I've had an artificial tree for yrs. and I have bought my 2 kids a homemade orn. every yr. since they were very young. Both are in 20's now and I still buy one every yr. last yr. I strung up popcorn and cranberries and it was so nice. It reminded me when I was young and we did that as a family. Do it anyway you desire because it will be you. I get so many compliments on my tree every yr.Just have fun w/ whatever you decide. Merry early Christmas to you.

I have an artificial tree(most of my adult life). I'm trying to find another one for my little living room. I'm looking for one like the one I have -it comes in 3 pieces and you just stack them and it's up. I have a traditional looking one and I have all kinds of ornaments on it, never a themed tree. The new one I'd like to put all my mothers beautiful ornaments on that have been in boxes for years.
I think themed trees are beautiful in stores and exhibitions but for home I like a mish mash of everything. I had a small table tree in the little living room last year and had bright shiny red apples all over it and small red cardinal birds. It looked very nice. You can buy the apples for the tree in the ornament sections of the stores.
I made each of my kids a patchwork tree skirt the same year I made mine and I think everyone is using it. It gets hidden as soon as we start putting the presents under it.
I do a lot of around the room decor and have different displays like snowmen, santas, reindeer etc.

My tree is artificial because we have radiant heat in floor it cooks them. I have a 1700 farmhouse so I bought an artificial tree that looks like around that era. I have all ornaments from down through family,grandparents,parents,inlaws, and every year my daughter and I make a bunch to give as gifts and to decorate our trees.Thats how I do mine.Making Memories Last...

Mine is artificial also.
I use the large clear bulb lights. And 95% of the ornaments are hand and homemade.
I tuck in hand tied red satin ribbon bows on the branches.
I use garlands I made/make from dried fruits, cranberries and cinnamon appleasauce ornaments. My kids also make a few with cranberries and plain Cherrios.
Last year,I made a stuffed reindeer outta of "loopy" felt and he holds a felt star. He's wrapped around the top of the tree. (My angel was destroyed by a rat.) :0(

Everyone loves my "oldfashioned" tree.

I didnt finish saying I put an antique buggy & doll , teddy bear,a tall victorian type doll stands about 3 ' tall, blocks,horn, little childs 3 wheeled scooter type thing,stuffed horse on wheels then I put gifts in among those its beautiful.

A traditional Christmas tree is one that is spun around, knocked over, destroyed and de-decorated by Christmas Eve.

With four cats, it's tradition all right.

I prefer artificial trees also. My parents get a real one. The artificial tree is the kids tree. It's decorated with ormanents that I buy for them each Christmas to represent that past year, ornaments made by them, musical/blinking lights, colorful balls. As the years go on, it gets fuller.

Natural tree only, preferably white pine, between 8 and 12 feet, VERY full, C7.5 lights, combination of ornaments from different ages, including some of my favorite original Victorian-era ornaments, and garland.

I know artificial trees are EXTREMELY convenient, but there's something about trekking out for the tree, doing all the prep work to get it up, etc.

And, an artificial tree just wouldn't work in a Victorian house, as far as I'm concerned...

My suggestion is candles. Use the old fashioned, hand-dipped looking ones that are joined by the wick and simply hang them on the branches. I saw a tree with red and white ones at Yankee Candle in Deerfield, Mass.

Also, how about a few birds and decorated bird nests. Tradition says that finding a bird nest in your tree means good luck for the coming year!

Allergic to pine, artificial tree here! We bought a new one last year, pre-lit and it unfolds like an umbrella, 3 sections it stacks. Talk about lazy, but it is wonderful. my hands always looked like I had been in a cactus fight, after putting the old one together, so I really appreciate this one.

Our tree is a mixture of old and new ornaments, some handed down (tho most of those got broken the year DH fell in the tree-sober), we buy an ornament everywhere we travel to so it is a walk down memory lane. I too add birds and a nest, as well as a pickle and cluster of grapes. Traditions......I love them.

The best complement was the year my neighbor told me our tree REALLY needed some water because it was dropping needles... the tree was ARTIFICIAL! Yes, it was dropping needles, but that was because it is old (we need a new one but I'm having trouble finding one with the umbrella style folding branches).

My favorite trees have multi-colored lights and an assorted variety of ornaments, no theme other than a celebration of what we have collected over the years. The ornaments our kids made in kindergarten are proudly hung next to the expensive collectible-type ornaments. To me, it's perfect!

We have so many ornaments now I'm thinking of putting a tree of one size or another in every room of the house next year. I bought a 4-foot Alpine Cedar last week that is just darling; I picture it in the dining room next year with an array of fishing & camping ornaments we have collected. I also bought a 2-foot tree for the kitchen counter; I picture that one with all the small ornaments that tend to get lost on the big tree. Today I'm hoping to find a 3-foot tree for the top my son's bedroom dresser for his sports-themed ornaments.... I think I'm addicted!

(It's my sister's fault. I was telling her I had too many ornaments to display all of them, and she told me my problems was NOT too many ornaments, but too few TREES!)