For the past four years, I have decorated my tree and throughout my house with a gingerbread theme. All of my friends are constantly looking for gingerbread items for me and after only four years, it's too the point that I almost have too much. But, not one gingerbread person ever gets left behind in the box!!! I have at least one gingerbread ornament on each branch of my 7-1/2 foot tree. My grandaughter just turned 1 and I can't wait to see her expression when she sees all the gingerbread all over my house...lol!

My theme is Love... ornaments are either ones I loved & bought or made, or ones I received as gifts. Those are the only requirements! All colors, all types, all sizes.

I'd love to have a themed tree some day, gold and cream ... but it would have to be in addition to the regular one. There's no way I could put away these treasures!

Up until last year, my tree was very Victorian, but with two grandsons born in 2005, I wanted to go back to something more kid-friendly, so I started collecting santas and snowmen. I don't have many (yet) so the tree is mostly red, green, gold and silver balls in various sizes. I do have a small tree on the hearth in the family room that has mini ornaments that are really cute.

I used to be really anal about our tree and decorations. The lights and ornaments had to be spaced evenly, couldn't have 2 silvers too close together, etc. That is, until Sophie was old enough to start re-distributing the ornaments! The first year (I guess when she was 2) I would always sneak in and fix them. The year after that, I gave up. :) Our "theme" the past few years has been "disorganized, lopsided kid's crafts", and I keep telling myself I'm okay with that. :)

My tree is decorated in a fox-hunting theme. It all started when I found these adorable foxhound ornaments...each dog is handmade and is running, jumping or sniffing the ground. The next year a good friend found an ornament that is a fox dressed in hunting pinks that became tree topper. And then, poof! I had a theme.

Do bows count as a theme? When we moved in together, I had all wooden or nature themed ornaments and DH had a variety of Royco-type figurines, plus glass balls. We mix them all together and I put a red velvet bow on the end of several branches to match the red velvet cape worn by our tree-topper. The tree is overloaded with a mix of soldiers, fruits, birds, veggies, cartoon characters, orbs, angels, santas, snow men - and 19 years worth of souvenir ornaments purchased on our travels. The red ties it all together quite nicely.

No pics?????? Waaahhhh!!!! I used to do my tree in different themes,,,now ,due to health issues, I have downsized to a tabletop 3 footer,which I only put up for baby Natalies first Christmas.I put on some blown glass ornaments ,white lights and icicles,and its not too great ,but she loves it.

Mine doesn't have a theme unless you count the theme of many different ornaments that are memories of our lives together.

No theme, just my beloved treasures. Different colored lights, all kinds of ornaments, different shapes, sizes and colors. I love my tree. I shed a few tears every year when we put it up-they are happy tears laced with memories of Christmases past. Putting up the tree is like taking a walk down memory lane. When we take each ornament out we will say 'oh, look, do you all remember this' and then the stories start.

Should it?
Well, I've been working with a interiorscape company for businesses decorating themed trees for the last month - they look fabulous to the point where I'm now thinking of redoing mine. I'm tired of my mish mash but there are those ornaments that just mean way to much to exclude.
Things learned while working:

Prelit trees - by year 5 the lights get blown, and you have to get concerned at this point of overheating the tree. Yes you could replace the bulbs if you can find the right ones. Too bad I know this now - got one of these babies last year and found it too bright - the space shuttle can be guided in for a landing with this tree! The company has rescued some of the client trees with wire cutters to take out the lights but given the time required and manhours, it's cheaper to buy a new tree.

BTW, the charity shops right now are putting out their xmas stuff and you can get good trees really cheap, along with wreaths. Got one for $1.99. It was all flat with dead decorations - remove all that stuff, refluff it and dust it off with a soft brush and you can redo it yourself. The dollar stores have terrific ornaments at a good price.

Also, the first weekend in Dec the ornaments start getting reduced dramatically if you're looking for bargains.

I have a 4' artificial tree in the corner of my dining room that stays up all year. No lights on it but it is covered with fishing ornaments, as fishing is my passion.
:-)

no...just what I like...I buy a new ornament every year...things that juggle my memories!

No theme. I try to hang similar ornaments close together, like the moon and the star, the three bears,etc. My tree is just such a Hodge Podge. I had an aunt who had several sets of ornaments in different colors. One year it was red, the next all pink, etc. To each his/her own!

My Christmas tree (well, my daughter's that's resident at my place) is still asleep in the garage.

Wrapped in a sheet.

No pillow, though.

No blanket, either - inconsiderate me. I sure like blankets covering my patoot at this time of year!

ole joyful

Rocking horses, lots and lots of rocking horses. I have all sorts of rocking horse decorations in addition to the rocking horse ornaments on the tree. I even have an antique hand carved rocking horse that kids can actually ride.

I started this when I saw one in Southern Living many, many years ago. Of course, that one was much grander than mine, but I still love mine.

The only other ornaments I have on the tree are red balls, varying sizes starting from small at top to large on the bottom, and a large red and green garland.

I also have a small tree with a lot of different kinds of ornaments on it that the kids and I collected through the years. It doesn't have a theme at all, but it's got a lot of memories.

My main tree is what i call eclectic.It has the colored lights and all kinds of ornies,some homemade,(a lot home made)some from friends,cross stitch,wooden,glass,plaster etc,you get the picture.LOL

Then i have a small tree for the bathroom that i decorated in q tips cut i half,miniature rolls of toilet paper,that i made with toothpicks and kleenex strips,and clear glass beads.Then i have another tree i made from a tomato cage covered with green garland and decorated with mostly miniature ornies and paper twist angels.

These are what have been up at our home for the last several years.But this year,i'm considering not even putting one up as the kids are now scattered all over the place and only 2 GK's live close by and they always have a big tree at their house.
Kathi