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Original poster

MIL has stolen my childhood christmas decorations!

1000 replies

ExhaustedPigeon37 · 07/12/2025 10:30

Hello all,

Bit of a strange one but I think my MIL has stolen my Christmas Decorations!!

They have been in my family since I was small and although they aren’t expensive, nothing special they are just sentimental to me.

We had these three decorations, saying Joy, Noel and Ho Ho Ho with a Santa head on the top. The letters cascade downwards and the Santa has a loop so that you can hang them up. This year I put our decorations up and only found the Joy one. Asked DH and he said he hadn’t seen them, so I only put the Joy one up thinking I’d come across them in another box, I never did.

Fast forward to yesterday when we went over to theirs and they live about an hour away so we stayed for dinner and catch up after DH finished work. MIL was showing us her new decorations and the tree (which is themed red and white). I happened to glance at the bottom of the tree where I saw THE/MY Noel and Ho Ho Ho decorations hanging off of her tree!!! I’ve never seen these decorations at their house before, so the only conclusion I can come to is that they are mine, which is why I couldn’t find them this year!

Asked DH and he said he didn’t notice, asked if he remembers us giving them to her or anything and he said can’t at all. Last year we moved house in

I’m so shocked. What do I do? Do I ask for them back? Do I just leave it? Do I sneak them out when we next go there? DH wanted to stay at home on Boxing Day but I now want to go there to retrieve my decorations (they have been invited on Christmas Day but declined due to the journey and FIL recently having had a knee replacement).

MIL has stolen my childhood christmas decorations!
OP posts:
Thread gallery
20
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 07/12/2025 15:31

I'd tell her that the identical decorations from your childhood have gone missing and ask her where she got them from.

Bigboldfont · 07/12/2025 15:39

Don't mention it at all. Take the birthday gift, steal them back.
Tell DH you found them.

Never mention it again but don't trust them in your house and task DH, Dkids to keep an eye on them at all times.

diddl · 07/12/2025 15:40

If you do get them back Op, do you think your husband will notice/care that his Mum's have gone missing?

Or are you planning a substitution?

Jane143 · 07/12/2025 15:43

Maybe your husband gave her a box of bits to declutter when you moved, and doesn’t want to admit he gave them away?

Original poster
ExhaustedPigeon37 · 07/12/2025 15:47

diddl · 07/12/2025 15:40

If you do get them back Op, do you think your husband will notice/care that his Mum's have gone missing?

Or are you planning a substitution?

No he won’t notice at all and he probably won’t care, if he does he will know that’s it’s me. But I’m so annoyed at his response that I don’t really care!

OP posts:
Wonderlandpeony · 07/12/2025 15:50

Where were they originally bought from?

Assuming you both live locally to each other, is there a possibility that she could have bought them from the same shop years ago?

Bumpinthenight · 07/12/2025 15:50

Mark them whilst they are on her tree before confronting her so she has no come back.

I'm on team 'steal 'em back'!

diddl · 07/12/2025 15:54

But I’m so annoyed at his response that I don’t really care!

Good for you!

I know that there are things that I care about more than my husband.

We have a couple of boxes of baubles that are the first that we bought together when we had our first Christmas together.

I doubt he would remember which they are but they are sentimental to me so I hope he would care for that reason!

yawnyawnyawny · 07/12/2025 15:54

ExhaustedPigeon37 · 07/12/2025 13:21

So just asked DH again, he is adamant he wouldn’t have given them to his parents and has gone to have a look in the decoration boxes, confirmed they are not in there.

I’m so tempted to message her and just ask but DH says I shouldn’t approach the situation at all and says to just leave it. I asked if he had seen them before at his parents and he said no he doesn’t but he really pay any attention to other peoples tree or decorations. I said to him would you not recognise that we have the same ones? Which he has said no. He agrees that he would have probably noticed if we had the same ones as kids.

He has absolutely no idea how or why they would have them.

He does agree that it’s strange they have the two missing ones, said to me to just leave it.

I was going to say something like “Hi MIL, thanks for a lovely afternoon and evening yesterday. I noticed on your tree you have two hanging decorations that say HoHoHo and Noel with Santa at the top. Just wondering how you came about these? I had exactly the same, I was given a set of three (Joy, HoHoHo and Noel) from my mum a few years ago as she bought them in the 90s from Harrods and was having a decoration clear out. (Will also send a picture) However I’ve noticed that two of mine are missing (Noel and HoHoHo) so I’m just wondering if DH gave them to you by accident? If not and you bought them from somewhere, please can you tell me where so I can hopefully replace the two missing ones?”

