Real or Fake Tree?

[Loves Vintage]

I've had both over the years, with a slight preference for real. I think we are getting a fake one this year. Any tips on where to get a good one? Can I just get one at Target, lol?

If you celebrate Christmas, which do you get?

 

[Anastasia]

We have one of each. We do a fake tree, that we will put up today or tomorrow in the living room. We decorate this one in whites, golds, and silvers, with white lights. This is the "grown up tree". We put a live one in the family room, with colored lights, and colorful ornaments. This is the "kids tree". We will probably do that one in two weeks so it doesn't get too dried out before Christmas.

I'm not sure why we started this tradition, but we have been doing it for years.

I don't have any advice on buying an artificial tree, but the new ones really look amazing. One of these years, we will buy a new one, and I would love to get a prelit one, because I hate putting lights on!

 

[Laila619]

I loathe Wal-mart, but a few years ago DH and I found a killer deal on a gorgeous fake tree there, so that's where we got ours from. Some of the fake trees looked a bit bare or skimpy, but this one was really full. I know Home Depot and Lowe's sell nice fake trees too. I like real trees, but a fake is so much easier IMO. Plus I hate the thought of chopping down a real tree. And no need to worry about pine needles all over the carpet or disposing of it later.

 

[AmeliaG]

Real but we don't keep a tree long enough for the needles to dry out and fall everywhere. I really dislike the idea of having a tree up most of December into Jamuary. It takes the specialness out of it.

 

[justginger]

We always had real ones growing up, I LOVE them. My parents started with fake trees the minute I moved out - they had put up with the shedding needles for my sake alone, apparently.

In Australia though, the trees are different. Funny (not 'funny ha ha', more like 'funny weird'). They're not fur sort of thick trees, their branches are far more spread out and patchy. I don't like the look of them. So, ironically, we have a fake tree here. I love it because it is a super realistic one. I hope it lasts years to make me feel better about the huge price tag!

 

[Loves Vintage]

We have one of each. We do a fake tree, that we will put up today or tomorrow in the living room. We decorate this one in whites, golds, and silvers, with white lights. This is the "grown up tree". We put a live one in the family room, with colored lights, and colorful ornaments. This is the "kids tree". We will probably do that one in two weeks so it doesn't get too dried out before Christmas.

I'm not sure why we started this tradition, but we have been doing it for years.

I don't have any advice on buying an artificial tree, but the new ones really look amazing. One of these years, we will buy a new one, and I would love to get a prelit one, because I hate putting lights on!

Yesss, I have to find a pre-lit one. I hate stringing the lights on, can never get them even, etc. I think it's cute/nice that you have two trees!

 

[diamondringlover]

We do both, the "big" tree for the living room is fake, the real tree is a small 4 ft tree that I put in my dining room, I put all my kids homemade ornaments on that tree, it works out beautifully

 

[Rosebloom]

We have a fake tree but I put real pine branches on the mantle. Gives me the wonderful smell but less fire hazard and easier to keep clean. I like to keep my tree up from Thanksgiving to the Epiphany - I love them so I maximize time with it out!

 

[Cozystitches]

We have fake, but I miss the real ones. I love the smell and I love tinsel!!! Can't do real tinsel w/a fake tree Our first tree we bought on the 1st of November and had it up until January, my hubby loves Christmas. That tree was amazing, however it wasn't pre-lit so two years ago I bought a pre lit that I love, but its more spindly than I like My full one will go to my sister, and I'll keep the spindly pre-lit one. One day, I'll find an awesome full and pre-lit one!

 

[Enerchi]

Fake all the way, baby!!! For years we had real, then one year, the tree fell over about 4 times - each time crushing heirloom ornaments and flooding the wood floors in our new home. That was the last 'real' tree year. Since then, we've had 2 fake trees - both the blue spruce and one was an upstairs tree for the kids to decorate and a main floor one for *ME* to do my interior decor magic on!!

Those are gone and now I have the most amazing pre lit BLACK tree!! It is so cool!! I have gone thru different colours of decor but my most current favourite (4 years running) is Tiffany blue/white/purple decorations. This year, another interior designer friend of mine, is hoping to get me a tall 10' - 12' skinny prelit white tree ---- oooh, yummy.... Can't wait!!!

 

[sonnyjane]

Real! Gotta have that smell!

 

[justginger]

I hope everyone posts photos of their trees this year. Someone on here has AMAZING trees, I remember being stunned. Mine is all silver/gold/bronze with white lights. We get a new ornament every year, related to something we've done as a couple during the year. Not sure what this year's will be - perhaps Turkish.

