddlers.

If I can do pom poms with him so much the better.

Traditions are what you make them anyway. They can either be generic or family traditions.

I definitely fall into the traditional camp I think. I can see why something might appeal, say you loved dolphins and there was a dolphin one you might like it but it's not really for me.

I guess I feel like I could have a dolphin (or whatever) ornament out at any time but nativity scenes, reindeer, sleighs, Santas, nutcracker soldiers, snowflakes etc are just a Christmas thing so feel more special and Christmassy to me.

I do have random ones from holidays, made by the kids, given as gifts, bought for first chrismasses etc. I don't have a matchy matchy tree. We're going to Disneyland before Christmas so might get the kids to choose a bauble each while we're there.

Love the Sloth one, visit to John Lewis at the weekend I think

We have a random collection of tree decorations, every year we have a Christmassy day out and the kids choose a couple of new ornaments to add to the collection so nothing really matches and there’s definitely no theme.

We don’t have any plain baubles on there anymore, they’re all ornament type decorations. Looks a bit mad, but I love it and we always have a bit of a reminisce when unpacking them

Lighthearted-ish.

Don't take anything you read on the internet too seriously.

You've missed my point, Red. But I can't be arsed to explain why.

Not keen on the novelties either. I prefer more traditional items but everyone has different tastes.

I love the crazy decorations

I was going to start a thread about how much I love the John Lewis baubles this year and you’ve all beaten me to it!

The camper van is my favourite. It is divine.

The Christmas tree decorations are an important part of the Non Garter household memories pot - we put another couple in each year.

I really like the selection. I have a collesum and trevi fountain balls on mine

We made it to our nearest JL today. We now have broccoli, a jellyfish and balloon dogs. Keeping it classy!

Oh. I was in JL tonight and thought the tree decorations were so ugly.
But lots of love here for them so they must be doing something right!

We have always visited a local garden centre and let the children choose their own decorations. Our tree is a bit multi coloured but filled with love built up over the years.

@Biddypop is any of these any good?
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=goebel+tree+ornament&_oac=1&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=german+rabbit+tree+ornament&_sacat=0

I was in Paperchase today. They have turquoise and hot pink balloon sausage dog baubles all but identical to the JL ones, except £4 vs JL’s £8 version. On a 3 for 2 currently. They also have mini balloon dog decorations in a multipack.

@boatyardblues Yes I’ve seen them in Paperchase and they do the penguin one that looks identical as well. Bit cheeky of John Lewis to charge double!