Ideas on how to decorate a tree I'm not too fond of

[Steely]

So my Mom and Aunt decided that the family, 12', artificial tree should be at my house this year. Yay? Not. I personally prefer a yummy smelling pine, small, with a simple decor.

Regardless, I agreed, contingent on the fact that it would not have any "memory lane" decorations. Which, nixes really all decorations that are currently in storage.

So what ideas do you have for a simple, but nice, theme. I don't want to go buy a bunch of balls or anything. I thought about getting some ribbon and tying bows on the boughs - but other than that I am at a stand still.

Ideas?

 

[hearts and roses]

Our actual decorations are sparse because, like you, I didn't want a bunch of half assed decorations. I hit up the local craft store and spent around $15. I bought a spool of gossamer burgundy ribbon that's about 2" wide. I use that as garland along with some wooden 'cranberry' garland. I also bought some gold and red curly cues -they look like a long piece of straw, but the ends are curly and they are painted with gold or red and they are thin,so I just sort of tuck them into the tree here and there. I have some miniature glass ornaments that bought for cheap.

Anyway, with all the lights and just the right amount of sheen and glitter, our tree is beautiful. I always receive lots of compliments on it!

You can also make popcorn and string it up or get colored paper and make garland out of that. I also sometimes cut last years Christmas cards and hang those. Little bows I love! Just get creative.

 

[Hound dog]

I am avoiding putting up the tree. Really. I'm digging in my heels over it.

I didn't realize that until your post.

Instead of getting out decor that I already have in abundance........I've been using shop therapy and buying new ones. Thank heavens it's been on sale super omg cheap or else I'd be in heap big trouble. Ehh sad part, it's not working either. So my next day off which is wed I'm pulling out the decor and the tree and getting it over with. I'll be constantly reminding myself that I adore anything xmas.......and that I'm doing this for the grandkids who are simply too young to understand why Nana the retired elf suddenly really doesn't want anything much to do with xmas.

I can get excited....it last for a couple of hours at best. Then it just sort of fizzles away from me. I'm not really trying to push it. This IS my holiday, the only one I really get any pleasure out of, heck I'm worse than a kid cuz I look forward to it the whole year. I just can't seem to maintain the mood very long at a shot. But to be honest, I could use the total immersion diversion this holiday provides.

I can't do the tree without the memory lane decor. There is no point in putting it up if I do that. I have the only angel topper mother in law and father in law ever owned, the thing is from the 1930's and it goes up every year. There are mother in law ornaments from husband's childhood. There are ornaments from my kids childhood. And there are ornaments from the grandkids too. I can literally say there are 3 generations of memories on that tree. It just wouldn't be the same without them. Few ornaments aren't attached to memories, and the grandkids take great pleasure in picking different ones to hear the stories behind them.

So, I'll bite the bullet and decorate. I'm sure I'll survive it. And maybe, just maybe it will get the spirit going more.

Steely hon, if you don't want that omg 12' tree in your house then simply change your mind and go out and get one you do want. It's YOUR holiday too for pete's sake. You don't always have to compromise your own pleasure. If you still don't want to use the memory lane ornaments........then do some window shopping where there are xmas tree displays to get some ideas on how you might like it.

I personally couldn't imagine attempting to decorate such a huge tree to begin with.

Hugs

 

[Steely]

Hound - you are so funny!!! You are right WTH do I HAVE this tree??? Many others have said the same. I have just tried to be so accommodating of my Mom since my dad died - it perhaps is killing me. It might come down tonight.

If Cmas is YOUR holiday, than muster up the energy to *do* it. I used to love it too...until stuff....a lot of stuff...happened. Now - I feel indifferent. But, I encourage you to go for it!!!! If all of that stuff brings you joy, than it is important to keep those memories going - as hard as it is - happy memories bring more happy memories.

 

[Hound dog]

Steely, I'm not your mom, but I can tell you one thing..........

If I thought my kids were accommodating me to the point of making them unhappy? I'd actually be mad at them for it.

If the old ways of doing things make you unhappy........well, you know what? You're all adults. Maybe it's time to start some new fun traditions and create some new happy memories.

 

[AnnieO]

We are looking for a new tree, actually.

I love real ones, but they are SUCH a PITA! We have this one that husband has had for YEARS... And it is P.A.T.H.E.T.I.C. ...I hate it. I want a pre-lit one with LED lights. I can't find one, of course.

We always put up amnesia lane ornaments. I have a walnut, with a felt santa hat (and cotton ball beard), Sharpie eyes and mouth, that I made in preschool. It goes on. Every year.

To me, Christmas is about tradition - but - sometimes NEW traditions have to be created. A 12' tree wouldn't fit in my house. Go get yourself something YOU like and decorate it how YOU want.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Steely - whether or not you do something with the 12' tree...
You should STILL go out and get yourself that little, real tree that you love to have.

You can have both, OR you can have the one YOU want to have... but you definitely do NOT have to do without what makes YOU happy...

 

[DammitJanet]

Steely...I see you with a new, prelit, Pink Xmas tree! Or white...whichever suits your fancy...but not boring regular green. Get some wonderful white birds to put on it, hot pink stars, neon blue stars, Silver ribbon, go for it.

 

[HaoZi]

There's a fast easy way to make garland out of paper, I'll find the link if you want it. And no, I don't mean gluing all those paper rings together. If you don't want the tree there again, I'd decorate it in a way that discourages them from thinking it's a good idea. Maybe leftover boiled bones from dinner or something. Or let the dogs eat the tree, as my cat seems to enjoy eating the tree and the garland.

