The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-23
CHRISTMAS TREES.

How They May Be Trimmed with Trifiing
Outlay and Little Trouble.
Detroit Tribune.
Many mothers think it beyond their means to
make a Christmas tree for the little
Others 60 out and expend so much for the trim
mings that they do enjoy the result A tree
can be made very pretty and attractive with but
little expense and with less trouble than is gen
orally supposed if one viii give TO it little
forethought. Everyone has something lying by
that may be brought into use. Sheer muslin,
tarlatan, zephyr, worsted, brght-coored paper,
bits of pasteboard, ribbons, and other pretty ad
vertising cards help in a great measure to
decorate the tree. The muslin be
cut into bags, straight in the shape of
mitten or stocking. Button hole them
around with the different colored worsted and
run strings in the top to hang them by. They
can then be filled with candy nuts and raisins or
popped corn, and look very pretty when hung on
the tree. Little fancy baskets made of colored
paper, cut into chips and woven together, pin
cushions, and pen wipers and work bags made
out of bright ribbon or silk. are both useful and
ornamental. The tinfoil around tobacco can be
fashioned into stars crescents or hearts by past
ing it onto cardboard. Paper dolls dressed in
tarlatan or fancy paper tissue, paper flowers and
strings of popcorn also can be prepared several
days before the tree Is to be decorated.
After these things are prepared and ready for
use get nce-looking evergreen from the mar
kets or woods cut the lower brances off and Sc
cure the stem or trunk of the tree into a wooden
box--a candle box will answer; fill the box with
sand and cover it with moss. if it can be pro
cured or green paper, If preferred. Then trim
it around with tissue flowers, roses or festoons
of popcorn, which are very pretty.
Next begin from the top to hang the bags,
dolls gilt stars, pincushions and other fancy ar
ticles, and between these tie on lunches OF
raisins and have apples and nuts on strings not
more than three to five inches long The
strings may be of fine wire and twisted up like
the pot hooks of our copy-book days and fastened
on to the little twigs of the tree.
OF course, the more ornaments on the tree
the prettier it will look and ingenuity
will contrive dozen or more novelties which
will make the tree pretty and unlike other trees.
After everything has been fastened on. take the
strings of popcorn, and, beginning at the top of
the tree, festoon il from an upper twig. passing
il to another, until IL looks like a network of
popcorn The corn can be dipped into colored
boiling sugar and allowed to cool. making
variety of pink, white and blue Such tree
this requires very small outlay of money and
pleases the little children If older children are
to enjoy it with them, there are many pretty
little notions that but tri1e, many little
article of dress that can be made which are suit
able for gifts. and which will be priced because
of the dear hands that have fashioned them and
the loving thought given in their making
Many mothers do not care to have a tree
lighted, thinking it dangerous because of the
paper used in the trimmings, and if it is to be
seen by daylight 1t is not necessary. Bright
colored balls are pretty for day tree and reflect
the light If there is no objection to candles
they be bought in assorted colors for 80 cents
a hundred the small size. and 70 cents the larger
and will last two or three evenings.
This way OF making a Christmas tree is so
cheaply and quickly done that there is no reason
why any family should not make the little ones
happy on Christmas morning Many children
who see these trees in other childrens homes
hunger for the beauty and tastefulness which is
denied them in their own, frequently because of
a want OK little foretnought.