Are you one of this people with a perfect looking Christmas tree?

[Missrabbitt]

If so, how? And where did you get the tree/decorations? We have a mish mash of decorations and a terrible old tree that I’m going to dispose of and start afresh. However I think my decorating skills are as much to blame for the terrible looking tree we had last year as the decorations.

Do you have a real or fake tree? I’m considering investing in a good quality fake which comes with lights- any recommendations of a good one to buy?

Where do I start with buying colour co-ordinated decorations? Does anywhere sell a large pack so I don’t have to choose them myself?

Ours is good quality fake but decorations are an utter mix of kids made and random stuff. Every year (pre covid) we'd go to town and the dc would choose one new Dec each so they're a real mix. What I did see this year on tik tok I think every one needs to know is that you should never coil the light AROUND the tree, instead you should zig zag them up from top to bottom as apparently this stops tangling!! Am very excited by this news.

I do love trees with a personal touch- one of my friends buys a couple of special decorations every year and they have a really eclectic tree which is lovely. I think a ‘mish-mash’ can be a stunning theme in itself if you get the placement and ratios right! If anything it’s more of a success than a ‘perfect’ tree because it’s very hard to do if your decs aren’t all the same theme/colour! How many of you have real trees vs artificial? My DH is pushing for a fake tree.. we’ve always had real but I can see the appeal of no drop & from an environmental point of view! If you have an artificial tree- do you like it? Xo

I yearn for a classy tree but cant abandon the mismatch of decorations gathered from all over the world, from friends and family. New additions this year are a blue fish from my new sister in law in China, and a frog in a sparkly pink bikini in memory of my French friend who died from breast cancer in May.
Its a memory tree more than a Christmas tree.
Might get a small potted one for the hall that DD1 can ponce up to her hearts content

The lights are the hardest bit to get even, so pre-lit would help with this. Then pick 2 contrasting colours e.g. gold and red, pink and silver and use that as your base with a few other colours thrown in. We have copper lights, red and gold tinsel (pushed back) and then baubles in white, silver, gold, red, pale pink, dark green. Lots of baubles in a mix of sizes and shapes works well. We bought some stars but I've seen nice long ones. Then a few individual ornaments too. Dunelm have some nice packs with 3 different coordinating colours of baubles for £5.

This was our tree last year. I lovingly spent 2 hours wrapping 1500 lights. Then let dd (11) do her thing.
I loved it 😍

Our tree has lots of home made decorations that my kids made in nursery and early primary school and they're teens now! I can't not put them on but then I'm very sentimental. My husband would prefer a 'perfect' tree and jokingly asks every year if we must hang paintbrushes and random glitter covered toilet rolls on the tree. Of course we have to .

I have trees (twat with two trees) which I bought in sales and all the decorations are things I've collected over the years and continue to do so, cheap or special, whatever crops up They are quite 'themey' one is white and silver, the other green, gold and red. I don't waste time with perfect bauble placement. It does literally get chucked on and I hope for the best. They look lovely, I must admit.

Everyone has the best Christmas tree and none of us a wrong.

I hate overdressed trees! There seems to be a theme the last couple of years where they have a big bow on top with ribbons unfurling down the entire length and loads of massive, ugly flowers. Might look nice in a shop. It’s not homely at all though

Growing up, I always asked my mum if we could have a real tree and decorate in red green and gold every single year, wouldn’t hear of anything else, and so that’s what we did. When I went to uni we had mish mash trees in our flat with little neon decorations and Cath kidston decs that kind of thing! Now I have my own house I’ve gone completely the other way and I like white/silver/pale gold on a pre lot snowy tree. I did mine today! dd has her own little white company tree on the landing which she decorated with festoon lights, tiny gold bells, baby pink blue and pastel green decs along with Disney decs, homemade decs etc. Feeling so Christmassy now!

@sjxoxo - Your tree is GORGEOUS!!!

We have a pre lit tree (bought from B&Q a few years ago). It was about £150 but I intend to use it for years, so it was an investment. I have a very loose theme of red and white, but other stuff still sneaks in. I buy a decoration every time I go on holiday so it is a tree of memories. This year I only have wooden or felt decorations due to my toddler. We put it up today and he's already been at it. It'll be bare by christmas!

@Gladioli23

I don't think everything has to be colour coordinated for it to look good.

But if you want packs of decorations, loads of places sell coloured packs - everywhere from Asda to John Lewis depending how much you want to spend.

