How do YOU decorate your Christmas tree?

[Hassled]

See here for categories. I have to confess to being an "Arboreal Aryan" - decorations are only red or gold, and I spend hours faffing around with it until it is "perfect". The DCs' input is not welcome.

Well, pre-DC I was an Arboreal Aryan - purple and silver only with white lights. Now sigh I was forced into British Imperialist by my 'orrible DDs and DH....

Same as you hassled, Tree is a variation of golds and creams only and even DH knows to leave well alone.

Arboreal Aryan here - a great deal of money thought has been invested in my decorations .

I'm so glad I'm not alone .

Last year DS3 made a tree decoration at school - it has blue and silver glitter, and sent me into a complete tizzy. I couldn't not put it up, but yet it isn't red or gold. In the end I stuck it right round the back of the tree in the lower branches. I am a bad mother.

before the kids it had to be perfect had everything in white baubles,little animals etc,then the kids came and they decorated it adding their decorations over the years i'm back to having it nicely done now but still bring out their decs just to annoy them their 18,15 and 14

Japanese- I have a real tree which has hundreds of fairy lights (white only, no trailer trash coloured lights for me) and very few baubles. No tinsel. No fairy on top. Nowt else.

I have another tree at the top of the stairs which is the colonial tree - same bought out baubles which I have had for 15 years, kitsch crap which I have picked up over the years, unidentifiable fimo blobs which dd has made. Thus my main tree remains unsullied.

am a British Imperialist, used to be an Arbroreal Ayran. Now we are a "family" dp insists on getting involved (wasn't either bothered about having a tree pre dd, let alone decorating it)

bastard!

My tree is covered with all sorts of baubles, coloured lights, 3 different colours of tinsel and that wispy thin tinsel that gets "strewn" over the whole tree.

Of course, the good thing about this tree is that there are a fair few memories tied up in the baubles (we buy a new one each year ... one came fron France a few years back, dd chose this years etc). Still didn't stop me looking at the overall product and thinking Urgggh.

I'm none of these. I like felt decs, orange and brown and green colours, stripy, you know, looking a bit like gingerbread houses etc. Like this

What's that then - Scandanavian?

Here too, luridly lovingly hand painted mushy -newspaper papier mâché ornaments get placed on the lower branches so that they cannot spoil the overall effect DD can see them better

Mine starts out Arbroreal Aryan and ends up British Imperialist by thew time the kid's persuade me to add a bit of tinsel and the gazillion crappy adorable decorations they make!

Can we add another category, please?

Black trees, white trees - in fact, any coloured artificial trees with weird 'built-in' lights. Loved by shite furniture shops.

'Wankerist', I'm calling that category.

Ds is having a little tree all of his own in his playroom - he thinks this is a special treat and is really excited. It's actually because I am a horrible control freak and much as I love the assorted tat he makes, I don't want it on my perfectly co ordinated tree (red and white this year).

Will not have tinsel over the threshold

DD tries each year to persuade me. I can imagine that when she has her whole household the place will be festooned with tinsel due to the fact she has been denied it throughout childhood.

toosh I've got a tree one similar to them eldest made in p7 there really quite nice

borderslass - I think it bodes well that many homemade decs fit into my category

DD brought a hanging tree back from nursery and I actually love it because it fits right in!

(Wouldn't work with a Japanese or Arbroreal Aryan style, that's for sure )

I'm a British Imperialist. I love the fact that my baubles don't match. I buy at least one new one each year and I get a real kick unpacking them and remembering if there's any story behind them.

There's a bit of the British Imnperialist in my style of tree decorating, but I don't cram the tree until it looks like a squid!
I am very fond of my mismatched decorations, each one with a memory and each year we pick a new one each for the tree. I have some that all match which I like to think pulls the tree together and they go on first, evenly spaced out, but I will never be someone who goes for a colour theme as I like my tree to have lots of colours and style and it looks like one from an old Christmas card when it's done.
Oh and it has to be white lights for me

lol at MrsMattie's new category. We have a friend with that approach!

Display you and I have similar tree tastes I think

yes, Mistletoesnowman, I love unpacking them and forgetting I had certain decorations until they peep out from the tissue paper (yes, I am a woman who packs them carefuly away like little treasures!). If they were all the same, it would be rather dull for me as I like the variety!

Arboreal aryan.

White static lights, red and gold baubles . NO tinsel, red and gold ribbons.

Star at the top.

I put the tree up and decorate it when the children are out. It takes me ages as i need to work out how many of each style bauble i have so that i can postion them properly so that the tree is even.

But you can do it all!

Red and gold real tree with star on top in the lounge (not until 24th!) Aryan. Decorated only by me and most 'artistic' DS (age 14). DH and other 2 DS not allowed anywhere near.

Imperialist in the dining room. All multi cloured stuff from years back, inherited baubles from GP, home made things from when they were little, all sorts of tinsel, and the Christmas cards. We also find room for the stable, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus etc. We won't bother with homemade paper chains this year. Youngest DS (13) has refused to make them!

Not sure if it counts as Japanese but I will also do a small silver and blue tree in the consevatroy.

DH will decorate tree outside with multi-coloured lights. It will be tastefully done. No Santa on a ladder, Blow up snowmen or flashing Merry Christmas signs.

Mine is matched mismatched to perfection, sort of olde toy shop, Scandinavian, handmade treasures from all around the word, little miniture clogs from our weekend in Amsterdam, glazed paper mache birds from cape town, tin hearts I have collected over the years that go on door knobs usually, but get on to the tree for Christmas. I have one garland of heart shaped muted lights, a real 2m tree, and each year we pop popcorn to make a couple of garlands.

I don't like matchy matchy trees, my mate has red, white, gold and black, fake tree and white lights. YUK

Pre DC if we even had a tree it was Being Japanese. Now DD1 (3) is involved it is like an explosion in a decorations factory - British Imperialist I guess.

British Imnperialist here, no tinsel and only clear static lights.