Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-15
WREATlls YoR DEcoaATDoNs.
In Houses anA CA0rNhes and ON tn.
Dre8S and Hair.

WkkAThA0 XOk DEQO6ATb0yS.
Dress And Hair.
There are sometimes great difficulties in az
ranging the wreaths which are now 80 oftsn
"a, d for house and church DECORATIONS. au,l they
are frequently made in ways thai take ~
great length of time, while in all such arr angt-
mentS the simplest kind and the quickest done
are usually tic most graceful. IL f. often the
custom 10 sew the foliage on 20 strips OF calico
OF muslin, or 20 use long, stiff cards and bind It
tCHh upon them; but a succession Of green
branches, bound continuously together upon a
small wire, such as used in Manufacturing
Acgp-skHts, Is lar better method.
The first piece Of green tor commencing the
wreath should have u foag stalk, and ali the
pieces few inches OF bare stem for binding
over, and they shoald be Trimmed to a proper
size fo..the thickness of the wreath. For Trim
ing around pillars, the wreaths can hardly be
too large, and If there is not foliage enough %
make them really handsome-,an and they do re-
quIre grcatdeail-st II better 10 make one ;nl-
meBse droopiRg ath Of cvorgreeus boliy
laurel, Ivy, Nc., anu arrange oraaclics Of Iir
spruce q. hemlock around the top capital of
each pillar, not ATTEMPTING to eutwine the shaft
at all. A very graceful way of decorating a
large, massive piece OF stone work. font Tor
instance, IL in a church, Or a statue, a door
way, or for deeply cut inches. is 20 take a few
fiat, shaped branches, and without trying
TO fasten them closely, lay them down in the
manner of a wreath, around the base of the pc
destai, or along the front OF the scuiptered
niche, or in the angle of a recess. ln arranging
the decorations OF a hall OF gallery nlied with
statuary. this would be found most effective
and rapid method. For picture frames and mir
fors, there is nothing more appropriate than
gariands OF ground pine. or coral pine, inter
spersed with the right, orange-sc axlet berries
OF the bitter-sweet; strawberries thickly inter
mixed with the dark glossy green OF the laurel
and the whole crowned with bunch of various
mingled eyergreens, will also produce a tine
effect Fern leaves so well pressed that they
viii not curl are very desirable for such central
boluets. For large green wreaths, great guam
titles OF hemlOck, spruce and fir are required.
Box il very beautiful, but il not to be had in
large quantities, and should be kept tor smaller
wreaths. Ivy and laurel are also very beautiful
for decoration. For quite small wreaths. such
as are used for Following the lines in delicately
carved woodwork. or for the tracery of open
devices in wire, myrtle or periwnkle Is very
lovely. For all these purposes, variegated foli.
age is not usually much to be recon- me nsied,
and when il il used, il should not be mingled
with that OF a darker kind. 1t looks well il ar
ranged in massive wreath and hung i'm the
strongest light, where il will either produce a
harmonious effect Of color, or be near enough 10
the eye to show what 1t is. Unless the foliage
Il nearly white, however, IL should not he used
on background OF green, whether light OF
dark, and even then dark green is cold and
heaVy Tor IL to rest upon; crimson has a much
better enect. In all these arrangements We are
supposing that green forms the ornament. as no
flowers are used. But II flowers are desired. il
VIII answer better to put them in after the
wreaths are fastened in their places. Ii Is very
easy to slip in the stalks, or ii mounted on wire
they will pierce the mass Of foliage, and the
flowers viii be firmly attached, yet not 20 closely
but that they can be easily removed III thew fade
too quickly. The flowers should be ~ placed as
to follow in the fan of their foliage the direction
OF the leaves of the wreaths.
Monograms, eiphers, or devices surrounded
WITH wreath. are very easily made. The let
tefs should be traced upon a stiff piece of can
vas stretched upon hoop. The simplest shap-
ed old English letters the prettiest to use In
the notices or in cipher. After they are drawn
IN outline upon the cany AS a strong solution OF
gum should be spread all over it, emitting the
spaces within the outlines of the letters and the
whole surface covered with white everlastings
or nowberries, or anything in the vegetable
world, that, while retaining a fiat surface, will
look purely white. IL a scarlet ground, howev-
er, l. preferred, use red berries and I'll up the
letters with gold-cOlored flowers of the iInmor-
telle species. They can also be made of tiny
sprays OF box, myrtle, hemlock or juniper.
Scarlet letters are quite effective, but golden
words on white ground are the prettiest. For
arranging the frame, gracefully-formed pieces
OF green should be laid either way in the hand
and joined at the center with some feathery
sprays TO conceal the thread or Irvine. Then Law
them on the frame, leaving the center punches
at the top and bottom. Small nails will attach
1t securely to the frame, which will make a
church or parlor decorations Oak and laurel
leaves make a beautiful frame wreath. SPRAYS
OF molly and eyergreens mingled with snowber-
ries are also effective. A loop of ribbon fasten-
ed to the frame serves to SUSPEND N in a good
position. Wreaths OF mixed flowers are difficult
10 manage. They require a delicate eve for
cumming CoiOT. anu tne lie lteSt Oh myers Tor
arranging flowers, yet they are 80 pretty and
they give such pleasure. that n little pains is
worthy OF being taken in acquiring the knack
of arranging them.
A few simple flowers are far better than a
great variety. II is an expensive mistake to
suppose that quantities of flowers, and those OF
grand varieties, are required for adjoining the
dress or the hair. Charming little gracieuses
wreatbs made of ivy, myrtle, smilax OF some
beautiful foliage, with few delicate dropping
flowers mingled with their feathery SPRAYS are
all that are needed. Sprays of dropping dentzia
intermixed with the brilliant flowers of the
scarlet geranium, with drop of gum water or
mucilage in the center OF each flower TO prevent
ats petals from dropping make the lovelest OF
garlands tor corsage and head-dresses. Roses,
aZaleas and little sprays of lilac are ALWAYS
lovely. In the mixed wreaths. where a line OF
some dark evergreen supports little knots of
fowers, white and scarlet geraniums mingled
with their own soft, velvety leaves, rising at the
center into crown of flowers, are among the
prettiest we have seen. Use the smallest of bon
net wire upon which to bind the wreaths and
tie them with green Berlin wool, beginning at
each end and working toward the center for
wreaths for the head, but when a high caronal
Is desired knots of flowers serve to unite the
two sides. Take care TO handle the flowers
carefully, and under camelias Law piece of
soft cotton wool, well dampened; this keeps
them fresh, and is not discernible. while IL adds
much to their ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS RspaJ-
iican.