Are the decorations new and themed, or have they been in the family for many years.
Do you light up the outside as well as the inside of your home.
Do you have woodland creature on your lawn.(Real or not)
Tell all
Real Tree?
Moderators: rcperryls, Rose, karen4bells, Serinde, Alex
Real Tree?
If you have a Tree do you go for a real or artificial one for the Christmas/Holiday season.
Are the decorations new and themed, or have they been in the family for many years.
Do you light up the outside as well as the inside of your home.
Do you have woodland creature on your lawn.(Real or not)
Tell all
Are the decorations new and themed, or have they been in the family for many years.
Do you light up the outside as well as the inside of your home.
Do you have woodland creature on your lawn.(Real or not)
Tell all
I have had both of my trees for over 8 years. When we moved here we got real trees but the cost got to be terrible and the mess of cleaning needles was a pain. 10 years ago I got my first "fake " tree. The kids and hubby had a fit but since they never help with the clean up I said tough.
I still have it and it is the one in my webshots that is silver and blue. That one only has those colors and my few snowman ornaments. The other one I got 2 years later as we were getting too many decorations and my Disney ornaments needed there own tree. So that one is themed. All Disney and that is were the gifts for friends go. The blue tree are the family gifts.
The ornaments that have been saved from way back some times come out but they have been split in two and given to the kids so they will both have some. When my dad was alive he would get the large glass ornaments and paint a special picture on each one for each of the grandkids. My kids have 10 of them and they treasure them. That used to be the last present opened each year. They would save it for last. They would pick up all the paper and garbage and clear everything else away and then they would sit in front of the tree unwrap each one individually and carefully hang it on the tree. The first year they didn't get their ornament it was hard to realize that grandpa's gifts would not make-up our holiday anymore.
I used to light up outside but since my little santa helper is gone(my son) I only do the inside stuff. You really need help with the outside lights and since we live 15 miles out of town I don't really see a need to decorate the yard for the skunks, birds, rabbits and gophers. Yes I have woodland creatures and they are real and they can be a real pain.
I still have it and it is the one in my webshots that is silver and blue. That one only has those colors and my few snowman ornaments. The other one I got 2 years later as we were getting too many decorations and my Disney ornaments needed there own tree. So that one is themed. All Disney and that is were the gifts for friends go. The blue tree are the family gifts.
The ornaments that have been saved from way back some times come out but they have been split in two and given to the kids so they will both have some. When my dad was alive he would get the large glass ornaments and paint a special picture on each one for each of the grandkids. My kids have 10 of them and they treasure them. That used to be the last present opened each year. They would save it for last. They would pick up all the paper and garbage and clear everything else away and then they would sit in front of the tree unwrap each one individually and carefully hang it on the tree. The first year they didn't get their ornament it was hard to realize that grandpa's gifts would not make-up our holiday anymore.
I used to light up outside but since my little santa helper is gone(my son) I only do the inside stuff. You really need help with the outside lights and since we live 15 miles out of town I don't really see a need to decorate the yard for the skunks, birds, rabbits and gophers.
Yes I have woodland creatures and they are real and they can be a real pain. If you are looking for some one to help change you, look in the mirror
I bought an artificial Christmas tree a few seasons back; I got tired of paying the price for a real one, and then cleaning up after. It's a small one, but I like it. All of my tree ornaments are mine, some I've made others I've bought (some from trips I've made to Europe, etc.), and some of the baubles belonged to my parents. Those hold a special meaning to me. I don't decorate the house with lights, just some cross stitched pictures, nick-nacks, and stotckings I've collected over the years. I don't put up lights: it's a waste of money and just pollutes the air more (in my opinion). I live in the city, so no creatures of any kind (don't have a lawn, either), unless you consider ants and other bugs woodland creatures.
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lacemaker2004
- Posts: 1873
- Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:41 pm
- Location: New Jersey, usa
We still do the live tree though occasiionally I've been tempted to buy a fake one The tree is kind of themed as most of the ornaments are handmade by me or a friend of mine, represent the "fids" or our special interests and travels. I have many that have been handed down for my grandmothers and step grandmother. Most years we've gotten a really tall one so all the ornaments fit but this year it's probably only going to be one to sit on the coffee table in the living room because of the puppy.
