Real or artificial tree?

[BlueStarryHat]

Artificial for me. We had a real tree one year-couldn't hang the heavier ornaments because they made the branch droop, the dog thought, "wow! a tree in the house!" and kept peeing on it, and I found a nest full of dead baby birds when I was stringing the lights. NEVER again!

 

[bigbabyblues]

We have 3 artificial trees, none of them are pre-lit.

 

[22Tink]

My dad always cut down a real tree and DH and I also enjoyed real trees...until the year we ended up with a spider infested tree. We’ve had a fake tree ever since.

 

[Katie Dawn]

Artificial! But we have cats so having a real tree would mean cleaning up pine needles after they'd been partially digested all over my house if you know what I'm sayin'...

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Artificial. I had real trees, until DS was born. We switched to artificial trees for his first Christmas, because I was afraid a real tree could catch fire. I also like the fact that artificial trees will hold heavier ornaments without the limbs sagging.

 

[HopperFan]

It cost a little more than we would normally pay for a real one and I figured it could always be an extra. Well..we put it up last year and loved it. Pulled it out Thanksgiving weekend and set it up and I love it even more!

No watering. Lights already on. No dropped needles.

I may keep this up a long time over the cold, dark winter. I love the lights and how they glow.

Real or artificial for you?

I do this as well, I have a 7 ft that goes on top of a small table in my foyer. It goes from Halloween, to Christmas to Mardi Gras decor on it. I have a smaller pencil one that I will also do for each holiday but leave it out longer to do St. Patricks and Easter. Love the twinkle lights!

Both. As I've mentioned in other threads, we go full Clark Griswold. We have 9 trees in our house. Two are real, the other 7 are artificial. The very first year DW and I were together we went and bought a real tree which was already cut down. If I recall, it was a boy scout set up in a parking lot, or something like that. But for the past 20 years, we have always gone and cut down our own tree. Yes, we pay a few dollars more, but it's worth it. Back home in PA, we had a tree farm that we went to every year. It was the textbook definition of quaint and the perfect Christmas scene. Horse drawn wagon ride to the trees, free hot chocolate, old barn turned into gift shop, petting zoo, huge train display, etc... We still haven't quite found that place here in GA, but still have been cutting down our own tree until now. This year, due to schedule, time and circumstances we had to buy pre-cut trees. The only weekend we had time, it was utterly pouring. I would have still done it, but the tree farms were closed. So we bought two pre-cut ones from Home Depot. Made me a bit sad. I also hate that our current house has standard 9 or 10' ceilings. Our prior house had a two story family room, so we would always get a 12'+ tree. Oh well...

We have more ornaments than we know what to do with. We buy two or three new ones every year, it's family tradition. Plus we'll pick ones up on clearance after Xmas. So over the years, we've accumulated an insane amount. DW also has ones from when she was a child.

Another Griswold here ......

7-8 trees .... lost count? ONE real, DH insists for smell. Rest fake. 3 ft, 6 ft, 7 ft .... fat and slims. All themed. Disney tree, pewter tree, family memento tree, junkie tree, HM in my HM kitchen tree, beach life tree ..... and it goes on. Santas and snowmen everywhere. Painted village (my Mom painted). Garland and wreaths. Lots of old family decor .... like a 3-4' tall soldier that was my Grandmothers.

I have only cut back on the front yard decor. Used to be something like 30,000+ lights, lighted reindeers, 8 ft snowman .... obnoxious. Now I use those laser lights (3 different kind) and some simple light up trees, candy canes, snowman .....

I donated boxes full of decor to Goodwill, I decided to let some go for someone else to enjoy. But I'm sure I'll stop in at the after sales.

 

[cmarsh31]

Artificial! But we have cats so having a real tree would mean cleaning up pine needles after they'd been partially digested all over my house if you know what I'm sayin'...

Oddly the artificial one is the one tgeu eat here!

Two artificial (one doesn't get ornaments, just in the front window) and a real one in the family room. Artificial has disney ornaments. Presents will be under the real tree.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

Love the idea (and smell) of a real tree --- but we've had an artificial tree for years --- love the no-fuss, no-mess.... no worries about the tree drying out and being a fire hazard (or having the dogs drink from the stand of a real tree....). It goes up the beginning of December and comes down on the day after New Years -- and looks good every year.

