Why don't people use coloured lights anymore?!

[80sColourfulChristmas]

I was born in the early eighties and I have fond memories of colour, colour & more colour at Christmas! We even had those god-awful foil decorations criss-crossing the ceiling of the living room. Foil honeycomb balls dangling and giant unfolded foil stars.

The foil I don't miss particularly, but what has happened to colourful lights?!

I realise that with the (much needed) switch to LED, the new multi coloured lights aren't quite as pretty as they used to be (why is that?!) but why has this meant that seemingly the majority of people have defaulted to a simple set of boring white lights with just a handful of plain, boring ornaments on their tree?! (Still looks pretty of course it just isn't Christmas as I know it!)

I remember looking admirably at our beautiful tree as a child, stuffed full of all kinds of colourful glass ornaments which had been passed down through my Mum's family from the 1800s. The prettiest tinsel you've ever seen, lametta, beads, bells on beads, the lights had lovely cone shaped 'petals' round them so they glowed beautifully, reflecting off the glass, lametta and tinsel. It was stunning. Fond memories.

Can't have just been us, surely? Anyone else still go for the overloaded, 80s style multicolored Christmas look?!

This year I've ordered LED multi coloured cluster lights for the first time, but still have some traditional style lights for the tree and have used them every year until now. Not sure how pretty our tree is going to look....

I've gone for colour lights this year after years of white (with red/gold decorations)

I just wanted something bright and cheerful. John Lewis are doing xmas themes and I pretty much bought their whole 'pop art' section.

The lights are 'Twinkly smart lights' they are full RGB and can be set to any colour/shade/brightness in any pattern you choose. They are embarrassingly expensive for Xmas lights but they look amazing

Are you going to give your children a Big Yellow Teapot, or a batwing jumper?
Shell suits are actually 'in' with university aged people right now!

I loved my batwing jumper (no auto correct, not bathing jumper ) it was sort of sparkly wool*
and it came from C and A. !!
Shell suits though....

• when I say wool, synthetic "wool"

@AlexisIsMySpiritAnimal
You have converted me to coloured lights! Your tree looks lovely.

@haba as a matter of fact, my kids do have a yellow teapot and masses of vintage toys. My 3 year old is playing with a Fisher Price cot activity centre on the dining room table right now, and he does have a lot of vintage clothes too.

I had two batwing jumpers - a lovely burgundy waffle-knit one and one that my mum knitted for me in a patterned yarn that was all gorgeous soft pinks and purples.I wish I still had the hand-knitted one - I'd have no hope of getting into it any more but I loved it so much.

the Noma website is beautiful 🧚🏻‍♀️🎄⭐️

I have very fond memories of the big yellow teapot @user68634 I'm sure your children will too!

Speaking of big yellow teapots, my DM keeps her decorations in the box for when I got one for Christmas in 1986

*from when

Couldn't get coloured ones two years ago. Damn white lights are still working. I feel like accidentally breaking them. They don't suit us as a family!!

Great thread. Hurrah for Pifco!

I feel a burst of that song, “Christmas - was better in the 80s” coming on.

It seems these folk have cracked it by using white LEDs inside coloured shades which still manage to look traditional:

www.very.co.uk/40-led-party-lights-indoor-outdoor/1600184094.prd?sku=sku20156820&cm_mmc=google--PLA+-+Generic--Garden+%26+Outdoor+-+Garden+Decor+-+Outdoor+Lighting--PRODUCT_GROUP_p57057077934&utm_campaign=Generic_Seasonal+-+Garden+%26+Outdoor+-+Garden+Decor+-+Outdoor+Lighting&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=PRODUCT_GROUP&campaigntype=shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA2O39BRBjEiwApB2Iktm9Vzo2YDLEtWy_NEixeQfuh-cr728cW3giXN_Yu8DTYaxN7upUFhoCHZkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

@TatianaBis well I was really thinking of my MIL who is a fan of plain lights and no decorations on the tree, odd bits of twig everywhere etc

We have white lights , but some of our decorations are mirrored so they add colour.

Mumsnet is costing me a small fortune this year with Christmas crafts and now lights.

I've just ordered these.
Noma 40 Victorian Lanterns Christmas Tree Lights https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001CIZ5MW/ref=cmswwrcppapifabcc_L4cVFbPD22106

I've no idea where they are going to go as they won't go far on a 7ft tree but I'll find somewhere I'm sure.

We have lots of coloured lights on our tree, and decorations collected over the years, some handmade. A beautiful, bright tree of memories. Matching decorations and white lights on a home tree isn't for me!

We do have warm white lights for the bush outside though!

We also have decorations collected over the years, including handmade ones, vintage ones, and beautiful trees full of memories.

It just so happens that I prefer to set mine off with (warm) white lights, as most people do in Scandinavia.

That said, I am looking forward to picking up my little string of coloured lights tomorrow. I hope they will suit the dining room tree!

I realise that with the (much needed) switch to LED, the new multi coloured lights aren't quite as pretty as they used to be (why is that?!)
The ugly new LED lights only have red, yellow, blue and green, whereas my granny's old filament ones also had the above plus pink, orange and turquoise. Much gentler and prettier.

TLDR

I’m going coloured this year. I want those flower/spiked casings that would cripple you for a week if you stood on them due to being so sharp and hot. Any ideas where I can get such beauties from? I’m fucking sick of warm white

Led are incredibly harsh. They completely miss the point of cosy, glowy, twinkling lights.

Op, I adores those foil things across the room, they don't look tacky at all in the right set up

Noma lights, love them. But scared to use them.

I have got some morphing coloured lights at jl this year, it's too soon to tell if they look nice or morph to quickly.

We have coloured lights on our tree. About three years ago b&m had strings of 1000 fucking lights on offer than the smaller packs. "Bargain" I stupidly thought. My arms still hurt wrapping the bloody things round and round the tree yesterday. They look pretty, but until january 4th all I'll think about it trying to untangle the bastard things back into the box

@colourhex

I looked for the lights you mentioned I couldn't see anything. Can you link at all please?

I have fond memories of gaudy foil ceiling decorations! My siblings and I would go to bed one night before Christmas and in the morning the whole downstairs ceilings of our house would be crisscrossed with foil chains and hanging foil lanterns! I would hesitate to put them up in my house but love them just the same!

I found lovely traditional acorn coloured lights on eBay last year and they looked lovely around my front windows! I'm considering getting some more for my tree this year as I loved them so much!

I've changed from an all white lights and matching decorations to a bit of a free for all now! No tinsel though I just hate the stuff!

@Snoooozzze

I have fond memories of gaudy foil ceiling decorations! My siblings and I would go to bed one night before Christmas and in the morning the whole downstairs ceilings of our house would be crisscrossed with foil chains and hanging foil lanterns! I would hesitate to put them up in my house but love them just the same!

I found lovely traditional acorn coloured lights on eBay last year and they looked lovely around my front windows! I'm considering getting some more for my tree this year as I loved them so much!

I've changed from an all white lights and matching decorations to a bit of a free for all now! No tinsel though I just hate the stuff!

They're similar to these ones:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193284640381

More traditional colours though...