We decorate the inside and the out though not too much. I just got done hanging some swags and filling the front planter with scented pine cones and fake greenery....I know, fake outside but it was incredibly much cheaper and then it was 40% off at Michaels. I did the kissing balls and wreaths last weekend. My husband will probably get the two light up deers on the front lawn later this weekend and they'll be joined by the bunnies and squirrels that inhabit the yard.
We decorate the inside and the out though not too much. I just got done hanging some swags and filling the front planter with scented pine cones and fake greenery....I know, fake outside but it was incredibly much cheaper and then it was 40% off at Michaels. I did the kissing balls and wreaths last weekend. My husband will probably get the two light up deers on the front lawn later this weekend and they'll be joined by the bunnies and squirrels that inhabit the yard.
Don't think we've had a real tree since I got married. Used to have a nice smallish tree that sat on a table in front of the window. DH a few years ago wanted a larger one - we now have to rearrange the room to accommodate it and guess who has to put it all together - and its hard work ! I quite enjoy decorating it when it is up though. An assortment of baubles that have been around for a good few years and a few new things bought in recent years. I usually do a few table decorations out of artificial stuff and usually one with real greenery out of the garden. We don't do anything outside.
I don't go over the top as when I lived in a bedsit in my late teens I went a bit overboard with decorations and it was sooooo depressing when I took them down.
We also have an assortment of wildlife in the garden - lots of birds and a few squirrels and a mole - although we haven't actually 'seen' him, and I think there are a few mice out there too. Oh and we live on an ant's nest
I don't go over the top as when I lived in a bedsit in my late teens I went a bit overboard with decorations and it was sooooo depressing when I took them down.
We also have an assortment of wildlife in the garden - lots of birds and a few squirrels and a mole - although we haven't actually 'seen' him, and I think there are a few mice out there too. Oh and we live on an ant's nest
mags
WIPs:
Heritage Tower Bridge (yes still
)
various bits and bobs
WIPs:
Heritage Tower Bridge (yes still
)various bits and bobs
We have a fake tree as last year we decided to get a real one and it was dried up and dead by Christmas, It did not drop it's needles, they just died where they were.
Our decorations are a mixture of old and new, the oldest ones are about 55 years old,a bell that tinkles and a glass bird with a fiberglass tail are among the oldest, they were my Mum and Dads from when they were first married.
When the kids were very small I made a paper angel out of three circles of paper and glitter. she is put on the tree every year.
We have some icicle lights in the window, but non outside of the house.
When the wind dies down I will put a woodland scene in the porch that I made out of bits of an old fake tree and some small animal and bird decorations.
Our decorations are a mixture of old and new, the oldest ones are about 55 years old,a bell that tinkles and a glass bird with a fiberglass tail are among the oldest, they were my Mum and Dads from when they were first married.
When the kids were very small I made a paper angel out of three circles of paper and glitter. she is put on the tree every year.
We have some icicle lights in the window, but non outside of the house.
When the wind dies down I will put a woodland scene in the porch that I made out of bits of an old fake tree and some small animal and bird decorations.
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lacemaker2004
- Posts: 1873
- Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:41 pm
- Location: New Jersey, usa
I hav three trees up this year, one is fiberoptic, I just love the way it flickers really colourful, then I have little tree in a burlap sac I decorated and I also have a grapevine cone tree ,it was a gift and is decorated and lit. I have a strand of lights in the window (the flicker from purple to gold). I also put a few things around the apartment , I have so many things I rotate from year to year.Living alone it hardly seemed worth it but I do like the lights, it also makes me feel festive.
Linda
We always used to have real tree, but they have become so expensive and, as has already been said, they can be a real mess to clear up when Christmas is over. So we now have an artificial one, as well as two little ones which we have in another room. Our decorations have been collected over the years - some from when our sons were little, some from my husband's childhood, and some made by our sons. We've got some 'special' baubles which we bought as a souvenir of places - we have two from Jenners in Edinburgh! We don't have many decorations, just the trees, a holly wreath on the door and holly around the house - as we have a beautiful holly bush in the garden. 
