How Do You Decorate Your Christmas Tree?

[JoeyGee]

LOML are basically a couple kids, so we have a fairly large assortment of Star Wars and Disney related ornaments--and those are from before we had kids . We use multi-colored mini bulb lights (not the big ones or LED) on our fake tree. I LOVE real trees, but they are just too much work and mess.

My favorite part, though, is my Lego train. LOML does the rest of the tree, and leaves my train to me.

Anyway, anyone have any cool, non-traditional ways to decorate a tree? Do you have more than one (way too much work for us). Who has a cool train setup for their tree?

[maxparot]

My Wife and I only have K9 children and we also got tired of the mess of a real tree so a few years ago bought a nice prelit artificial tree with white miniture bulbs. We add on a string of multicolored chaser lites and then start our decorating with a string of white beads and gold garland. We then add all our oraments which are a collection relating to places we've been, pets and gifts. We add a new orament each year relating to an event during the year. Finally we add some candy canes and a star on top. Our tree has gotten very full over the years. I've mention to the Mrs. that we should start being selective but we still load the tree up.

[Uncle Cracker]

By dragging it down out of the attic and sending it to my ex-wife's house...

[sparkeyjames]

Pull tree out of box. Plug into a standard 120 out let and presto instant christmas tree. Fiber optics are wonderful.

[Richard in Smithville]

I let LOML and the kids do it. Less stress that way. I am there for the moral support though.

[crokett]

Hmmph! A buncha scrooges on this board! Always a real tree here - even when I was single and no kids. Growing up we always went to cut one. Since I moved here it has been lot trees until last year I finally found a good tree farm about a half hour from me so now we can go do that.

Little lights for now. When they burn out I will go get the bigger C5s we had when I was a kid. I do insist on NO TINSEL. I had to vaccuum that stuff up too many times growin up.

[LCHIEN]

artificial tree with 1000+ lights prewired. tired of the expense and mess and fire hazard of the real dead tree.
we have sort of two sets of decorations - the traditional one with traditional ornaments we've accumulated and added to every year (try to get one on vacation that reminds us of the vacation). and one modern set with look-alike color coordinated ornaments and ribbons and bells.
We use one or the other or sometimes mix.

[crokett]

Forgot to add - we go to this farm because they grow Leland Cypress in addition to the frasier fir. The cypress takes less resources to grow (better for environment), is cheaper than the fir and doesn't drop nearly as many needles. It also stays green longer with less water.

[JSUPreston]

We do artificial due to allergies. Got a really nice one a couple of years ago. Looks real, and it is pre-wired.

I don't decorate it...to much stress. I "pitch a fit" and get sent to my room. SWMBO, the kids, and sometimes the MIL will decorate it while I'm in "time out."

[dkhoward]

We have an artificial tree. Actually is it s palm tree with lights on the fronds about 6 ft tall. The rest of the decorations have a decidedly beach/islands theme. I can dream can't I?

[Pappy]

Prelit artificial here, too. Lights are multi-colored and the decorations are a mix of traditional (glass and crystal) ornaments with an angel on top, a large collection of mice ornaments, and a few handmade ornaments from when the kids were growing up. The garland is some real looking plastic popcorn we found several years ago.

As tradition, the first ornament on the tree is a worn and faded flocked styrofoam Santa from our first Christmas together and the last thing hung is a new mouse ornament.

[LinuxRandal]

Christmas has been my least favorite, and most stressfull holiday for a number of years. I don't have a tree or decorate.

If I did have a tree, it would be one of those old aluminum ones. Brings back memories of happier times. (I didn't even know about the light wheel until about 10 years ago)

[billwmeyer]

When I was a kid, we had 2 real trees catch fire. We don't really know what happened to start the first one, but the second tree, mom struck a "strike anywhere" match to light a cigarette, and the head broke off the match, flew about 12 feet across the room, and the Christmas tree went up like gasoline. My dad grabbed that tree and threw it out the door where it went to ashes in about 4 minutes. We were very lucky. They bought an artificial tree the next day, and I have never allowed a real tree.

My tree is 9 1/2 tall and it is totally traditional. We use the old fashioned c-7 flashing lights with about a dozen bubble lights scattered in. We also do not use the tinsil, as it is impossible to get off the tree, and when we had cats, they liked to eat it. Tinsel goes into a cat totally, but sometimes hangs up coming out! We do use silver garland. It takes several hours and 2 ladders to decorate.

Bill

[Thalermade]

We bought an 8 foot artificial in 1987 (maybe 1988) Still using it today. High maintenance as each branch has to be un-folded - and it has 10 rows of branches averaging 8 branches per row).

Though it is starting to show wear and tear, my wife and kids aren't willing to part with it. Ornaments are wide ranging - some my wife made, a bunch the two kids made in school, we usually by an ornament wherever we go on vacation each year, and we have numerous ornaments given to us as gifts, plus we have the ornament with my wifes picturer she made in 2nd or 3rd grade.

Lights - my wife attaches about 10 strings of colored lights some that twinkle, and 8 boxes of "candle" lights. Throws on silve tinsel as well. I ran string of white lights up the trunk to give the inside of the tree a glow.

[lrogers]

I just sat back and watched LOML and my granddaughter have at it! They did a good job too!