Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-12-17
HOW TO TRIM YOUR TREE
Do it Properly and You will Not Re-
greet the Money Ex-
pended.

| OF all things for Christmas, Il Christ
mas tree is indispensable in a house
where there are children. The exploring
of overlooking stockings will not give
half the pleasure tbNt comes from the
| discovery of real live" tree, with
gray-bearded, snow-specked Santa Claus
| peepng from it's branches.
1t matters not how small the tree, if it
be prettily decorated. In this it is chief
| ~ the first cost which counts. The same
ornaments, with very few additions. will
| do year after year.
| AS for the tree itself, there are five
| different kinds, all beautiful in them
sclves-the pine, hemlock, spruce. cedar
and balsam fir. The prettiest of all and
| consequently the most expensive is the
| cedar covered with small gray berries.
| The smallest of these trees cost % cents
| and the largest as high as 81. Ordinary
| trees of good shape and bright, green
| color range according to size from W
cents to 81.
| 1t is most convenient to have the tree
| placed at once in holder, but the price
| of this may be saved by mounting the
tree in Il deep box well packed with
| earth. The tree must be we'll hraccd,
and the box be as nearly square MS pos
| sble. The box should be painted with
green enamel.
| The decoration of tree, unlike TN"
| building of Il house, begins at the top.
| Custom has made it almost imperative
that figure of Santa Claus occupy this
| the most conspicuous position. The tg-
| ures sold in the shops for this purpose
are made of either cardboard or plaster
and cost from Is cents to 70 cents. IN
| cept for very large trees the 35-cent size
will answer admirably. The figure may
be held in place with wire or strong
black thread.
| Stock should now be taken of all the
! articles which are to be used for decora-
tons Tinse plays an important part in
this, for it gives Il brightness and gilt
ter obtainable from nothing else. Strings
of popcorn are also useful. Both white
and red popcorn may be procured already
strung. or it may be bought in bulk very
cheaply. With needle and strong
thread it is easily strung. Each string
| should be from three to four feet long.
! Cranberrics scattered at frequent inter
walls along the strings add color to them:
Strings of silver and gilt balls and
effective decorations. Shreds of raw
cotton may also be sprinkled over the
tree. This does very nicely to represent
snow. English walnuts, either natural
or gilded. may be tied with ribbon and
added to the other materials. You can
not have too much. Quantity rather
than quality make a tree beautiful.
dozen or more dolls, made of bright
colored tissue paper, should be added il
! there are any little girls in the house
| Candy canes and sugar animals OF every
conceivable kind are always appreciated
| by the youngsters.
! Little pasteboard boxes may be had
at any drug store, and when touched up
| with gilt paint, filled with candy and
| tied with ribbon make very pretty orna-
ments. Last of all, the candles, if it
is intended that the tree be lighted. See
| that these are very securely hXed In
their sockets, SO that there can be no
possibility Of their falling.
All these articles should be spread out
around the tree before the work of dec
Grating begins so that glance Will
show just what material there is to work
with. Then commence at the top and
| fcStoon the popcorn and strings or glass
balls in graceful loops, selecting the
most prominent branches for fastenings.
and covering up as much as possible any
| bare spots. The cotton balls, walnuts.
| candy boxes and figures come next Tie
the lighter articles at the tips of the
branches and the heavier further in.
The tinse may represent icicles. and
| the more thickly it is hung on branches
and twigs the better. Last of all add
| the candles. Fasten the holders ut the
forks of branches. This prevents them
slipping Sec that the candles are per-
| fectly upright and have n clear space
| above.
Small presents may be placed on the
| tree and larger ones around its base.
| The tree must. of course, be set before
| decorating. in the room i'll which it is TO
| remain. unless il is Il very small tree,
in which ease ii may be decorated in
a room to which the children seldom go.
On Christmas morning it may be carried
to the nursery while the little ones are
enjoying their breakfast or exhibiting
| their tOVS in some other part OF the
house In this way the sudden appear
| ance of the tree will seem all the more
wondcrful.- hiladclphia Times.