I think tree decorating has to have a bit of method to the madness, whether the decorations are coordinated or not.

I do:

1. Lights first. Arrange them carefully from top to bottom and then plug in, check it's even etc.

1. Then I think you want some long string decorations of choice - be that that you're a tinsel fan, or ribbon or beads.

1. Then you add the baubles, which don't have to all match but you do want them to "go" - e.g. I have some normal baubles, paper ones, a nativity set, and a load of felt ones. Not the same but they don't clash? Arrange smaller things at the top, bigger things at the bottom.

Is that what you meant by decorating technique or have I totally missed the point?

Great pointers!

Finished about 10 mins ago

We have a real one in the kitchen and a fake in the living room (carpet- I'm not hoovering needles for months, I'd rather sweep them out the kitchen door)

If you get a fake one, spread out each mini-branch of each tree both outwards and upwards (alternate between each mini branch, one out, one up, one out etc) it fills out the tree much better and if there are large gaps you won't notice them.

Plenty of lights, start from the bottom and go up, and any left go down the back of the tree. Try to keep it even and pushed quite far into the tree. Strings of beads, ribbon or tinsel if that's your thing go a little further in than you think too.

Do your matching baubles first, then fill in gaps with a mixture of decos.

I stick to a theme- pale gold and champagne sparkly baubles with similar coloured mixed decorations.

B&M sell similar coloured baubles in plastic tube things, and have sections dedicated to each colour- that might help you!

I decided to go for really high quality ornaments for my tree as I was horrified by how people throw all their cheap plastic Deccys out and replace them with a different colour every year. That is a terrible waste and awful for the environment. So I decided to start collecting vintage glass baubles. Nothing shines like glass. I've added in a good few modern glass baubles from to Tk maxx and paper chase and I just love them. I love my tree AND it rotates!

I think so though we have a mish-mash of decorations. Real tree, almost 4m tall, real candles, no tinsel or lametta. This is an old picture, we don’t put it up till about a week before Christmas.

@Missrabbitt

If so, how? And where did you get the tree/decorations? We have a mish mash of decorations and a terrible old tree that I’m going to dispose of and start afresh. However I think my decorating skills are as much to blame for the terrible looking tree we had last year as the decorations.

Do you have a real or fake tree? I’m considering investing in a good quality fake which comes with lights- any recommendations of a good one to buy?

Where do I start with buying colour co-ordinated decorations? Does anywhere sell a large pack so I don’t have to choose them myself?

I know what you mean op. Whilst peoples pics here are lovely, they’re not that ‘perfect tree’ I imagine you’re referring to. there are garden centres which have the most amazing trees with decs. You need a good quality artificial one. There are ones that are modelled from real trees, not the old fashioned bristley ones and it will last you years. The themed trees ones in the garden centres will cost £££‘s for the decs on them. If you follow the Radford family on Instagram I saw they went to Bents garden centre today and they’ve bought trees and decs from there and done a good job decorating. What makes a tree look great is a variety of texture and sizes, floristry in the tree looks great, & whilst sticking to a theme!

I LOVE doing my tree and have always been a bit of a perfectionist about it. The last couple of years I decided I wanted a rainbow tree so bought lots of mostly second hand coloured baubles, and some cheap little ones in every colour of the rainbow. First year I did a proper rainbow stripe but last year I had my 3yo helper and we had a mismatched colour explosion which I loved. I go more for loads of baubles and lights and nothing else.

I spend ages fluffing out the branches to make it look really full, and bought an enormous set of lights to fill out. If you're worried about even placement you can buy a net of lights and wrap it round. Make sure you push the lights in. I start with the big baubles to evenly space them, then middle ones then fill in with little ones. My leftover ones last year I used to make a garland with a couple of plain cheap artificial ones I bought.

I tried to post then it seemed to get deleted. One person's perfect is another's bland.
To me a perfect tree is one which tells a story and has depth and character.

@SnekkinOnDown.. Oh love that and those colours, are the lights modern or noma?

Re people throwing decorations out, they should never do that, donate them to freeyxle /charity shops /schools /toddler groups /homeless shelters!

Snekin what are those candles?

@cheesiestwotsit it’s stunning

[quote Thefuturestory]@cheesiestwotsit it’s stunning[/quote]
Aw, thank you

@SnekkinOnDown tell me about the loo roll? Is it a design feature?!

I usually have a perfect colour coordinated tree but this year I’m going for 89’s/90’s style, coloured lights, random decorations and tinsel. And I’m getting a real tree for the first time.