My 'pet hate' about Christmas trees (other people's)!

[BillHadersNewWife]

I have nothing against artificial trees...we have one ourselves...have done for two years now...what I keep seeing though, is pics of people's beautifully decorated artificial trees with BARE STANDS!



Why?? Do people just look at the ugly bases and think "Oh yes, that looks lovely!" ??

Or have they not noticed it's detracting from the rest of their efforts? You don't have to buy a tree skirt...you can just ruffle some fabric or tulle or hessian or even paper around it! Or hide the base with gifts...why have the stand on show?

Petty yes. But genuinely curious too.

[Zaphodsotherhead]

I am well decorated but my bottom is a disappointment, so I feel empathy for these poor trees.

[DippyAvocado]

My tree, decorated by the DC, has a higgledy-piggledy collection of decorations (mostly made by the DC when they were tiny), tinsel, lametta and a bare stand. The horror. Luckily we put it up for our own pleasure, so it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks, especially as they won't see it!

[ScreamingValenta]

Mine's not up yet, but I'm not planning to cover the stand. Some things in your house have a stand - I don't see a need to disguise this.

[dementedma]

billhaderswife I love that base and am very envious of your vintage decorations.

[ExpletiveFairylighted]

Warm white are ok, so long as they are with multi coloured decorations. I'm not keen on the warm white lights / everything red and gold colour scheme.

[wanderings]

I too dislike the blue LEDs - not just on Christmas trees, but absolutely everywhere. (Blue ones used to be very rare and expensive, so when they became cheaper, designers wanted to make up for lost time with them.)

We had German au pairs, who were horrified by the coloured lights on our tree, and were insistent that anything but white lights was quite improper.

[LifeInAHamsterWheel]

I'm with you OP, I hate to see the stand at the bottom of the tree.

We have a skirt, red felt with embroidery on it and then tinsel wrapped around the 'neck' if that makes sense?! I think it's lovely but I saw a wicker tree skirt recently and decided that would be even nicer, bought it, nearly did DH back in getting him to lift the entire decorated tree so I could insert the base into the wicker skirt and then found that it doesn't fit!! So beware, skirts aren't a 'standard' size. Or maybe the bases aren't.... Well, either way make sure you measure first. And also don't try to put it on after your tree is up and fully decorated

[IfNot]

I like your tree skirt Bill.
Clearly I am a tacky fucker though as I love a bit of tinsel, I have those coloured lights with petals on them AND I just bought a Christmas village complete with moving train, lights and music! (I have always wanted one of these.)
Other than that one daft purchase we are having a very low key, waste-free xmas though, honest!

[pictish]

The blue lights that have become popular now are my pet hate. They’re a cold, starey blue and nothing to do with the sparkle and twinkle of Christmas. They are reminiscent of the emergency services attending an incident.

[Whatsnewpussyhat]

There seems to be a trend for giant upside down basket style tree skirts now.

[Whatsnewpussyhat]

I leave the stand bare.

Not fussed on cold white lights but cannot stand stobe style flashing fuckers. Ones that draw you in with a gentle twinkle then suddenly go off on one like a 90's rave.

[TreestumpsAndTrampolines]

I way prefer a bare stand/trunk (then presents in front of it)

Those tree skirts are just really odd looking to my mind - the emphasis is on the tree, not the bit holding the tree up.

[BillHadersNewWife]

Yes! Lovely! I love things like that.

[UnapologeticallyUnhinged]

Oh and FYI I make toilet roll dolls. I currently have one of a Christmas tree with an angel on top. All good retro fun.

[UnapologeticallyUnhinged]

I have an artificial tree and have always had a bare base as the presents hide it. BUT this year I was tempted by one of those huge white fluffy 'skirts'. BIG mistake. It's now covered in cats. No room for the gifts.

[MyHeartIsBrokeButIHaveSomeGlue]

I don't judge anyone for their decorations really - only the Scrooge's who don't like Christmas 😜

[BillHadersNewWife]

🤣 I know! My sister says she thinks I must be of a different family bloodline to her...I'm so tacky! This thread just confirms it.

[MyHeartIsBrokeButIHaveSomeGlue]

Not as dirty @BillHadersNewWife but definitely as naff!!!

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

I used to have a super-style-conscious neighbour who'd buy a whole new set in a different colour scheme each year - and endlessly complain that she was hard up!
She once asked me what colour tree we were having that year.
Er, green?
Having once seen our tree, with its rainbow mish-mash of decorations and coloured lights, she went to lie down in a darkened room and never asked again.

[ASqueakingInTheShrubbery]

I'm not loving the blue lights. I can only assume DH got them in the January sales. It looks like Mr Plod's Christmas tree.

[BillHadersNewWife]

You can't compare tree stands to pissy toilet covers! 🤣

[Onesnowballshort]

I hide all the Christmas noise-making objects (musical Santa, musical snowman, musical elf - you get the picture) under the tree.
What I need help with is how to fix the jeffing star on the top. I can never make the tree fit the whole in the star

[MyHeartIsBrokeButIHaveSomeGlue]

Tree skirts definitely in the same category as toilet seat covers! But I also agree that a bare stand looks unfinished. I've been hunting for an alternative to my artificial tree and have decided one of the baskets would look better.

[areyouafraidofthedark]

I have a bare stand too, doesn't bother me about looking "unfinished" to me it looks finished lol.

[AllstarIsBrightbySmashMouth]

Hmm... I've never thought about it. But usually mine is only bare for a short while until I get gifts to put under it. Not a fan of a tree skirt myself.