epitomises the real feeling of Christmas. So, take plenty of time and trouble to see that your tree looks good and incorporates all the sparkle and excitement of the festive season. First of all, decide whether the tree is to be something you want to involve your children in decorating, or is it going to be a showpiece -- almost a feature of your decor? If you go for an artificial tree, its durability is an important factor, so choose one that is sturdy and that collapses easily and stores compactly. If you choose a fresh one, go early and choose a tree that is thickly foliaged; you don't want to be stuck with a scraggy left-over! Then it's time to think about decorating.

First of all, if there are children in the family, the decorating should be fun, even if it wouldn't make the pages of a decorating magazine. Buy a big pot of popcorn and get the children to thread it on strings. This looks good and is a time-honoured American tradition for decorating a tree. Buy a few rolls of cellophane in various colours and the children can cut them into thin strips. Dropped onto branches they look very festive. Then, take them shopping for chocolates and chocolate ornaments. You can buy half a metre of net, and make small sweet bags to hang on the branches. Chocolate ornaments are fun, but hang them with admonitions not to touch before twelfth night. If you buy a growing tree, buy a roll of tinfoil to wrap round the pot. Tie it with an enormous red and green bow. The end result may not be the ultimate in style, but it will be the result of a family effort, and if you have small children it will mean more to them. After Christmas, make a box and pack it with all the decorations. Next year, you will have a basis for starting again. If you want sophistication and style, there are several alternatives. First, just go for baubles. Invest in about four boxes of red, green, silver and gold baubles and hang them on the tree. You can also buy silver foil in ultra-thin strips that you can drop onto the branches, which gives a good shimmer in any sort of light. Another idea is to break away from the traditional fir-type tree and find yourself a small bough. Fix it in a container and spray the branches (stripped of leaves) white. Then, dust them with a little glitter, and hang a few selected baubles on them. This looks quite sensational! PHOTO CHRISTMAS TREES -- Whether you choose artificial, spruce, pine or fir, taking the time to decorate your tree epitomises the real feeling of Christmas.