Does your Christmas tree have a theme?

[Kayaksoup]

I realise most people are thinking of turkey dinner and not christmas decorations.
I was wondering if your christmas decorations have a theme or if they are randomly selected over the years.

I don't have a lot of decorations, just the tree and a few garlands.; I always thought my ornaments were random, but as I was hanging them today, I realised that I seem to have a bit of an icicle/snowflake theme. Sure I have a few shiny balls and glass ornaments thrown in there, but between my victorian style tinsel and my glass icicles and snowflakes, I actually have quite a collection.

[phantomcg]

If (and, at this point, it's a big if) I have a tree this year the theme will be keeping the cat out of it! I have a young cat who is very vertically oriented and LOVES being outside (even on her leash) and I have no doubt that she would be climbing any Christmas tree I put up. She even tried to climb my ficus tree when I brought it in for the winter!

Most of my tree decorations though would have a "family history" theme. My topper is the very first (unlit) Angel that graced the top of our family Christmas trees for as long as I can remember. I have quite a few ornaments that reflect either Mom's or Dad's heritage as well as a number of the ornaments that the family made when we were kids. I don't think I have very many ornaments at all that were not used on the tree as I was growing up. I even have a couple that were made by my Grandmother and my Great-Grandmother.

[DanaSD]

I wouldn't say random but there is no theme. When we travel we always buy ornaments so there are lots of memories on the tree. Many of our ornaments are also from both of our parents so they're the ornaments that we grew up with. One of my favorite things is decorating the tree and thinking of all the memories.

I have a seperate themed tree that is kitchen/sweets themed - this year it will go in my kitchen and next year in my storefront.

My son also has a tree and its mostly cartoon character ornaments

[Natasha]

Good question!

No theme here. I have quite a few ornaments from when I was very young and have a good number of cute ornaments (animals, for example) because that's something I like, but overall it's really a mix of various things that appealed to me or that were gifts. Some of my favourites were gifts, like the one I got from Melman in a swap many years ago!

[Kiwismommy]

About 3 years ago I told my adult children (both married and one with a child at that time) that we would be having a "grown-up" tree.

Both were a little saddened, but our daughter had a harder time....I gave her ALL of her handmade ornaments from nursery school upwards to make up for it

Our tree now is a mix of silver, gold amd red balls; white lights and many "grown-up" balls given to us over the years from friends.

No real theme.

[Kevlar]

We lost our treasured Xmas tree ornaments in a fire in the early 90's. Since then, I have collected many lovely ornaments. Last year, for the first time, we decided to put up two large trees and one on the kitchen counter. (Its a deep counter.) The kitchen one has all glass Santas and green, white and red lights. The downstairs tree has various ornaments, several dachshund ones, animal ones and glass figures. The one in the upstairs bonus room has glass snowmen and bronze and gold balls. It is fun and sounds more elaborate than it is. (I put a little tree in the powder room and a fiber optic tree in the guest room for my daughter.) I like Christmas!

[tholbrook]

We have a theme, more or less ... most of our ornaments are the "Old World" style glass animals. The tree topper is a turtle puppet that someone gave me many years ago. Not exactly traditional but we like it!

[Cookin4Love]

Ours is a nativity theme--stars, nativities (of course), camels, wise men, crosses, and other unique ornaments that represent the Christmas story in some way.

[lonetree1353]

Originally Posted by Kayaksoup

but as I was hanging them today,

Wow Linda you have your tree up already. Ours are a random collection of items dating back to when the two girls were in Grade 1 and received a handmade ornament from their teacher. (They both had the same teacher). Most of them mean something to the family.

[LakeMartinGal]

No theme, though I insist on colored lights. We lost most of our home-made ornaments in a flood a few years ago, and I've replaced them with craft-type ornaments, and we have several that people have given us over the years. I like small red bows on the tree, but the rest of the family doesn't seem to care... as long as the eggnog is flowing, that is.