Alyson - your dad sounds great! I'm definitely aiming to wear purple in my old age.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/warning/
Alyson - your dad sounds great! I'm definitely aiming to wear purple in my old age.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/warning/
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lacemaker2004
- Posts: 1873
- Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:41 pm
- Location: New Jersey, usa
Genevieve,Genevieve wrote:
Alyson - your dad sounds great! I'm definitely aiming to wear purple in my old age.
He's actually a riot at times. When my step mother and I get together for lace workshops or we're visiting and stitching, he wanders around mumbling about "silly women and their threads" and ohhh'ing and ahhh'ing in a high pitched voice when the threads and pattern books come out. Then there's the rolling of the eyes. the pursed lips and the look that came straight from Grandma (his mother) when we return from the shopping for more threads and patterns!
All this from the same man that is arguing over which area of their house to finish off as a craft room for my step mother. He wants it upstairs in the room next to his tv loft so he can at least be near "the silly woman and her threads".
Alyson
Always a real tree. And fresh: Have been known to chop it down myself sometimes. It drinks buckets of water every day, but that's fine, and if you choose your type of tree, needle drop isn't too much of a problem (try lodge pole pine or Nordmann). Nothing beats that smell. Not to mention the wood for the fireplace once the holidays are over.
Our ornaments are collections made over the years. I'm now trying to buy each of my boys an unbreakable ornament every year (it goes in their stocking), so that they will have something to start out with in the (I hope not to distant) future. We have lovely old glass baubles, glass icicles, something I made with mirror and sparkly stuff in primary school... and the reindeer that sits in the branches looking bemused. As well he might! Every ornament has a story.
Our ornaments are collections made over the years. I'm now trying to buy each of my boys an unbreakable ornament every year (it goes in their stocking), so that they will have something to start out with in the (I hope not to distant) future. We have lovely old glass baubles, glass icicles, something I made with mirror and sparkly stuff in primary school... and the reindeer that sits in the branches looking bemused. As well he might!
Every ornament has a story.
Hungary
In Hungary we decorate the Christmas tree only on the 24th of December! But we do have an Advent wreath with the first candle lit from the beginning of December. And many people have already put up some lights or decoration, mostly on the doors and in the windows.
We always have a real tree, but in the past few years, whe we lived in our own house with a quite empty garden, we bought small trees with roots, and after Christmas I planted them in the garden. Last year it didn't survive, unfortunately, but all the others are still there.
We are in the middle of selling the house and buying a smaller one, at the moment living in a very small rented flat, so we will probably buy our first artificial tree.
Decorations vary: some are left from my mother and DH's grandma, some we bought together, and every year I make some new ones. There are also the paper garlands my daughter made when she was small, and some of my own from the age of 5!
We always have a real tree, but in the past few years, whe we lived in our own house with a quite empty garden, we bought small trees with roots, and after Christmas I planted them in the garden. Last year it didn't survive, unfortunately, but all the others are still there.
We are in the middle of selling the house and buying a smaller one, at the moment living in a very small rented flat, so we will probably buy our first artificial tree.
Decorations vary: some are left from my mother and DH's grandma, some we bought together, and every year I make some new ones. There are also the paper garlands my daughter made when she was small, and some of my own from the age of 5!
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crossstitchpro
- Posts: 198
- Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 2:04 pm
- Location: usa
- Contact:
We have always had a real tree and most years we cut our own. Either on our property, or go to a "cut your own tree" place.
This year we're not having a tree because we're not going to be here for Christmas.
As for ornaments, up until a few years ago, we used the home-made ornments we've collected through the years as the kids grew up. When they left home and we couldn't always get together for Christmas, I couldn't stand the thought of using those ornaments. I would just sit there and cry...so I made all new ones, mostly red-ish beaded stars. They're very pretty. I went crazy making beads out of polymer clay. The stars are a mix of glass, plastic, and polymer clay beads.
We don't decorate the outside of the house except for a wreath on the door because you can't see our house from the road. The trees on our property are all covered with snow, so it looks very pretty without "decorations".
We have real animals in the yard, mostly wild turkeys and deer. Also fox and red squirrels. For birds we have chickadees, crows, woodpeckers, and ruffed grouse.
Lori
This year we're not having a tree because we're not going to be here for Christmas.