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

Steely,

I agree with the others who said you don't have to have that 12' tree if you don't want it. Go out and buy a tree that you love. This is your holiday too! SFR

 

[cubsgirl]

Definitely get the tree you love!! I agree with the others - new tree and new traditions!!

 

[donna723]

I wouldn't use the darned 12 foot tree either if I didn't want to!

They showed a tree on TV this morning that had been decorated very economically. They took a spool of wide pretty ribbon and wrapped it loosely around and around the tree. They used a few regular ornaments and then filled in all the gaps with lots of little pine cones that had been spray painted silver. And it was REALLY pretty!

 

[DS3]

I have this huge tree (7') that won't fit into my house and hasn't for the past 3 years because of it's width. There just isn't enough room. I'm all for the fake ones because they are reusable and don't cost an arm and a leg to put a small pine in. Not too mention, I don't have to worry about falling needles and the clean up. That's just me.

When I bought my fake tree, I bought it after christmas, and it was a display tree. They sold it with all the decor that came on it. Being that I do have two small children, I make sure that what ornaments I do put on my tree are non-breakable.

Here's an easy idea for ornaments (I did this for my hubby, because base was holding an honaray tree where you could make an ornament for your soldier and hang it). You can do a search to get the recipe to make your own. It comes out like cookie dough, and then you bake it hard and paint them. I even put foil on part of it to make it gleam. That way they are cheap, easy, and personalized. Not to mention that if you have someone who likes to eat anything, they're harmless (I think all it contains is flour, water and salt). And if you don't like how it's turning out, you can always mush it and re-roll.

For the kids at daycare, they make ornaments using cookie cutters, applesauce, and cinnamon. You can google the recipe for that as well. Makes for a fun time, it's edible (if need be), and they smell nice.

Those are my ideas for now, besides popcorn garland that has already been mentioned, as well as ribbon.

Speaking of which, I need to go dig out my little fake tree to decorate. I just bought a whole bunch of little ornaments at the craft store, added a few my sons had made and called it good enough. I don't even want to decorate this year, but I will for the kids. But that's a whole different discussion as to why things must be decorated for the holidays. Perhaps its just me. eh.

 

[Steely]

Thanks guys.....I asked Matt for his input since it is his Cmas too - and he said he didn't care as long as things didn't "smell" like Christmas

And so there you have it!!! Such a difficult child comment!!

I want a cute little pine smelly happy tree, Matt doesn't care as long as it doesn't smell, and my Mom wants the one we have!!! At this point I don't think I even care that much anymore. I think like you guys said I will go the dollar store and do ribbon streamers. It has fake pine cones already attached, and at the rate we are going the tree won't even exist next year, because Tesla is secretly munching down the pine cones.

Gosh I feel so grinchy...I'll get better soon, I am sure. LOL

 

[trinityroyal]

Steely,

I was thinking about your Christmas tree dilemma the other night.

I know it's abominable, but I was highly entertained by it. For some reason I just find it delightful. Oh, and the catalogue also had one made to look like a snowman, and a small tabletop one with a cat theme. If your doggie Tesla is intent on chewing up the tree, maybe giving her a cat tree to aim at might focus her energies.

Hugs, Steely. I agree with the others. Do whatever works for you and Matt, and don't worry about the gigantic, unwanted tree.

Trinity

 

[SRL]

Gosh I feel so grinchy...I'll get better soon, I am sure. LOL

NOW you're speaking my holiday language!:christmaslights:

I'm never big into Christmas but I realized last year how my lack of enthusiasm is being passed onto my kids and figure I should kick up the effort at least one notch. I actually got the tree up last night so it's ready to decorate. (By decorate, I mean put on the ornaments we have, not do anything fancy.) Last year I think I took it down the day after Christmas--I've always had enough of it.

Candy canes are cheap and easy.

My tree problem is that we've been doing two--one upstairs with the regular ornaments and one downstairs in the family room with the stuff the kids have accumulated through the years. I've had two artificial trees just look hopelessly bad for that second one and I need to buy a new one. I hate spending money on something that we only use a few weeks of the year--the one I bought after Christmas last year looked promising in the box but turned out to be a dud so it went the way of the thrift shop last January.

 

[HaoZi]

Grab a limb from a local tree and declare it your Yule Branch. Hang a little ribbon on it, maybe an ornament or two, and call it done.

 

[DammitJanet]

Ya know what I hate? I hate getting my power bill in January because it will be higher than normal and when I complain they will tell me its because of all the Xmas usage. I have told them year after year...I have no xmas usage. We havent put up a tree since Jamie went to boot camp. Oh wait...we did the year Keyana was two. One year. But we only left it on the few days she was here. We dont put lights up outside. The power company swears everyone decorates for Xmas. That we all use more power at Xmas. No we dont. I dont have a thing up this year. Cory will have my tree. I wont have one extra light, candle, anything that says xmas. I do have a santa but it stays out all year...lol.

 

[HaoZi]

Surprised you didn't tell the power company that Xmas is against your religion and if they suggest it again, you'll sue them.
Up to them to prove otherwise, right?

 

[InsaneCdn]

Janet - you're not on a power meter?
Here... Jan might be a higher estimate - but they read the meter every 3 months and adjust backwards if they overestimated...