We have several small "forever trees" throughout the house but still get a large live tree. I think both can be beautiful.

A Happy Christmas to all those firefighters.

Artificial trees are much safer. And if you use it for years on end, a cost saver. :)

I could not imagine having an artificial tree. The beauty and magic of a real tree for us was getting together and going out and picking our own tree. Our dog used to tinkle near the tree and that would be the family tree that year. Then we would cut it down and the grower would help us load it on his cart and we would walk along side the cart until it got to the base of the hill. Then we would go back up and plant a new sappling to replace it. I don't see that happenning with an artificial tree. Pretty joyless process of packing it up. My sister in law has a fake one and she spends days plumping back the needles on the branches of her $600 tree. This is before she even puts a single ornament on it. Then when she takes the tree down. It just sits there until they get the energy up to dismantle it. And it smells like moldy plastic up close.

I like the real trees. I know they get cut and that is not a great thing, but I just can't get used to the idea of having a fake tree (same goes for fake plants). Those who like them, good for them. I hope they keep them forever because the plastic that is in them is not very eco-friendly. I guess there is always a compromise with anything we choose.

I bought my fake pencil tree 12 years ago, and we are still using it today. I had a small apartment in the city, and it worked out great. My only issue now is keeping my new kitten out of it, no hooks or glass bulbs this year for fear of her hurting herself!!

for those of you with artificial trees that want your home to smell like you have a fresh tree -- the answer is a Thymes reed diffuser (it comes in one sent -- fraser fir). these things are the real deal -- people will assume your tree is real because they can smell it. it has happened to me many times.

the Thymes diffuser is expensive -- $60 I believe -- but it should last you at least 3 Christmases. I've only ever seen them for sale in boutique-y gift shops (where they sell things like Pandora charms, Brighton, Mariposa, Vera Bradley ...).

I discovered them about 6 years ago, and I'm on my second one. Seriously, go buy one. You won't regret it.

Part of the reason I have a real tree is childhood memories like MS Colors said...I want big colored lights on my tree...(I can remember scraggly trees and relate to A Christmas Story.)

I have almost always used an artificial tree. One year I bought a real one and right after it was all decorated it toppled over, smashing glass balls and spilling water all over everything. I have not had another real one since. Here is the one I just finished putting up. It is really beautiful.

I always had a real tree, but after my son developed asthma the Dr recommended we get an artificial tree. Gotta say the family has been much healthier during the Christmas season since we made the switch. I still miss having a real tree though

This year we put up a 15' tall tree that is 9' across...my husband chose it. I will opt for a very tall pencil tree (artificial) after Christmas when they are less $$$. They are safer and cleaner.... PS: this tree smells like cat whiz....

I grew up having always an artificial christmas tree, so i guess i am kinda bias...into believing that artificial is better than the real deal. I therefore like artificial ones, but i have yet been introduced to a real one

I grew up with an artificial tree and they can be lovely but choose a real tree for my family. I love the smell and the tradition of going to the tree farm and tagging our tree. We usually take the opportunity to snap some photos of the kiddies. This year the pics will be used for our christmas cards. Its a great way for our busy family to slow down and spend some time together. We end the event with a rustic family lunch. I hope we can do this when my boys are grown with families of their own. Merry Christmas to all my Houzz peeps artificial or real enthusiasts :)

My daughter is allergic to fresh pine trees. Doctor said it's a very common allergy. Who knew?

It's a very common allergy but it's not just the pine you can be allergic to. They spray those trees on many lots with something to keep them fresh and many people are allergic to that also mold is a common problem with real trees. If you have a real tree and find everyone, or just one, in your household gets sick every year after you put up your tree you might want to give an artificial one a try. The money you save on Dr visits might just pay for a really nice one. Dust is a common problem with artificial trees. People with allergies just need to figure out what they are allergic to.

There are some very realistic looking artificial options and we prefer to do this with our 20' ceiling in our great room.

One problem that people can have with the real trees is an allergy to mold. Some of the trees are cut many weeks before they ever show up on the tree lot. But even fresh trees can have natural mold growing on them. But they are so beautiful and traditional as well. Brenda, I was able to order the Thymes fir diffuser oil on Amazon. I will use it in one of my infuser kits that I have from before. Thanks for the tip. The 7 3/4 oz. refill was $30 shipped.

Also, thanks to everyone who have posted photos of their beautiful trees!

The real ones bring that fabulous scent indoors, but stringing the lights can be tricky. Fake trees look great, but can usually be detected as being artificial right away. It all depends on how much work you want to put into it :)

YAY, agree with Studio M, the scent...in our house, the scent is all about Christmas...ok, we are lucky here in Canada, we get the nicest trees, tall and thick !

Nothing like the real thing for me!! The trees are grown by tree farmers to be sold at Christmas, it's an industry, not a waste of resources.

bluenan, you are so right! Thank you for bringing that out. The fact that we have so many varieties to choose from is due to our tree farmers.

i love my real trees.

but i don't mind if someone wants a fake one.

and for those missing the scent, you can buy little sticks now that are "pine" scent to hang on the inner portions of your fake tree.

they smell nice, actually.