Thanks to everyone suggesting buying new ones from Etsy or EBay but they won’t be the same. I’m just feeling confused, a bit upset and frustrated and just can’t put my finger on how they have come to have them!

If I were you and I was going to send this, I'd miss out the bit about them coming from Harrods, as that gives MIL the opportunity to say she bought them from Harrods years ago. Perhaps say you thought your mother bought them from John Lewis or somewhere.

Jane143 · 07/12/2025 15:56

For Gods sake. They’re cheap felt decorations. Just forget it and buy some more! I wish this was all most people had to worry about! It really isn’t worth falling out with family over

Threetoedsloth · 07/12/2025 16:02

A similar thing happened to me. When I saw this person had it I put it straight in my bag and left. Never spoken to them since.

CheeseIsMyIdol · 07/12/2025 16:07

Jane143 · 07/12/2025 15:56

For Gods sake. They’re cheap felt decorations. Just forget it and buy some more! I wish this was all most people had to worry about! It really isn’t worth falling out with family over

Theft of sentimental family items would be worth it to me.

As would the husband’s attempts to shut down OP.

Moveoverdarlin · 07/12/2025 16:07

ExhaustedPigeon37 · 07/12/2025 10:40

Ooh I like this! We will be going on Boxing Day then! 😂

Show quote history

Exactly this. You can’t talk about it or communicate because she’ll just lie. You say ‘where did you get those from? She’ll reply. ‘Woolworths, 1987, had them years’. Then where do you go from there? Call her a liar? Tell her she’s getting confused? It won’t end well.

Only option is to steal them back, but I would hide them when she comes so she can’t nick ‘em back. CF!

YerArseInParsley · 07/12/2025 16:07

ExhaustedPigeon37 · 07/12/2025 10:30

Hello all,

Bit of a strange one but I think my MIL has stolen my Christmas Decorations!!

They have been in my family since I was small and although they aren’t expensive, nothing special they are just sentimental to me.

We had these three decorations, saying Joy, Noel and Ho Ho Ho with a Santa head on the top. The letters cascade downwards and the Santa has a loop so that you can hang them up. This year I put our decorations up and only found the Joy one. Asked DH and he said he hadn’t seen them, so I only put the Joy one up thinking I’d come across them in another box, I never did.

Fast forward to yesterday when we went over to theirs and they live about an hour away so we stayed for dinner and catch up after DH finished work. MIL was showing us her new decorations and the tree (which is themed red and white). I happened to glance at the bottom of the tree where I saw THE/MY Noel and Ho Ho Ho decorations hanging off of her tree!!! I’ve never seen these decorations at their house before, so the only conclusion I can come to is that they are mine, which is why I couldn’t find them this year!

Asked DH and he said he didn’t notice, asked if he remembers us giving them to her or anything and he said can’t at all. Last year we moved house in

I’m so shocked. What do I do? Do I ask for them back? Do I just leave it? Do I sneak them out when we next go there? DH wanted to stay at home on Boxing Day but I now want to go there to retrieve my decorations (they have been invited on Christmas Day but declined due to the journey and FIL recently having had a knee replacement).

Please keep us informed about what happens. I'm invested in this.

Next time u are over see if there is a label on them that says which shop they were bought in. Try and buy similar ones so u can swap them over.

I wouldn't text and ask about them, I'd ask her in person where she got them but I wouldn't say mine went missing. I think that sounds like u are accusing her.

Original poster
ExhaustedPigeon37 · 07/12/2025 16:08

Just to clarify some points that keep coming up…

  • We moved in November 2024 we had movers in so there is no way she could have picked them up whilst we were moving.

  • We had the decorations last year

  • There is no way they have fallen off the tree into her bag, I don’t usually have them on the tree, I have them other on the Garland up the stairs, or around the house such as on window handles etc.

  • Kids definitely would not give MIL a decoration as a gift.

  • I didn’t say anything yesterday as I was just too shocked and I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. Hind sight is a wonderful thing!

  • I could buy a replacement/replica but I would quite like my original ones back!

  • Finally, please stop with the twisting of anything I’ve said, we live an hour away, have never had a strong relationship, even DH doesn’t speak to them for a week or more sometimes, not because of me, it’s just the way he is! In fact we have been together for 9 years, married 18months and he said last night was the first night his family seem to have actually accepted me and DD. FIL has never mentioned any sort of forgetfulness of MIL, SIL who is a 5 min walk away from them and spends the majority of her time at theirs also has never said anything to DH nor has she had any concerns, DH just told me he messages SIL today to confirm everything was ok and she said yes. The first DH said anything last night about MIL being confused was about the name situation. He also he said he wasn’t concerned. Just mentioned it in passing to me. If we had any reasons to be concerned we would of course bring it up to them!