As for ornaments, up until a few years ago, we used the home-made ornments we've collected through the years as the kids grew up. When they left home and we couldn't always get together for Christmas, I couldn't stand the thought of using those ornaments. I would just sit there and cry...so I made all new ones, mostly red-ish beaded stars. They're very pretty. I went crazy making beads out of polymer clay. The stars are a mix of glass, plastic, and polymer clay beads.
We don't decorate the outside of the house except for a wreath on the door because you can't see our house from the road. The trees on our property are all covered with snow, so it looks very pretty without "decorations".
We have real animals in the yard, mostly wild turkeys and deer. Also fox and red squirrels. For birds we have chickadees, crows, woodpeckers, and ruffed grouse.
Lori
www.crossstitchpro.com
Hundreds of Patterns to Download.
Hundreds of Patterns to Download.
I love a real tree, but I haven't had one in years I'm afraid. I gave up and bought a fake one after my vacuum blew up from too many pine needles. They managed to blow a hole in the bag and get into the motor. 
The decorations are a mixture of old and new, bits and bobs the kids have made over the years, some cross stitched ornaments, etc. It never looks the same from one year to the next.
The decorations are a mixture of old and new, bits and bobs the kids have made over the years, some cross stitched ornaments, etc. It never looks the same from one year to the next.
A stitch in time is my idea of a perfect day!
Connie
Connie
I love a real tree, but quite honestly, I can't afford to get a nice one each year. 
So me and my finance went out last year and bought a gorgeous fake one.
The decorations are mostly balls, in Purple, Silver and Blue. We have blue and silver garland, our angel is Blue and silver with glass gems on her... I'm certain you're sensing a pattern by now.
In addition we have a few knicknack ornaments, a small cross-stitched Santa among others. I just put a few pictures up on my facebook page, so I'll grab the link and post it here so that everybody can see!
Found it... Let me know what you think!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7 ... =848145607
If you click on each picture I have descriptions on them.
So me and my finance went out last year and bought a gorgeous fake one.
The decorations are mostly balls, in Purple, Silver and Blue. We have blue and silver garland, our angel is Blue and silver with glass gems on her... I'm certain you're sensing a pattern by now.
In addition we have a few knicknack ornaments, a small cross-stitched Santa among others. I just put a few pictures up on my facebook page, so I'll grab the link and post it here so that everybody can see!
Found it... Let me know what you think!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7 ... =848145607
If you click on each picture I have descriptions on them.
I will not have a tree in my flat because I'm not home over the holidays. I've just decorated my flat with mistletoes.
But I'm with my father and my sister's family for the holidays and we'll have a real tree. The oldest baubles we'll use run in the 4th generation by now but we have some new ones as well. So we won't stick to one colour or theme. We'll decorate the tree at the 23rd or 24th. It usually comes with the gifts here in Austria.
Only the last years, some people light their houses, here. We don't but we've got a window, which we are decorating with an toy sleigh (my fahter got this one when he was a boy, so it is over 60 years old) and some fake snow.
But I'm with my father and my sister's family for the holidays and we'll have a real tree. The oldest baubles we'll use run in the 4th generation by now but we have some new ones as well. So we won't stick to one colour or theme. We'll decorate the tree at the 23rd or 24th. It usually comes with the gifts here in Austria.
Only the last years, some people light their houses, here. We don't but we've got a window, which we are decorating with an toy sleigh (my fahter got this one when he was a boy, so it is over 60 years old) and some fake snow.
Thanks for the compliments everybody! I love my tree!
For some reason I've always believed in two types of Christmas trees... The elegant christmas tree that adults without children have, and the vibrant messes that people with children have!
Both have their purpose, and personally I'm looking forward to my messy vibrant tree when I do have kids... I'm hoping that I can eventually get the ornaments I made as a child back from my Mom to decorate the vibrant tree with.
For some reason I've always believed in two types of Christmas trees... The elegant christmas tree that adults without children have, and the vibrant messes that people with children have!
Both have their purpose, and personally I'm looking forward to my messy vibrant tree when I do have kids... I'm hoping that I can eventually get the ornaments I made as a child back from my Mom to decorate the vibrant tree with.