[zoey55]

We put up 2 "pencil" trees. One is really tall, the other about 5 ft. Small one gets all Hallmark ornaments, mostly belonging to my 28 yr old son. My parents have given him one every year since he was born and the rest of the Hallmarks are mine. Big tree has a collection of fun places, fun times ornaments, gift ornaments, etc. MANY of them are cats or dogs. When my son finally decides he'd like his ornaments for his own tree, I am going to make the small tree an "animal" tree of my dog/cat ornaments. Or, depending on how many I have by then, I might have to reverse that to the large tree!

[Canice]

I always thought I disliked the idea of "themed" trees til I read some of the descriptions here! Especially for those who have more than one tree, I understand -- for myself, I would never want to be restricted by "guidelines", but rather just buy/hang what appeals. But of course in some cases the theme and what appeals are one in the same.

I hadn't planned on having a tree this year, but thinking about my favorite ornaments has me reconsidering..

[Gilgamesh37]

Our tree is white lights and then all glass/crystal ornaments--so there's some color here and there (a reindeer with gold horns, some colored blown glass icicles, etc) but mostly it's just glittery. We have 2 other garlands that we hang with ornaments--one over a doorway to the upstairs hall that has all of DH's childhood ornmanets across the top (along with a brass set of the 12 days of Christmas I bought yonks ago) and down both sides, these lovely wooden hand-painted ornaments that depict buildings in the town I grew up in--the post office, nature center, police dept, etc. They're very detailed and unique. I love those, even though I'm desperately glad I don't live there anymore. There's another garland around the windows/sliding door in the dining room--those are Frank Lloyd Wright ornaments across the top and some assorted stuff down the sides.

[ChristyMarie]

I read this and thought "no" but then I started thinking and I kind of do.

Downstairs (DS's tree): colored lights and glittery ball ornaments - all the same just different colors. He decorates and redecorates all season. LOL.

Landing: colored lights and all colored tear drop ornaments that were my Grandmother's. they are ancient and I'm terrified of dropping one as I decorate this thing 20 feet off the ground.

Living room: white lights, all miniature colored ornaments (balls, stars, snowflakes, jingle bells)

Family room: this is the new one. White lights and I'll be putting all my really good ornaments on it that I usually put in vases around the house. I don't think I will have enough so I bought ribbon to do bows to fill in. This will be the most "formal" tree. Most of the ornaments are glass balls because that's what I'm always attracted to.

All trees have a star topper and a red skirt. Oh, DS's tree has a red and green skirt now that I think about it.

I also tie ribbons on the ornaments as hangers because I don't like hooks. I haven't done this yet for the family room tree as these ornaments have been in vases for years. I'm debating sitting here and tying ribbon today. I'm thinking no...maybe next year.

[jmarie]

Real tree, White lights, gold balls and crosses of all shapes, colors and sizes. I probably have about 150 that I have collected and have been given to me through the years.

[Kay Henderson]

Great thread!

My tree does not have a theme. Instead I pull from my collection of ornaments, always including some which remind me of my family and some which I have bought on various vacations. When you get old enough, this is nostalgia cubed and makes for a delightful and meaningful time decorating the tree. For example, I still place the white plastic doves which were on top of my wedding cake on the tree. For the past three years, I have included not only my dove but the one my late mother saved.

Whether they were in style or not, I have always included plain glass balls (especially toward the trunk), because I like the way they reflect the lights.

When I bought my first Christopher Radko ornament, I thought I had found my niche, as I like ornaments. (I have never been a collector.) I soon concluded, however, that I did not want to be restricted to one designer or one anything when it came to the tree and other decorations.

Since I only use some of the ornaments on the tree, I like to use others on the greens which I distribute on various horizontal surfaces. In these cases, I often do a theme. A side table, for example might have a few birds or musical instruments or whatever on top of the greens.

Kay

[Love to Run]

Quite a few years ago I began buying ornaments as souvenirs when we traveled with the only requirement being that they must have the name of the city/place on the ornament. For the last several years I have decorated my tree with the ornaments from our vacations and it brings back many memories. Some of the ornaments from national parks are my favorites but I also love the cable car musical ornament from San Francisco and the miniature church from Santa Fe. It's a wonderful way to recall all the good times.

