Tell Homebase about how you decorate your Christmas tree for a chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

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

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!!!!

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201612/medium-200868-20161127-200844.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201612/medium-248053-20161128-075345.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201612/medium-200189-20161127-200643.jpg

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.

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.

We have artificial tree which is still in the lift. Along the way we have some real tree in between. I decorate mine with multicoloured baubles- like the silver snd golden one more . I tend to use the one I have already (loads). I do it all myself. May be be in a a week or so. I have not asked him to get it from the loft yet. I am waiting. He might buy a real one. X

We always used to have a large real tree. Daughter remembers her and I carrying the tree home from the town centre. Recently we had a very small pop up artificial tree until two years ago daughter came with her husband and went and bought a large artificial one plus lots of decorations. Time to retreave the box from the loft for this year.

We have a 6ft tree that hubby insists on taking apart and putting it back in the box every year. I don't know why he won't leave it up and store it in the garage. That aside, I have a mix of old and new decorations. I went through a stage of buying a special one every time we went on holiday. I also have some that have been in my family for sixty years!

We have a good quality 6ft artificial tree which I decorate with a string of white lights and baubles. I've several bags of decs in basic colours. This year I used silver & gold as I bought several boxes of baubles in a supermarket clearance sale at 10p each. The lower part of the tree fits partially inside our living room fireplace, so a real tree wouldn't work, as it is I have to find a temporary home for the large houseplant which lives in the hearth the rest of the year.

We have a 2ft artificial tree on the dresser and a flattish wooden thing on the window sill with lights and Santa, snowmen etc. placed on the shelves it has.

We live in a very small house and our living room would be full of tree if we got a proper one.

We've changed to an artificial tree after years of a real one. I decorate it with a different colour theme according to what grabs me each year. I have less and less decks every year and more natural things plus my own handmade things. I often buy one new decoration every year though!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201612/medium-127035-img-1006.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201612/medium-916652-img-1021.jpg

We always have a floor to ceiling, real tree in our dining room. It has three hundred mixed lights and about 200 beautiful baubles collected from our travels over the last 35 years. Recently these have been bolstered by varying glass angels from our city breaks of the last few years. My husband insists on lametta, we have to have chocolates and candy canes for visiting kiddies and the piece de resistance is the teddy on the top. He appeared in my Christmas stocking from my new husband on our first Christmas morning together and has been on top of every tree that we have had for the last 35 years. My son got married at Christmas 2012 so we were away from home and didn't bother with a tree and the residents of our little town were up in arms at its absence.

We put the tree up last Sunday we brought everything down from the loft and awaited the arrival of our two verry excited grandchildren ages 5 and 2 to give us a hand (while the parents went to do some Christmas shopping) Needless to say we had tinsel a baubles everywhere but had so much fun in trying to dress the tree. The rest of the decorations finally made it onto the tree once they had returned home along with the older ones Which have been in the family for years Which I deliberately kept out the way for safe keeping until they are a little older to manage them.

we all stand around it and work bottom to top so all the kids can say they helped

We succumbed to the dreaded artificial tree a couple of years ago when the only possible place was right next to a radiator. However after some furniture changes, we may have space for a real one this year. Hurrah! Will dress with a riot of baubles and decorations plus candy canes for DH to break his teeth on. He cannot resist them. And lights are essential. Favourite family story involved my brother at two ordering Lights! every morning when he came downstairs while the tree was up. Poor soul was 60 this year! Perils of having an older sister I suppose.

gillybob I do like the sound of your tree and M0nica I would love to have a bay window at the front of the house!

I love a real tree, but for the past few years we had an artificial tree - however, it began to shed as much as a real one last year!

Our baubles are a mix of old and new. Each year I like to buy at least one new bauble, anything which catches my eye and I can remember when and where I bought most of them. When my musical DD2 was at home I bought some lovely little musical instruments which come out every year; some of the other baubles belonged to my DM and my MIL.

The fairy was given to DD1 when she was a little girl by an aunt and she comes out of her own special box every year and every year I have to fix her head back on as it falls off when we try to put her on the tree.

So far we haven't purchased the new tree and I will try to head towards the real ones, and I hope that the DGD may come and help to decorate it.

We have an artificial tree and have various decorations some years old but they all hold special memories. My youngest son likes helping but often overdoes the tinsel and I remove some of it later!!

i put up tree by self 1st december. when child i used to have lovely job of decorating family tree, since married i still have task and joy of decorating at christmas. we have a large realistic (not cheap) artificial tree, have to put in each branch individually, fiddly. it was a treat for ourselves a few years ago and had to save up all year to buy but gorgeous. I put on xmas carols, loud, to sing to. then start on putting togeather tree. decorations tend to be traditional/craft with red/gold, clear glass ornaments.next 3 strings of led lights, 2 warm white. 1 multicoloured. 1st set(multicoloured) go deep into tree branches, the others looped from bottom to top of tree. stand back and check evenly spread and look good. then beaded garlands, star garland, 2 small gingerbread garlands. stand back and check again.baubles (cheap) go into middle of tree branches almost against trunk.makes tree look bigger and fuller. then carefully unwrap all trinkets and ornaments collected since first married. each one a gift,celebrate a special event/birth/death or bought at xmas markets, german markets and american holidays. takes ages as each holds a lovely memory. finally stand back for final check. last but not least husband places angel on top and fastens tree skirt around base. time to sit and admire. next day start on rest of decs. lights and garland on bannisters, hall table, wreaths, large window display (snow, village houses with snow, trees, snowmen, reindeer, hanging snowflakes and icicles, window stickers) and flower arrangements. takes days to finish, worth it to see kids/family/visitors faces and oohs as they spot this years new ornament. love christmas

We have a real tree and the decorations have been collected over the years. When our son's were young they chose a new one each, every year to add to them, now we add one or two. My Dgd decorates it.