Our current artificial tree is about 15 years old (probably has another 5 to 7 years of good use left --- we're careful with it so it looks as good as the year we bought it) so we think of it as a pretty good environmental option. Once it looks less good we'll move it to the basement (more for the lights than the tree) for another 5 or 10 years.

We bought lots of spruce/fir candles... so we can still have the smell of a real tree with none of the hassle.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I've gone from artificial as a small child, to real once I had a say, continuing real as an adult, and back to artificial just recently. I love them both for different reasons, but I am really loving not watering this one.

 

[dyna]

Good quality artificial Had a real tree 1 time as an adult NEVER again I cleaned up needles from that tree forever some of them go stuck in my ugly green carpet an I was finding them months later.

 

[TCRAIG]

1 of each - real in the family room decorated in blue and gold where the gifts go - fake in the dining room in front of the palladium window so it can be seen from the road - decorated in crystals and gold ornaments so it really reflects the lights. Real wreaths throughout the house and fake battery powered wreaths and garlands outside with red ribbons...with lots of clear lights - I keep it pretty simple

 

[JLTraveling]

Except for the years we were traveling full-time in an RV, when we had a four-foot artificial on the patio table and a two-foot artificial inside, it's always been real all the way. Now that we're in a nice house, the big real one is in the living room, the four-foot artificial is in the dining room, and the two-foot artificial is in my bedroom. We always get Frasier firs, which seem to hold onto their needles better (and are less allergenic) than pine trees. We also fill the bowl with Sprite instead of water--recommended by a florist years ago, and it works like a charm! The tree never dries out or turns brown.

 

[OneOftheB's]

I grew up with real trees and I absolutely cherish the memories of going out to find the tree with my dad, cut your own or pre-cut. My husband hated the entire process of a real tree- me having to see every single tree, cutting it down, taking it in the house, the sap, the bugs. Our last real tree fell and destroyed many of my cherished ornaments and I made the switch to fake tree. It's fine, it looks fine, I like not having to water it (or having to keep the cat from drinking the water or having our dog, em, "water" it) but i miss the process and the smell. Maybe I'll take the kids out next year and get a small table tree.

 

[Callie]

I grew up with an artificial tree. It also helps with my allergies as well to have one, and it's very cost effective. It's also probably a smart choice because I travel home for Christmas, and I have a cat who might eat a real one.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I prefer real but have had both at different times over the years.

When DS was young, we enjoyed going to a farm to cut one down. Falling needles don’t bother me; I just vacuum them up and it’s not a big deal.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Love the idea (and smell) of a real tree --- but we've had an artificial tree for years --- love the no-fuss, no-mess.... no worries about the tree drying out and being a fire hazard (or having the dogs drink from the stand of a real tree....). It goes up the beginning of December and comes down on the day after New Years -- and looks good every year.
.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I like the looks and aroma of a real tree, but IMO it's too much of a hassle anymore. Tying it to the top of the car, straightening it in its stand, putting the lights on, having to water it, dropped needles, etc. So it's been artificial for about seven or eight years now.

I did see some 3' tabletop cut trees at the supermarket reduced from $24.99 to $12.99, so maybe I'll get one if there are any left in a few days.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Depends on the year and our schedule. We have an artificial tree to put up but some years we make a day out of it and go cut down a tree as a family.

 

[snoopy5386]

Firmly on Team Real Tree. That’s all I have ever had and hope it stays that way. When I’m too old to get one myself hopefully my children will get one for me and help me set it up.

I grew up getting one off a lot, started cutting them down ourselves when I met my DH.

First Saturday in December we have breakfast with Santa and then go cut down our tree - kids take turns picking the tree each year. It’s one of everyone’s favorite family traditions.

I was out driving with oldest DD the other day and we passed a tree lot - she said “that’s not how you get a Christmas tree!!” Raising her right.

 

[Diznygrl]

Never had a real tree and no desire to ever have one. Seems like nothing but a huge hassle. Plus I like to have the tree up from Black Friday through Epiphany, and I doubt a real tree could ever last that long. The only thing I might find appealing about a real tree is the smell, but we have plenty of Bath & Body Works/Yankee Candle pine scented stuff so it's fine. This year I even got the Scentsicles to hang on the tree for the first time, and they smell really nice!

Our current tree is pre-lit, in three easy pieces that click, click, click together...done! Saves so much time and effort, and lets me get to enjoying all the beautiful decorations a lot faster. Our previous two trees you had to place each individual branch in slots on the trunk which could be kind of a pain, especially the pre-lit one where all the branches were connected together because of the light strands.