Carole

[avariell]

Always a real tree here too!

My tree is jewel toned - it has little round sphere lights in jewel tones and tons of sparkly jewel toned snowflakes. There are other ornaments mixed in as well, but I think the snowflakes are most noticeable - my topper is a giant gold snowflake

I think I have enough ornaments now that I could justify a second tree (someday I would like to have 3-4 trees, I also LOVE Christmas!). In which case the second tree would be more of a mish mash of ornaments received as gifts or that aren't snowflakes

My parents have at least 2 big trees - one is a very woodland/rustic style with earth tones. The other is what I like to call Victorian Brothel style My mom totally agrees - and she loves it! It is dripping with purple and red beads, lush ornaments that are just so over the top. When I was a kid we usually had a tree that was full of kid-made ornaments. I think in the past she has put up a 3rd tree with those or incorporated the good handmade ornaments into the woodland tree.

[Gail]

Must be real tree; preferably of the Treezilla ilk-- or as massive as we can fit in our modest-sized house, anyway.

Ornaments may appear to be a hodgepodge since I have only a small number of matching ornaments: about 12 filigreed bulbs and another twelve we refer to as "the onions." (very simple white ribbon-covered styrofoam balls which look like white onions.) That leaves the balance of Treezilla for us to display a collection of oddities we've amassed over the years: glass, dough art, needlework, pine cone art, tiny stuffed creatures, ceramic, patchwork, ribbon, painted egg shells, basketwork, spun glass, wood, framed photos, and a few Hallmark goodies my sun picked out when he was young-- trimming the tree is always a stroll down Memory Lane (oh, remember when we got THIS one?) and it seems that everything has its own story.

So wait. Maybe there is a theme: This is your life, maybe?

[Beth]

Josie, you might have liked my Mardi Gras tree. Before I was married, I got a tree that turned out to be larger than I realized and needed to fill out my smaller ornament collection so my tree wouldn't look too bare for a party I was planning. I was at Pier One and bought bright pink, deep purple and silver ornaments, including some tinsel intended to be package decorations. I also got curling ribbon in silver, white and purple and a bag of white feathers. It was my funkiest tree ever, but I loved it. Those things evolved into some Victorian ornaments and lace fans that I made which have given way to more ornaments collected over the years. Our theme is things we like and things that represent the boys and what they have been doing.

[sneezles]

We do have a fake tree (allergies in the family), random ornaments (have cut down on the size of the tree from 12' to 6' so many ornaments don't get used), and the only rule I have about ornaments is no balls though I do have some very pretty clear glass etched ones just no colored ones. And no tinsel...PITA to put on and then have to remove pus painful childhood memories.

[Cookin4Love]

Originally Posted by sneezles

some very pretty clear glass etched ones just no colored ones. And no tinsel...PITA to put on and then have to remove pus painful childhood memories.

I use iridescent confetti instead of tinsel. We used six bags today--just sprinkled on branches where ever it will "stick." It just adds a beautiful glimmer to the tree.

[charley]

Couple years ago we bought a 4' pre-lit artificial tree in the after Christmas sales. It sits in the dining room and has a nature theme ... straw, wood, glass, metal, and fabric ornaments of birds, fish, deer, acorns, etc.

The fresh tree (love Nobles) has multi-colored globe lights and a hodge podge of ornaments collected through the years. Two years ago I bought my first glass balls when Restoration Hardware had a wicked sale on handblown glass ornaments. Only down side to those is the weight!

[ChristyMarie]

Originally Posted by Cookin4Love

I use iridescent confetti instead of tinsel. We used six bags today--just sprinkled on branches where ever it will "stick." It just adds a beautiful glimmer to the tree.

That sounds like a great idea...but doesn't it make a huge mess?