We have never had an artificial tree. Real trees do make a mess and we forget to check the water level so it dries out sooner. We love walking around our local tree farms to pick just the right tree. Here in Texas, sometimes it's 80 degrees and some times it's 20 degrees, but about 10 days from now we'll go out one afternoon and cut our tree. MS Colours, my Granny had an aluminum tree with the rotating light too. She used blue and silver ornaments - that was it. It must have been the height of fashion about 50 years ago :)

I LOVE real trees, but we have an artificial one because of the fire hazard.

Every year my daughter and I go to a local church tree lot and pick out a tree for my house and a tree for hers...I pay. She picks out an ornament made in a third world country and sold through fair trade agencies. We then go get coffee and she helps me decorate my big tree while we listen to carols and re-discover each ornament as we pull them out of the boxes. We help support tree farmers, the church who sells the trees, the coffee shop and fair trade. It may cost more, but for me there is absolutely no substitute.

Omg, happyasaclam, my grandmother had a rotating aluminum tree with blue and silver ornaments also! Even as a child it was so bizarre to me. We always had a real tree.

I thought it was bizarre too. When I asked why she didn't have a real tree, I was told to hush. lol. I wondered if there had been some sort of "to-do" at some point and bringing it up was not a wise idea. I was always afraid I might get electrocuted because there might be some kind of short in a wire somewhere so I did not touch it or even go near it! :D

I remember those aluminum trees with the rotating disk that projected various colors onto them. We always had real trees when I was a child. I remember having bubble lights on the tree. The lights in the 50's were huge and heavy. Heavy metal tinsel was also used, later it was replaced with lighter plastic. That was a hazard for the birds. I still have a little wind-up santa sitting on a tin sleigh being pulled by a reindeer. I lost an antler but I still display it. I guess I'm showing my age here. Oh, also have some very faded glass ornaments from the 50's.

Photo of bubble lights for those that never saw them before....

"Forever" (thanks Michael Lee) trees for us!

~Lyvonne

i think fake trees look great, but i have to have a real tree! i love the smell and getting to choose one for christmas.

We have had an artificial tree for a couple years, I love it! I like the fact that it's not a fire hazard, and I didn't cut down a real tree. I do love the smell of a fresh tree and understand that many people have to have a fresh tree, and that's fine!

I had to google the aluminum tree, and will share for others like me. Am still curious about the revolving disks, though. Anyone have photos of that?

Hang one of those little pine tree car air fresheners in the branches of you artificial tree--I think I will this year.

My family prefers a real tree, but I'm looking at getting an artificial one. Problem is finding one that looks good. The cashmere ones look real, but so pricey. Looking at the post by
Studio 10001 of the aluminum tree. My hubby and I had one for our first Christmas. We were living in NYC then and it was the tree to have. Think we had a colored wheel too.
We also put lights on the thing, later we realized we were living dangerously with electric lights on a metal tree. Hey! We were young and it was our first tree.

Before they put warning stickers on everything. Glad you are still around to tell that story, Judiwthani! Thanks Margaret B, now I get it. I have seen current versions, and mistook them for party lights!

Love the fake tree no work, just put it up and decorate. Real trees are a lot more work. You have to put them in the correct type of planter pot depending on the size of the tree with water in it because it is a live tree. You have to worry about all the shedding of the pines, the smell that it is going to give off. If someone in the house has allergies like my son I would not suggest it. You have to be extra careful if you have small kids. Then you have to worry about getting rid of it instead of just taking it down and putting it in a box like a fake tree. Less of a hassle.

We were real tree "snobs" but after not having a real tree one year due to moving, we noticed we felt better around that time of year. I think the real trees were setting off our allergies and asthma. We bought a nice fake one and have never looked back. I miss the smell and the ceremony of going to pick and cut one, but it's not worth the illness. And I don't miss the clean up and worrying about the disposal.

Here you go Studio! Disclaimer on the living room photo...not a personal one!

bluenun, thank you! for posting the pics of the aluminum tree and color wheel. :)

Judiwithani, we found our tree at Costco. We think it looks very real and the price was not bad. It is about 60 pounds but breaks down into three sections. You just put them together from the bottom up. The branches just "lay down" into position. You can tweak the individual tips to get them where you want them. The trunk even looks real, kind of "hairy". Ours is 7 1/2 feet tall and I don't think we can put much of a topper on it since our ceiling is only 8'.

another view. Needs "tweaking" in areas.

Artificial trees are great. No needle stabs once they fall off. No fire hazard. No disposal mess. If you miss the smell, get some evergreen air freshener. In the long run, they are cheaper. You can put small tree away partially decorated. TONS OF ADVANTAGES.

bluenan, those photos are a blast from the past! Thanks for sharing! :D

Marilyn, thanks for the picture showing the bubble lights. Probably telling my age here, too. I still have a few and put them on the tree every year. They were always my son's favorites. Those are still being sold, but I like my old ones - they come with memories.

I've never had a fake tree, but just this morning I was considering it. :)

This was the first year I wanted to purchase one for sheer ease alone, but I just can not make myself do it!

There is nothing more artificial than a real tree in the middle of a living room .

Update... Real or artificial... If you have a 6mo old kitten, just paint a picture of a tree on the wall! My tree may not survive this year!!

With real trees my cat would always climb it knocking off decorations and getting sap in her fur. Now with a fake one she doesn't even look at it.