Does your Christmas Tree have a theme?

RNandLovinIt

I had friends over the other day and we were discussing our decorating plans. (we both just built/bought our houses earlier this year). I showed her some of the beautiful ornaments I bought from Pier1. She kinda scrunched up her nose and said she couldn't do that... that she had to have a "matchy-matchy" tree that would match her living room and everything would coordinate. 

Do you have themes for your Christmas Tree? Is it gawdy to have a tree with multicolors?  

TarHeels&Rebels

Christmas is personal. 

I prefer my tree to match my decor, yes.  My LR is taupe and white and my Christmas decor is that plus live greenery.  I always have lots going around the holidays and need my house to stay serene.  To me, Christmas memories aren't about whatever tacky Christmas craft I made when I was six with glitter, glue, sweetgum balls and wallpaper scraps lol  But for some people those aren't tacky crafts; they're integral, beloved holiday memories. Do what makes you happy; it's your personal Christmas tree.

RNandLovinIt

Thanks for the reply Tarheels. Growing up my mom always did a different theme. One year it was all white. Another year it was white and purple. etc. 

I am beginnning to have second thoughts about all the ornaments I bought at Pier1 and thinking that I should have done something more "organized" if you will. I love Christmas. But this is our first Christmas in the new house.

 

amybridges

No, its not. Do whats right for you. Every year we get our ds a hallmark ornament. Dh and I also get a combined couple ornament. For us, its a wonderful way to look back at the years we have spent Christmas together. We use white lights and have a classic topper but for me the ornaments are very personal and tell the story of our family. Everyone decorates differently but remember you and your family are the only ones that have to enjoy your christmas tree, do it the way you want.

TarHeels&Rebels

It took me years to get to where I am now with Christmas decor lol  My first Christmas it was blue and silver solely to do the opposite of my mom's classic burgundy and gold lol  Then I did classic green and red.  Then I did gold and white.  And after a while I figured out what I wanted.

So after buying way too many tree skirts and stockings and ribbon and ornaments, here's my advice: buy what you love.  I have these little painted and glittered woodland fairy things that I bought 9 years ago in a little gift shop and I love them.  Is there anything about pastel fairies that goes with a taupe theme?  No, but they're sparkly and beautiful and make me happy.  If you love those Pier 1 ornaments, keep them.

Smtih&co

My tree's theme fits my style and personality.  I get ornaments that I like and could care less if it matches the rest of my house.  I don't want my tree to be just one more decoration in my house.  I want it to be personal and not look like it just came from a department store floor sample.  Everyone gets to choose what they like and want, so do what is best for you.  Don't decorate your tree based on what your friend likes. 

RNandLovinIt

Its not so much about what my friend likes. I've done both in the past between what I've done and what my mom did growing up. I just dont know what to do this year. I want it to look nice not gawdy. I'm afraid it will look gawdy. 

jenniann87

Growing up our tree always had the personalized ornaments, hand-made ones at school, and all different ones. But last Christmas being the first not living at home at with my BF I went out and bought all new ornaments. I bought all in the shade of blue with white lights. Im not sure what Im going to do this year though. But no I dont think that it is gawdy to have a multicolored tree.

TarHeels&Rebels

Have you searched for insp pics?  I have dozens saved on my computer and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so I finally pulled my faves and made a mood board so I'd have a "road map" for this year.

Ideas here, here, and here.

GoldenPeaches

There's no wrong or right way to decorate a tree. If you love it, who's to say it's "gawdy?" Ask yourself if you really hate how your tree comes together or is your friends opinion having too much of an effect. Seems to me you loved your beautiful mismatched ornaments until she made a comment.