[avariell]

Beth, you're right - I would have loved your tree. Someday, I plan to decorate all of my common rooms for Christmas. In my current house, the set-up made it a little hard, so mostly my entry way/family room and kitchen got the most decorations. I love Christmas and I love decorating my house for it.

[donnamp14]

Last year I decided I didn't want a tree. First time in 30+ years! I asked the kids (grown) if they'd be traumatized, and they said to do whatever I wanted. I just needed a break.

This year: 3 trees! The family tree, colored lights and all the ornaments we've amassed over the years. Very sentimental, and I love it. On the dining room buffet we'll put the table tree I gave my Mother about 15 years ago. It, too, is sentimental because her birthday was Christmas Day. It has tiny white lights and dried flowers from my daughter's confirmation and is filled out with some baby's breath that I seem to have to replace every year. The garland is tiny faux pink pearls. It's a gem.

My new addition is one for the kitchen table. It's in the planning and buying stage. The Blue Willow Tree! It will be lit with white lights, and decorated with pieces from a child's Blue Willow tea set, as well as a few demitasse cups and saucers that I already own. I have a collection of Blue Willow ware that DH's aunt gave me, so it will really fit. I'll add in some baby's breath to fill it out. This morning I am searching ebay for tea sets and maybe some miniature kitchen tools for the tree.

I have not posted in months! I changed jobs and it kicked my butt! I have missed you all!

-Donna

[Cookin4Love]

Originally Posted by ChristyMarie

That sounds like a great idea...but doesn't it make a huge mess?

Not as much as you would think. Some of it does fall off, but we just scoop it up and put it back on the tree, and it vacuums up easily when the holiday is over. Our tree is in an area where it doesn't get bumped or brushed by very much, so it doesn't fall off all that much.

[Missi]

We always have a real tree- I grew up with an artificial tree and hated it. I promised myself I would always have a real tree and have in the years since I moved out of my parents' house. Now that we live in the mountains, we get a permit from the forest service and cut down our own tree. It is a win-win... the forest gets thinned and we get fresh tree!!

We always top the tree with a santa hat. When I was in high school we bought a santa hat and the person who would pass out the gifts would wear it. My mom gave it to me when I left home and it has been the tree topper ever since.

Growing up my sister and I would get a new ornament every year that represented what was going on that year and then we both got the ornaments when we had our own homes. I have since added DH's childhood ornaments, some representing us together, and this year will add a bunch of "baby's first Christmas" ornaments with the birth of my son this year. So I guess our theme would be family.

I love the idea of having more than one tree, but as our house is tiny, I will just have to live vicariously!

Great idea for a thread! It has been fun to read. Next we will have to have a thread of pictures of our trees!!!!

[donleyk]

We have fake trees. We also have a cat. It only takes setting the tree back up 3 times in as many days to get over having real.

When we moved into our current house the ceilings were much taller so we bought a new tree. This year we finished the basement and it has a drop ceiling so the old tree fits perfectly down there. The upstairs one is a collection of ornaments from the last 27 years. The downstairs tree is a theme, it's rustic. Dried fruit ornaments, pine cones, thing found in nature and unadorned animals and birdhouses. I was going for a very simple theme. Solid blue lights. I like it.

[cakebaker]

If there were a group COA (Christmas Ornaments Anonymous), I'd have to go to meetings.
I have near 1,000 so each year the tree has a different look.. I'ts always themeless-random-mixture of glass, plastic, wood, metal, resin and a collection of 'picks' of holly, red berries, real pine cones, etc. The majority of ornaments, however are unusual, hand blown items from either Czech Republic, Poland or Romania. And I do have so many Santas, I guess I could have a 6-7 foot tree of just Santas.
Tree is fresh, never any tinsel, rarely put up garland-sometimes I add stringed beads, topper is giant iridescent snowflake or Santa in a flowing red robe. Lights change from year to year. Last year I think they were only blue. This year, I'm planning on red & green or green only.
Yes, I am addicted to Christmas decorations. Get me to a COA! meeting.