 

[ponder]

Both. Fancy fake tree in the dining room with all the breakable ornaments above waist height. This one sits in front of the window so you can see it from the street. Real tree in the living room with all non breakable ornaments.

 

[Loves Vintage]

I hope everyone posts photos of their trees this year. Someone on here has AMAZING trees, I remember being stunned. Mine is all silver/gold/bronze with white lights. We get a new ornament every year, related to something we've done as a couple during the year. Not sure what this year's will be - perhaps Turkish.

Can you find us a photo of a typical tree in Australia? I'm curious!

 

[chemgirl]

We have a fake tree from our grocery store of all places. Its a pre-lit one and looks similar to the artificial trees at Home Depot. We love how easy it is to put up and we don't have to worry about all of the issues that come with real trees. We have cats and our tree gets knocked over at least once every year. I would be scared of a fire (and mess) if they knocked down a real tree!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

We are currently having this discussion. My hubby ONLY likes real trees and I do like them, but they are so messy! We have a landing that can be seen from our great room, and I do want to get an artificial tree to go up there this year. Then we'll debate about a downstairs tree. I may go to Lowes to look at them today. They seem to have the best selection around here.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

DH and I do fake. Its easier for us. We got ours at Costco. I think they sell them every year. They have a 7 foot and a 9 foot tree. We got the 9 because we have very high vaulted ceilings.

Pictures are not so great, and the tree is kinda empty this year because I can't seem to find my second box of ornaments! DH might have put it in the attic...

Forgot to add that is is prelit. And the tree is very full and doesn't have that shiny plastic look like other's do.

 

[justginger]

I hope everyone posts photos of their trees this year. Someone on here has AMAZING trees, I remember being stunned. Mine is all silver/gold/bronze with white lights. We get a new ornament every year, related to something we've done as a couple during the year. Not sure what this year's will be - perhaps Turkish.

Can you find us a photo of a typical tree in Australia? I'm curious!

I tried Googling photos of Australian Christmas Tree Farms - now either I got totally ripped off, or their photos aren't showing what the trees really look like. They show these nice, luscious, dense, triangular trees - long needled, like firs. The Australian tree I got was a pine tree. Short needled, branches going every sort of way, big holes everywhere. Looked all scrubby, like this: http://www.raems.com/edibles/image032.gif

And to add insult to injury, the tree was like $80. I felt like I had a slightly larger, far more expensive version of Charlie Brown's tree.

 

[zoebartlett]

I grew up with real trees and as much as I love them, I have this weird thing about them catching fire. I know it can happen, but my fear of things catching on fire is ridiculous paranoia. I readily admit it, but it's not enough for me to get a live tree right now. We've had a fake tree for a couple years because of that.

We went to Home Depot last year and bought a Martha Stewart tree, the one with the berries and pine cones on it. It's skinnier than I'd like (I like tall, fat trees), but it's fine and does the job. It does look pretty when the decorations and lights are on.

 

[pinkjewel]

I love real trees and always had one until about 5 years ago. We bought our tree at our favorite place just like usual the weekend after Thanksgiving and it looked beautiful. 5 days before Christmas, all these weird spidery creatures starting crawling all over the tree, the ornaments and the packages

We had to take all the ornaments off the tree, rewrap all the packages, burn the tree, etc. I did manage to bag some of the critters and go back to the farmer's market. Conveniently, the tree farmer we used had already closed up shop and left (gee,wonder why). But one of the farmers still there looked at them and told me they were some sort of pine beetle or something that burrows into the trees. The warmth from the house had caused them to hatch and spread EVERYWHERE!!!!! YUCK!!!!!!! Many of the farmers spray the trees twice to make sure this doesn't happen. He figured this Christmas tree farmer had either not sprayed or only sprayed once.

We ran out to Lowes and bought a fake pre lit tree and I've always been afraid to buy another real tree since!!

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

I love real trees and always had one until about 5 years ago. We bought our tree at our favorite place just like usual the weekend after Thanksgiving and it looked beautiful. 5 days before Christmas, all these weird spidery creatures starting crawling all over the tree, the ornaments and the packages

We had to take all the ornaments off the tree, rewrap all the packages, burn the tree, etc. I did manage to bag some of the critters and go back to the farmer's market. Conveniently, the tree farmer we used had already closed up shop and left (gee,wonder why). But one of the farmers still there looked at them and told me they were some sort of pine beetle or something that burrows into the trees. The warmth from the house had caused them to hatch and spread EVERYWHERE!!!!! YUCK!!!!!!! Many of the farmers spray the trees twice to make sure this doesn't happen. He figured this Christmas tree farmer had either not sprayed or only sprayed once.