OP posts:
LemaxObsessive · 07/12/2025 16:09

EchoedSilence · 07/12/2025 10:45

That one looks in good condition for such an old decoration.

What are you implying? That OP made up it up?! What on earth for?! 😆

LemaxObsessive · 07/12/2025 16:10

Lemonysnickety · 07/12/2025 10:47

i agree with steal them back. You could have an ongoing war over the decorations without ever saying a single word. I also like the idea of replacing hers and stealing yours back and letting her think she has gotten one over on you but you always knowing that she hasn’t. God the longer I live the more I realise people like your MIL are out there.

But that doesn’t stop her does it? If she thinks she’s got away with it then she’ll keep doing it! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Lotsofthings · 07/12/2025 16:11

She possibly picked them out in the decorations box when you were moving, thought they matched her themed tree and kept for herself. I would get close cheap replicas and then swop the replacements for your original ones on her tree. And then mark yours up with the date like some one has suggested.

LemaxObsessive · 07/12/2025 16:13

Threetoedsloth · 07/12/2025 16:02

A similar thing happened to me. When I saw this person had it I put it straight in my bag and left. Never spoken to them since.

How on earth did you know it wasn’t something they happened to have also too?!? Was a family photo or something?!

TootsMaHoots · 07/12/2025 16:14

EchoedSilence · 07/12/2025 10:45

That one looks in good condition for such an old decoration.

I’ve got the small Christmas tree that my granny bought when she first got married in 1923. It looks perfect because it’s kept in a box and it’s out for three weeks a year.

JillyComeLately · 07/12/2025 16:16

I can't believe so many people are saying steal them back.
Please don't, just ask her where she got them from, adding you had a set, two are missing, and you would like to replace them.
You should know by her reply whether they are yours or not.

IVbumble · 07/12/2025 16:17

I bet my house they're not the first things she has stolen from you.

I'm team steal.

Moveoverdarlin · 07/12/2025 16:23

JillyComeLately · 07/12/2025 16:16

I can't believe so many people are saying steal them back.
Please don't, just ask her where she got them from, adding you had a set, two are missing, and you would like to replace them.
You should know by her reply whether they are yours or not.

Rubbish.

She could say….

Auntie Jean gave me them years ago

or

I bought them from Debenhams when the kids were young.

or

Bought them in the charity shop in the summer

Then what does OP say?? I think you are lying as I had some the same and now they’re missing? Whatever she says will start a row and that needs to be avoided if they have only been married 18 months. She should steal them back, but hide them if her thieving MIL comes round. The MIL can’t say anything can she?

Hermyknee · 07/12/2025 16:26

Tell your Dh to tell her that he’s sorry he shouldn’t have given them to her last year. Please can you have them back for sentimental reasons.

‘Saves’ embarrassment and makes her know everyone knows. She make think your Dh is doing the honourable thing in lying to you so may hand them back.

Be careful because they may go missing out of ‘covering up the crime’ if you do anything confrontational.

StruggleFlourish · 07/12/2025 16:31

I can't wait for the update in which your clever and devious plan has come to fruition and you have managed to escape PILs house with your two kidnapped childhood Christmas ornaments so that the trio can be reunited again!

(I caught the part about your PILs having a ring camera and that you don't have a key to their house; they don't have a key to your house do they?)

I would be confused, frustrated, annoyed, angered, and then silently furiously determined to get my ornaments back. I don't care if they cost next to nothing and if they were cheap plastic or whatever whatever, doesn't matter. They were yours, you like them, your parents gave them to you, you were enjoying them last Christmas, now they escaped your house and ended up on your mother-in-law's tree.

Your husband who never sticks up for you is letting you fight this on your own. He's been so kind as to look through the ornament box and confirm that no, I don't see yours here. But aside from that he's not going to be any help to you. Looks like this jailbreak is up to you and I wish you all the luck.

I'm ridiculously imagining something like a mission impossible scenario with the music playing and you get lowered down on a harness from the ceiling as you sneak the ornaments off the tree
or perhaps some kind of a gymnastic contortion through laser alarm sensors as you pick your way closer and closer to the tree (like in the movie entrapment or oceans 12)...
Then I'm imagining the end of the Shawshank redemption when your PILs look behind a poster and there's a big hole in their wall from which you snuck through into their living room and then tunneled back out...
My imagination is taking your plan into high gear.

While I am sure that your plans won't be as elaborate as this, I wish you all the luck!!

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