re: TulaneLSU's Top 10 Tips to Decorating the Perfect Christmas Tree

To answer your question, ornaments do not have to be made by Radko to be considered for tree inclusion. Trimsetter and Waterford are brand alternatives. Trimsetter glass ornaments are pretty, but they lack the detail, sharp colors, and crowns of Radko. For the economically conscious, Trimsetter will save about half and still give you that refined, custom glass ornament look which proclaims to your family and guests that you are a person of refinement and class.

To be honest, I find Waterford ornaments to look their finest in the display boxes at the store. I have a few ornaments made by Waterford, but every time we put them on our smaller sitting room tree. I am entirely unimpressed by their appearance. They lack color and the refraction of light from the crystal is, to put it mildly, paltry. I always include my three Waterford manger scenes on the front tree, but more for tradition than artistic inspiration.

For the truly financially extravagant, Buccellati of Milan makes intricate decorations out of precious metals. While the detail is amazing, I find the colors harsh and the designs religiously uninspiring. Prices are steep: the cheapest I recall around $200 and I’ve heard it whispered by a few who have spent $1500 on a single gold ornament. To me, the only people who purchase Buccellati ornaments are the nouveau riche with more money than class or taste. I have room on my tree for a Target or Walmart dazzler than Buccellati.

While you can always make prettier ornaments than the ones at big box stores, if you lack the coordination or facilities to make your own, Target is the best big box distributor. Lowe’s and World Market are the worst. Harrod’s of London has decent glass ornaments, but honestly, no better than Walmart. And like Walmart, theirs are manufactured in China, but Harrod’s charge (notice my British subject verb disagreement) 6-10 times as much.

Much the same can be said for Fortnum and Mason as for Harrod’s. Fortnum and Mason’s includes the classic gold hanging ribbon, but it doesn’t hide the Chinese manufacturing, as stylish as that ribbon might be. To me, both London brands are for posers who are too cheap and tacky to go with Radko and Trimsetter, but also think they are too good for the Walmarts of this world. The joke is on them though! In the hierarchy of TulaneLSU Christmas tree decorators, these are at the very bottom.