We ran out to Lowes and bought a fake pre lit tree and I've always been afraid to buy another real tree since!!

ACK! Pinkjewel! This made my skin crawl! I can't believe they would sell you something like this! ugh, it's still freaking me out that they hatched and were climbing all over your family's gifts and treasured ornaments!

Oh, and BTW, thank you so much for that pumpkin cheesecake recipe! It's THE BEST pumpkin cheesecake! My whole family loved it!

Edited for spelling

 

[Loves Vintage]

Pretty tree,YayT. Is that from this year already?

Ginger, That is a scruffly-lookin' tree!

Zoe, I didn't realize Martha Stewart had Christmas trees too. Yours sounds pretty. Any pics? Oh, did you go shopping yet?

I love how so many of you have two trees. Maybe will will do that when the little one gets a little older. Right now, I have too much to keep track of as it is, haha.

Oh, and I have a ton of new-to-me ornaments this year. I started going to thrift stores this past year (feels very un-PS to say that, haha!) and found some beautiful vintage (we all know I like that!) ornaments for cheap-cheap.

I also have a small tree we put in the dining room window this year. It has small vintage ornaments all over it, and they are on pretty well, with the hooks wrapped around the branches, so the best thing is, I throw a bag over it and put it in a tall box. No need to take the ornaments off, and it comes out the same the next year. We put lights on it, with a timer, so it's all lit up for us in the window when we get home from work.

 

[lizzyann]

Fake! I'll never go back to real! Love the lights built in!

 

[KaeKae]

As much as I love a real tree, I doubt I'll ever go back to one. It takes less time to set up my pre-lit fake than it does to get the thing out of the storage area of the garage and bring it in the house. If all goes well, we'll get that started today.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Pretty tree,YayT. Is that from this year already?

Ginger, That is a scruffly-lookin' tree!

Zoe, I didn't realize Martha Stewart had Christmas trees too. Yours sounds pretty. Any pics? Oh, did you go shopping yet?

I love how so many of you have two trees. Maybe will will do that when the little one gets a little older. Right now, I have too much to keep track of as it is, haha.

Oh, and I have a ton of new-to-me ornaments this year. I started going to thrift stores this past year (feels very un-PS to say that, haha!) and found some beautiful vintage (we all know I like that!) ornaments for cheap-cheap.

I also have a small tree we put in the dining room window this year. It has small vintage ornaments all over it, and they are on pretty well, with the hooks wrapped around the branches, so the best thing is, I throw a bag over it and put it in a tall box. No need to take the ornaments off, and it comes out the same the next year. We put lights on it, with a timer, so it's all lit up for us in the window when we get home from work.

It is from this year, I put it up last night. This is the first year that I'm not procrastinating! Usually its up like two weeks later! I just wish I could find that other box of ornaments. It also has the prettier thicker ribbon that I love and all the personal ornaments we have gotten over the years.

 

[packrat]

Fake. We got one from Walmart last year that kinda pulls up a little bit, like a hoop skirt in pieces, prelit. It was fuller than the other fake green one we had. We also have a white prelit one that has blue led lights on it. That one will be going downstairs. It will look fun/funky in the basement (whenever the reno is finished, during my lifetime I hope..) b/c the walls are dark purple and gray. Upstairs the green one is traditional w/gold, red and..brown I think..we just got it last year so I don't even remember what we bought for it.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

We've always gotten a real tree. It's just part of our routine, plus we've moved around quite a bit and having a fake tree to pack and store takes up extra room!

I love the smell of a fresh tree and don't mind cleaning up the needles! Luckily, most years we've gotten trees that don't shed. I think last year was the only tree we've had that if we bumped into it, a bunch of needles came falling down!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Oh, also, I have a medium size ficus plant (probably 4" off the ground), that I decorate along with a small ficus. I purchased some mini-ornaments to hang on those every year to add to the festivities (so technically we have three decorated trees!).

 

[minousbijoux]

One of the best parts of Christmas for me has always been the smell of the tree; then I know its really Christmas. I agree though, that I worry about the tree, and while we only have the tree up for about 2 weeks, I don't like how dry it gets and worry about the fire hazard.

There have been times in the past when I've bought garlands and put them up with white lights on the mantel and along the built in cabinets in the living room. I loved that and the fragrance was amazing, but it was some clean up with needles everywhere after Christmas. I don't know...I could almost be convinced to get a fake tree if I could have something real in the living room that would provide the fir/balsam smell - and canned smell will not do!

 

[Dancing Fire]

would like a CZ or a diamond??