Those inflatable and very large Santas, Snowmen, and so forth. They are so tacky! Plus, they are expensive and easy to destroy. Another pet peeve--different kinds of lights and different colors on each strand. For instance--One strand white, another strand blue, and so on. That also looks tacky! If you are going to decorate, stay with the same colors of lights and use a theme that works well with your decorations.

What Bev said. And those new weird outdoor light shows. The ultimate in tacky light pollution. Colored fake trees, colored lights.

Beg to differ.... children love colored lights, so I put all my white lights away this year! Christmas is for children....in addition to adults.

Overdoing it.

Something on EVERY surface........AURRRGGGH! Ya GOTTA know when to stop!

As to the colored lights, yes there is certainly a case for them, especially with little kids: You can make them absolutely SENSATIONAL in fact, by layering them over all white lights. So if you've a tree with eight strands of white lights? Put six or seven strands of colored lights interspersed right over them ( safely please). Even a die heard fan of white such as myself........well.....it will blow your mind. Frankly, I never got more "OOOOHS and how did you make it look like that??!" from any tree I have ever done. Load it up with ornaments and it is beyond a wow. Kid you not. In fact, once done, it's about all you will need in the darn house. Try it, you might become a convert. In all cases, skip the led....beyond depressing!!

I love the laser lights that shine in my trees and so does everyone that visits they are really beautiful and look like you spent hours stringing lights . How are LEDs depressing they save a huge amount of energy and look awesome , I happen to still love all white lights but I do my tree with a different color scheme for ornaments each year

LED lights are just awful. They give off the most depressing light, blue and glaring. I've seen recessed LEDs installed and I felt like I was in an operating room. I hope they go the way of the corkscrew CFL bulbs.

My sentiments exactly, Diana! They can take the 1.6 gallon flush toilet WITH them, or at least emblazon "please flush as you GO" ON IT.

Speaking of laser, nothing depresses me more than this commercial lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRaTgfnuI14

my tree decorating trick.... whether you use white lights or colored, pull a string of the opposite you've chosen up the inside of the tree, close to the trunk. it gives a real depth instead of a black hole.

i dislike holiday decorations in the bathroom, even red or green towels put me off.

The trick to ALL lights, color aside, is simply this: Picture star shaped cookies staked on a plate, tips pointing in all different directions. When you string the lights, pretend you are going into the center of that star, and back out and stacking..........yes.....in and out, IN AND OUT...!! The tree will have incredible depth. Do the same with the ornaments. the ugly and boring go inside....for shine and depth only. The stunners nearer the outside: ) Mix the sizes, SHAPES and scale of those as well.

I will credit a department store display guru, thirty long years ago, for that light tip.

The thing I avoid at Christmas is glitter. It gets everywhere and I find it months later even after cleaning many times. It usually ends up on my face, too :) Crazy stuff!

If you have an artificial tree, before adding lights bend the branches and tips into position, some up, some down, some sideways etc. Fake trees get smushed in the storage box and doing this helps make them look more realistic. Especially if they are separate stacked layers on the pole, those layers will disappear if you work at it. Take the time to string the lights to the centre and back out like Jan Moyer mentions in the post just above, wrapping the branches so the wires are hidden. I do the lights one day and the ornaments the next day so I'm not rushing. Using fishing line instead of the metal hangers for ornaments is great, they look like they are floating. I sit the tree in an antique wooden crate to hide the ugly stand and I loosely wrap the stand in a shimmery white piece of organza type fabric.

I agree with Jan, I wire my lights all the way to the center of each branch, out to the tips of the branch, then back in again and pick up the next branch. My mother-in-law owned an extremely successful Christmas store for many years and I learned this trick from her. I prefer white lights on my tree, but have found that adding 2-3 strands of twinkling white lights, strung vertically throughout the tree, adds even greater dimension. Then only a few spots twinkle and the rest are steady. Another one of my favorite tricks is ribbon - I cut it into various lengths, from 12" to 4', and insert the ends toward the center. It gives the look of the ribbon going in & out, but can be strategically placed and a little can go a long way. Not the best photo (kitten had been in tree) but you get the idea. I'm a Christmas FREAK, so I overdo it in my own home. Even the window treatments get changed.

Ditto on the ribbon thing, Crystal.

I think people need to remember holiday decorating if different for everyone. We need to be less judgmental & allow people to use decor as it makes them happy!
Sometimes "tacky" is fabulous!
I like to change up every year. Sometimes beautiful & sophisticated other times whimsical & a bit tacky! Sometimes decor is not my style but I see my friends joy in their mismatched lights & decor... honestly I love it all because I appreciate difference styles. I might not do it but great for someone else. I don't think sameness is that great! Everyone & thing looks the same which doesn't make it that interesting!

Due to my neighbors the "Jonses" I put up 3 wreaths and went with a laser.

I don't like blinking lights.

I pretty much like everything else.

We have 7 trees. All themed.

Two main ones - music themed covered with instruments and notes and a forest themed tree with pine cones, animals, snowflakes.

One on the front porch. Just lights and berries.

And 4 small trees:

An Irish ornament holder tree.

A Star Trek tree with all but one of the Hallmark ST ornaments going back to the 90's.

A 'sea' themed tree with boats and lighthouses.

A clam shell tree.

We also have a winter village, dozens of stockings, teddy bears in santa hats, a collection of sleighs, a couple table-scapes, hanging snowflakes, white lights on the porch, wreaths and some random stuff.

YES on those inflatable characters! Most of them lie deflated on the lawn during the day...tacky indeed.

Jan, I agree on going in and out with the tree lights.

I'm a white lights fan and started adding some twinkling white lights to the tree a few years ago. Although I get the convenience of faux trees, I would miss that great smell of the real deal.