We actually have two trees. In the living room we have a green tree with multi lights and all of our childhood ornaments. In our bedroom we have a white tree decorated with silver and blue. I love both the trees. Do you have space for two?

tnrb

I enjoy looking at eccentric trees more than the ones with everything matching.  I love hunting for the funny ornaments, beautiful ones, etc. when I visit someone's house during the holidays.  My tree has white lights but a multitude of "tacky" "unmatching" ornaments and I LOVE IT!

jerseygirl09

The main tree has a color theme if that's what you mean? It's gold, silver, and white. Our second tree, which is a tiny 4.5 foot one, we have in our dining room is a multi colored one bc its already pre-lit. I don't think it's "gawdy" to have a multi colored tree because kids usually love those kind of lights that blink and such. At least my son does, which is why we did that with the little tree.

dbone31

Your tree can be whatever you want it to be!! Friends can be competitive with how their homes look, but my philosophy is do what you love.  

My MIL has been getting DH an ornament each year since he was a baby, and the past 4 years I have gotten a special ornament too.  Plus I have ones from when I was a kid, that I either made in school or were given to me by grandparents, etc.  Our tree is "our tree"- there is not another in the world like it because it is so personal.  We have a couple ornaments we got as gifts for our wedding, so those were on for the first time last year.  Our tree topper is a beautiful porcelain angel in a gold dress that my great grandmother gave me when I was a kid. 

My only pet peeve it multi-colored lights- I love the clear/white lights only!!

Borgi09

I totally agree. The first year in our house my parents gave us their vintage silver tinsle tree with a spinning color wheel. I was able to go to Target and get a bunch of bright colored ornaments and have fun with it.

 We have tons of ornaments from when we were younger that are placed all over the tree and ones from when we got married!

Have fun - it's your tree!

trigal

It's a Christmas tree for crying out loud.  Even Charlie Brown's tree was beautiful.  Don't overthink it.

joanna2729@aol.com

Christmas decor is all about what YOU like! Personally, if I had the money/room, I would have a tree, with a different theme in every room. Gaudy and tacky are words other people use to describe what they don't like. I prefer the "if I liek it and I think it looks good, then it works." Don't worry too much about what other people think about it, you are the only one who has to live with it and see it everyday!

I have a silver tinsle tree and all my ornaments are blown glass, because I love the look of them, not because someone told me it looks pretty. (I'm pretty sure it doesn't to the green tree purists) At the end of the day, I love to come home and turn off all of the lights but the tree and watch it sparkle. Isn't that what Christmas trees are for?

BeckyOff

RNandLovinIt:

Do you have themes for your Christmas Tree?

 

Yes.  The theme is "Christmas."

BeckyOff

RNandLovinIt:

Do you have themes for your Christmas Tree?

 

Yes.  The theme is "Christmas."

Temp6313048411121614

I tried to do blue and silver to make it look "nice" one year and hated how it came out.  I ended up putting many of the blue and silver ornaments away and brought out all of the mis-matched ones.  I don't live in a designer home, I don't need a designer tree.  I prefer white lights, I let DS1 pick out the lights this year (our previous tree was pre-lit, this year we're getting a real tree) and he picked out rainbow lights.  I'm not sure I'll like the look as much, but it'll be beautiful to me because my baby helped to decorate it.

Diamond_Doll

I like trees that aren't so matchy-matchy. We have some ornaments that are just pretty, but others that are from our childhood or were given as gifts. We've also started buying an ornament souvenier from each of our vacations. I like personal, meaningful, mismatched trees. I don't think that's gawdy at all.

waterfall213

My grandma has a tradition where she buys all the grandkids an ornament every year. We each have a different "theme". My ornaments are rocking horses, my sister's are cats, etc. So I have 27 different rocking horse ornaments. My great grandma is 97 years old and has been making homemade ornaments for many years, so I also have tons of those. My tree is very personal and full of great Christmas memories.

luckylove50

We have two trees - Most of our main tree (in our living room) is blue - blue lights, blue ornaments.  There are a few ornaments that are Santa themed and some red/green.  Right now we have a red/white tree skirt on it that has got to go!!!  The other tree is downstairs in the den and it will be more multi-colored.  Not necessarily a theme, but a color scheme.

RNandLovinIt

luckylove50:

We have two trees - Most of our main tree (in our living room) is blue - blue lights, blue ornaments.  There are a few ornaments that are Santa themed and some red/green.  Right now we have a red/white tree skirt on it that has got to go!!!  The other tree is downstairs in the den and it will be more multi-colored.  Not necessarily a theme, but a color scheme.

