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I had a small fibre optic tree which was lovely. Everyone commented on how relaxing it was when lit up. However, the fuse went in the enclosed light box so we are unable to use it as a fibre optic anymore. It gets decorated with a range of ornaments, including strings of vintage type toys, tinsel and a few lights and for a small tree looks perfect.

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We have two trees, one real and one artificial.

Our baubles are a mixture of old and new and we can remember when and where they were all bought.

I have gone for a fresh green and silver with lots of crystals this year. I love using ribbon and build my tree round the ribbon.

Dd has used all the reds and Nordic ornaments and made a really good job of it.

Tree offcuts go into a basket with lights and pinecones.

When my children were little we had a real mix of coloured baubles and home made decorations. I waited years for a beautiful 'grown-up' tree with everything matching but given a choice I would go back to those early years without hesitation.

We have just arrived home with our real tree. The decorations are a mix of handmade (by the children when they were young) and a few from places we have been on holiday. There are always coloured lights and lots of tinsel. My husband loves a glittery, gawdy tree at Christmas. I would love a more sophisticated tree but it keeps him happy!

we always have a fake tree, because we have three dogs, and don't want any accidents, but we love the decorating, and adding new ornaments every year,my daughter usually brings a new home made one home from guides or school which I have to display lol.

I always like a colour scheme, at the moment it is chocolate brown & gold, I also like a pre lit tree, for me, it takes hours & fun out of 'bulb testing' then running to the store last minute for new ones.

We always have a real tree, always far too big for the house, never colour-coordinated, and invariably with a slight lean once it's been up a day or two, however carefully we set it in place at the start of its time with us. The preferred place used to be at the bottom of the stairs, but this led to many a visitor crashing straight into it on the way down from the bathroom, and the rest of us having to keep our weight down to fit the very small gap we'd to squeeze through between tree and sofa. So we've put it in front of the window this year. The total lack of natural light is a small price to pay, or so I try to convince DH, who thinks he may be developing SAD.

As for decorations, we've a huge box full, collected over the years. The DC used to choose one each every December, so there's an eclectic mix to start with. Now we add to it whenever we go anywhere new. We have a gold state coach from Buckingham Palace, a windmill from Amsterdam, a bronze plated maple leaf and bear bell from Canada, red silk decorations from China, a stagecoach from the US, etc. Breakables at the top, safe ones at the bottom, so the littlies can grab at it to their hearts' content and the cat can carry on stalking round it disdainfully, tail in air, swiping the low hanging fruit.

All the homemade decorations have been lost or disintegrated over the years. The only one left is a little cardboard box, decorated with pointy-bearded Santas, bearing the message "DD2's nekliss, keep out!". DD2 is now in her mid 30s.

Having downsized from a house where I put up 3 trees I now simply improvise and decorate a vase of twigs with lights and a baubles.

When the children were little I used to let them decorated the tree and then when they went to bed I would reorganise it so it was colour coordinated with the decor, being boys they never seemed to notice ! I just love to have everything to match and even buy washing up liquid that goes with the kitchen,how sad is that!!!!

Always a real tree, limited number of baubles, white LED lights only, some handmade decorations from when the kids were young.

We have a small artificial tree but usually only bother putting it up if we are hosting Christmas or New Year. We put the lights and tinsel on first then a co-ordinated range of baubles - we have a couple of different sets. We have been looking out for a fibre optic tree thinking that might be simpler to dress as it would avoid the need for fiddling with lights but haven't seen anything we like at an affordable price. We are also tempted just to get some silver or gold lights rather than multi-coloured and hang them on furnitre or a fireplace instead of a tree.

We've had an artificial tree for the last few years. I've got two sets of red lights which I put on it and they make a lovely cheery glow in the room. I like my tree to be warm looking - not keen on cold blue and white lights. I put on quite a few baubles, icicles and snowflakes from a big pack I bought in Wilkinson a couple of years ago - again a lot of red ones, with some gold and some green - and a few strings of beads. Lovely and Christmassy!

I hate dressing the Christmas tree - if I leave it long enough one of the kids will get stuck in - different "themes" but always some old and treasured (and homemade) decorations

I bought a smallish growing real tree this morning, complete with red pot (from Homebase of course) and am hoping that the DGD will decorate it for me - but it is quite prickly!

Over the years we have had a variety of trees but our decorations remain the same .....a collection of baubles and trinkets from my childhood with,over the years, the addition of decorations made by our children and grandchildren. They may not match,nor be colour co-ordinated, but each one brings back memories and stirs up emotion.

I got a new fake tree this year, slimline and frosted, and some warm white LED lights, it looks so pretty. colors are mainly gold silver and Burgundy red, but I also got some hand knitted baubles, Christmas pudding, tree etc, from charity stall, they are at bottom for cats to biff!

Actually the lights were from Homebase!

We love a real tree every time we go on holiday we buy something to hang on the tree so decorating the tree brings lots of happy memories. Not a styled tree but mismatched and full of love with kids handmade ornaments too

We have a mismatched tree and thats how we like it. Every bauble is different and no two are the same, each one holds a special memory for one of us or all of us and we would have it no other way.

I'd secretly love a designed coordinated scheme but I always let the kids do it because it's much more fun (admittedly I might tweak it a bit after they have gone to bed!)

At least now they are all taller it doesn't all end up on the same branch....!

I like to have one colour on the tree each year, either white, silver or red, depending on my mood and the tinsel and baubles are all the same colour. Occasionally, I just let the children decorate it as they wish. They usually do a very good job. I'll probably leave it to them in future.

Times change. Customs too.
As a student in the 60s, I spent a year in Germany and fell in love with how Christmas was celebrated there. I shared a flat with friends and we had a real tree with real candles. Elf’nsafety would have a fit these days
Newly married, my husband and I always had a real tree. Money was tight so we used to buy our tree on Christmas Eve, when sellers were almost giving them away. I have fond memories of decorating our tree with wooden ornaments bought in Germany, going to the Midnight Service in our local Church, then warming up with hot mulled wine before bed
When the children came along, we kept up our tradition of having a real tree. We had one living tree, bought in a pot, which lasted for 6 years. We brought it in from the garden on Christmas Eve and decorated it as a family, with lots of decorations made by the children along with ornaments inherited from friends and relatives.
Now I’m a Gran. I live on my own and spend Christmas with my son, daughter and grandchildren. They have large artificial trees with fibre optic lights that flash on and off. They put them up on the first weekend in December and decorate them with some ornaments they’ve inherited from me, some from the other grandparents, some they’ve made themselves. They look amazing....even if the impact of the fibre optic displays does tend to jar on ancient eyes. The main thing is, they love them.
Different times. Different customs

Well we've just bought a smaller tree this year as the big ones got a bit too much. We keep it quite simple, just lights really a few baubles from when the kids were young and chocolates for visiting little ones. Husband puts the tree together and I hang the things off it, done and dusted in half an hour which suits us

I have a tiny tree, about 18" tall. I have decorated it this year with tiny battery operated fairy lights, miniature glitter pom poms, tiny fir cones, glitter snowdrop embellishments and gold and pink tiny baubles with each member of the family on them. On the top is a tiny pink fairy. It is beautiful when the big light is off.

ruby, it sounds gorgeous.