Man's basement is Christmas wonderland

PAPILLION, Neb. (WOWT) - If trimming one Christmas tree makes it feel like the holidays, imagine what 19 trees can do.

"I don't know what it is, but I just enjoy Christmastime," said Bill Hornbacher, a Nebraska man who is seriously into the Christmas spirit.

And it’s something that takes him a while to get going.

"I suppose it takes me 20, 30, 40 hours,” he said. “I don't know. I enjoy doing it, so I don't really keep track."

Some 40 hours to decorate? Sure, when you have 19 Christmas trees!

Of all the trees, however, Hornbacher does have a favorite.

"This is the kids tree,” he said, pointing to his favorite. “I love the Lifesaver tinsel -- Lifesavers and M&M's."

There's also a family tree, a rubber ducky tree, and an angel tree.

"Silver tree, and I'm a golfer. Anybody that plays golf should have a golf ball tree," said Hornbacher.

And he doesn't just decorate the trees. In many cases, he carves and paints every ornament on them.

"I go around to different stores looking for ideas,” he said. “And if I see something that trips my trigger, I start carving it."

He said he plans to stop adding trees in five or six years. Still, there are more trees in the future.

"I don't know,” he said. “I'm not going to put a number on it."

And he admits there is a drawback to turning his home into a Christmas wonderland.

"I've got to turn all the lights off before I turn the vacuum cleaner on or the place goes dark,” he said.

The only light needed in his cozy basement: strands from 19 Christmas trees, all decorated with a lot of skill and spirit.

"I go into some stores, and I have more Christmas trees than they have up for sale,” he said. “And I'm wondering, ‘Why can't they get into the spirit a little more?’"

Hornbacher said he stores all the lights, ornaments and decorations on shelves he also built.