It's chloebud here...no clue why the screen name is wrong.

i've tried the 'in and out' on my tree, but my branches are just too close together, they're like a single fighting unit....

We keep our exterior lights fairly simple by putting them just around our entry. There's a house close to us that's been using these snow falling lights each year. I always look forward to driving by.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNlRhncDyh8 

I think it's important to avoid consideration of anything anybody else does, in favor of what makes you happy. I've seen homes packed to the GILLS with decorations, including so many trains it made my head spin. Eh? Maybe not my thing, but geez, they were happy!

I've done a "two story" tree, with all the trimmings. Might have seemed a bit "much" for others, but it was an incredibly special season, for us- and we had the room.

This year, we're doing some minimal things. A very small tree, that will have only crystal ornaments and white lights. My husband is the "tree Whisperer", and weaves it from the trunk out to create a multi-dimensional light display, no matter the size. Goodness, the patience that takes...

I have a 30 year strong collection of Swarovski Christmas ornaments, courtesy of my wonderful sister-in-law who LOVES to shop. In addition, my sister has given my son a Waterford ornament every five years of his life, and so five more.

This year, it all fits. The tree will twinkle. If it gets heavy (because it's small), I'll hang some of the ornaments on other light fixtures in the house. I learned that from another sister-in-law, and it's really pretty.

And OH YES. I have a framed Santa print, from the 1800s, that will hang on a wall all season long. We decorate later, leave it up till the Epiphany, and love it all.

More importantly for us? This year, I'm "gifting" all of my Santa figures to family members. Most of them were gifted to us, and many of them have special significance, to one young family member or the other.

So yes- tis the season of giving. When you have a memory, share it. Sometimes, it's permanent, and I'm gifting mine to great-nephews (10 of them) and one great-niece. Mom and Dad will care for them, until the kids care, as those are my nephews and their families, who saw it all in our home, at one Christmas or the other.

I think anything goes at Christmas!! I love seeing everyone's style... festive time of year.

Gotta love that Star Shower Jan! LOL Please don't let my neighbor's see that advertisement/product. They are from another country and march to the beat of their own drummer. A bit eccentric to put it kindly. They have the mish mash of light styles and colors. UGH. They also have a blanket of leaves on their ground still .... :( I think to each their own but when it comes to outside decor you should have a bit of restraint. In our case all the other neighbors have tasteful decor but there is not a theme or plan with our free spirited neighbors. If they wanted to go all out fine, just have a plan!

I like white lights, simple decor--a touch of red but more toned down in neutrals. Also, I hate the idea of having to switch out every single item of decor I have out. I add to what I have with greenery/pinecones/some ribbon and only remove if needed. I did the whole kid thing with all the colorful ornaments. My girls are older now and I get no help decorating so I do what I like. Simple. Still finding exactly what I want for our tree. I use what I have and switch it up a bit each year. We will be moving so that will change it up again I'm sure.

Haha Jan, my next door neighbor has that obnoxious light thingy. I'm only happy I don't have to look at it. I feel sorry for the neighbors across the street.

I agree with the blow up things on the front lawn. Hate them! I love white lights....that's what we use. I also run a few strands of twinkling lights through our tree, along with the non-blinking ones. And I'm one of those who even decorates the main bathroom and powder room! I love Christmas, what can I say! I don't over do it....but I do decorate. The only thing I hate about it is having to take it all down after Christmas!

we can thank our lucky stars that christmas light strings don't come in GREY.

Nnigrt......AMEN!!!

shars, I love the twinkling and non-blinking white lights together, too. I keep wanting to do exterior lights with larger white (non-blink) bulbs, and twist the twinkly ones with them. It can look really pretty! I so agree about taking all the Christmas decor down, especially the tree. Absolutely nothing fun about it!

nnigrt...right...no gray!

Glitter. I can't stand the mess it makes and no matter how much cleaning you do it seems you find more of it for ages!

Christmas decorations and the whole 'season' in general!! I dread it from the first twinge of fall until I can pack the whole mess up and haul it to the attic!!

kristensweet, we moved a couple years ago. Took me until this year (Fourth Christmas here) to find a good spot for the village and the Irish tree. AND we had to buy a new tree for the second living room.

The fun part is, it isn't boring because you have to find a new spot for everything. But that can be more work. Last year, I didn't even bother with the village because I couldn't find a good spot. This year, I tried the mantle and liked it.

We love our holiday parties and lights. So it was good.

Chloe.....We have all white lights outside, as well, but the large lights with small ones twisted around sounds so pretty!!! I may have to get the hubby to try that next year!

I saw a yard in my town with white icicle lights hanging from the porch railing and a string of old fashioned colored lights straight across the railing. Looks really nice.

I really wanted one of those laser lights when they came out to shine in my trees, but now I think they're going the way of the inflatables.

excess

Nnigrt......,PERFECT COMMENT!!!

BEING so caught up in how things look - that we forget to enjoy family and friends. MY Grandkids LOVE decorating - and for me a big part of the holiday season is seeing the joy in their faces. See the photos below created by my Grands (three and five years old). I will not disturb this (other than to grab a hershey's kiss from the bowl). IT brings a smile each time I look at it!

auntthelma, your trees sound lovely!
nnigrt, I almost fell off my chair laughing!
Gram1954, how sweet is that!
My pet peeve is the artificial garland that people just unwrap and hang up without fluffing the branches, drives me crazy. I see some of my neighbours who have decorated their entrances and it looks like a green string, some with red bows and others with lights.
This my front entrance this year.
Merry Christmas!

Love the holiday gnomes!!!!!

I'm a "less is more" person, but, if someone wants to overdo it at Christmas more power to them ! .... I take no offense whatever they do... it's only for few weeks anyway (hopefully). As long as they have fun with it. All is good...