 

Color SCHEME is probably more in the direction that I was going. Not necessarily THEME.  

Blue sounds cool! Pics?! 

pugznploons

this is the first year I'm doing a themed tree.  My mom gave me a new ornament every year growing up, so one tree features those ornaments plus some others I have collected.  I love that tree because it is full of memories.  

I bought a second tree on sale after xmas last year and it will be silver and white.  I'm going for a green, silver, and white theme in our living room this year.  

I've bought ornaments in several colors so I can switch up my theme each year for some variety.  I really don't like red, gold, purple...and blues and greens are great just not christmas-y enough for me.   

AGsWife

When I was a kid, my mom, sister and I always did theme trees. One year, we went to Disney World the day after Christmas, so our tree was Disney themed. Growing up, I was REALLY into Barbie (I still kinda am . . . ) and I have every Barbie ornament Hallmark made from the late 80s to late 90s, so we had several years of Barbie themed trees. This is the first year that I have my own tree (with DH of course, but he really doesn't care about the ornaments.) I went through all my ornaments with my mom and picked out ones that mean a lot to me . . . some that my grandmother (who passed away) gave me, some that remind me of certain Christmases (like the Disney Christmas), my favorite Barbie one . . . and we added some new ones to the mix (an "Our First House" ornament my mom bought us, the ornament DH had made for me when we got engaged 2 weeks before Christmas of '08, etc.) I, personally, love a personalized tree that shows off ornaments of events, hobbies, etc. Now that my sister and I are out of the house, my parents do matchy-matchy trees (usually red, white, and gold.) If it makes you happy, which is what I think Charlie Brown taught us a Christmas tree is supposed to do, who cares if it matches or not? 

mrs.starbucks

I haven't actually had a tree these past couple of years because we live in a very small apartment, but when I did have one I did themes. I can't help myself...I LOVE department store/magazine trees. I love having something different every year, and the more risque, the better. One year I did black & silver ornaments with black & silver ribbon wrapped around it and poinsettias. It looked great, and it wasn't as loud as it sounds, but black is not a traditional Christmas color. I completely horrified several people...but it was pretty rock n roll, lol. Next time I get a tree, I swear I'm doing peacock feathers. 

And yes, I think there's such a thing as a gawdy tree. My ILs have one of those all-white jobbers with multicolored lights. It's HIDEOUS, IMO. Not that I would ever say anything about it, but [shrug] everyone has their own personal tastes.

 Bottom line: you can't affect other people's taste, and ultimately someone, somewhere, is not going to like it. So there really isn't too much of a point in worrying about it.  

sarahdtobe

I have all silver ornaments and trim.  Its my third year with it.  The first year I was obsessed with fat birds, the second year it was keys...I'm not sure what I'll be obsessed with this year but as long as its silver, it works for me.  I guess it matches my decor, but I didn't actually plan it that way.  It's going up today!

hales.21

Like previous posts have said, Christmas trees are a total personal preference.  It's about what YOU want, not what your friends likes.  For me personally.. I do not like matchy-matchy.  I like crazy multicolored Christmas trees.  Our tree has mulicolored lights, lots of different colored ornaments, some new, some old from when I was little, etc.  I always have to have things just perfect in my house.. but the Christmas tree is one thing I can go a little bit crazy with!!  )

sandrakay22

This is my husband and I's first Christmas together and in a good sized home.  We just bought a real 12 ft tree.  In the past I've always done a blue and silver theme (and supplemented with all my other ornaments I've collected over the years).  However, the colors in our house are a bluish gray and I didn't want everything blue.  I wanted Christmas to be different and festive, so I changed to a red, white, and silver theme.  I'll still be supplementing the ornaments with off-theme ones but the lights, garland and house decorations fit the theme.  Overall, the theme is opposite of the house decor on purpose... it makes Christmas stand out! 

derky17

No theme, no color scheme either.  While I don't hate trees with themes or schemes (actually, I very much LIKE well done themed trees--that black and gold one sounds AWESOME), I prefer my tree, as well as my home to be a little eclectic--just like my personality!