The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-13
HINTS FOR THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
The Neweat Things In Decoration-now TO
Adorn IL Lnsxpensively.

HINTS FOR THE CHhlSI"Ao 1hEb.
The Neweat Things In De~corntion-now TO
Adorn It Insxpensiveiy.
as the Christmas tree as popular as ever ?"
THE SuN reporter asked q man who knows as
much about Christmas as old Santa Claus him.
self. He looked as II some ono had asked him
II Christmas had gone out OF fashion.
"ot course!" he said. and that settled 1t.
"well, ls there anything new in decorations 7'
"Ycs. new In detail; perhaps not new In the
general idea. The main thing in Christmas tree
decorations is to get anything that will shine.
For that reason tinsel in different forms 10 the
popular thing"
But that's old"
III old friends happen to be best, people will
stick to them. Tinsel comes In new shapes this
year, but it's tinsel Just the same. Here is some
thing new and good, these lanterns. Tho safe
lighting Of the tree is always n problem, SO these
lanterns ought to take. They have red and
green mica sides: there Is a sponge in this tin cup
ut the bottom and n wick. You saturate the
sponge with kerosene and light the wick. They
make a pretty illumination and burn some time
But have you no original IDEAS for trimmlnE?"
There arc some. but not many. You can
load the boughs with artificial snow. hang them
with these glass icicles, put these Esquimau
dolls here and there and make q wintry tree Of
IL. llAt mas Deen OONe uHu 10 "OHutTlully
beautiful. Or you can I'LL 1t with this cobwebby
tinsel and hang will-o'the-wisp lights on the
branches. and put these fairies among them.
That makos a fa.ry-land tree which sets the
children wild. Or you can hang 1t with several
dozen OF these diminutive Japanese lanterns
aud have the little Japs walking around under
these tiny pRrasols. That's another type. Or
you can have o Brownie tree. In that case,
you IN ust have tho old fashioned popcorn and
cranberry strings. because the Brownies must
have something to eat.
"A splendid idea for a tree. and one which /
have never seen carried out. is to make a Swiss
Family Robinson tree. Cut out some Of tho
branches half way up the trunk. but not too
high for the little folks to zee In. Be sure. too.
to set your tree on tho floor and not OH a Table.
Make a platform there and build q staircase
around the trunk reaching mp To it; Put In par
titions Of pieces OF wood or paste6oara, which
you can paper yourself. Then add the turni-
ture AID the dolls. These can be Of the cheap
est. Hang the tree with lanterns; make look
for raising and lowering Things from the ground;
There! That Is the idea In the rough. ~
wager 1t would turn the little foIks crazy VIII
dren who are past the tinsel ana gewgaw age.
Almost everybody tries now ana then 10
tree. They do not desert the tree, but they want
n change for one year, at least. ! Know OF one
woman who got UP an ingenious substitute,
to make il q regular thing. Instead OF prtting
up a tree. she had n carpenter construct tho
skeleton Of n wigwam, and this she set up In the
corner of the room. IL was FIVE feet from the
floor to the peak. and was almost as much IN
muslin. and this. In turn. she covered with
white cotton. which she tack ed to the muslin.
In the arst pi.c &c though Gann .hs n H9ys Msft. The n9or
Over her cotton wig VAN she sprlnkled spangles
until it shone like snow cleaning in the sun
THE three poles crossed at the top. aad from
these she hung icicles and colored lanterns, On
the centre she perched u s~now-maiden, and she
sides. Inside OF the tent abe put all OF the pres
ents for her two children, boil. Of whom were
girls. Christmas morning she led them into the
room and showed them the tent, whose flap WAS
then down. She said that IL was n mysterious
have set up. sure enough! there were the stock
lnEs they had hung up the night before IN the
Ss.t,hg room; v tre' rn nau aanrIppe h & n s t, Z
which WAS apparently fastened to one of the
poles. brt In reality only went overt. She got
Them to reach up and phil their stockings down.
Thi- lifted the nap IN front, and disclosed the
contents OF the wigwam.
There was plenty Of room for two or three
children 10 play inside. and the tent was 90
popular with all the little people who came to
the house that II was kept in Its corner for
fully n month after Christmas.
Another woman, whom know, got up q
regular estate one year instead or having a tree.
She had u platform about three feet high and
3x5 feet on the surface. Here shs had the house.
barn, tables; the clothes lines. the vegetable
ana flower gardens, WAKE. snrnDpery. lFHr@'
and n fence. The nurse WAS wheeling the baby
carriage on the front walk the councilman was
driving out of the barn; the maid was hanging
ont the clothes: everything was comnlete. and.
by doing the greater part OF the arranrenent OF
the things herself, having bought them sepat-
atelv, IL " rs not so expensive a. one woNld thihR.
One OF the most beautiful ana cnnScnlrht
trees | have ever seen was lighted by incannes-
cent electric lighte OF different colorsi ihev
were strung through the tree. and It needed nut
atwist Of tho screw to turn them all on or on
tnnuestionaLly tho Christmas tree or the tn-
ture will he lighted by electricity. bur at pres
ent that method Ia only for the favored few.
"A unique Christmas tree would he m" ZEN
anted by animals alone: every body that under
stands children at all will know how they
would like It. | planned such a tree one time.
but have never carried 1t ont. ~ course. one
would have TO add sinners to the scheme IN
order to make It SNOWY. but that ts easy.
What Is the cLeapest way OF making an
effective tree I"
"Tinsei and assorted balls. Buy the loose tinse'
| thai CONES in envelopes. Cobweh the tree win
II and hang red and green and yellow balls
here and there. There is no brighter tire" or n
less expensive one except those strung with pop
corn, cranberries, and chains OF gilt and silver
paper. These cost little for decoration. uut are
prnporti0nately les effective.
"A German custom which is not followed ~
this country 10 to have n cave with the
crfchs and tho Christ child In II. The ohildrens
presents are then put In the cave. too. There
are more or less spasmodic attempts on the part
OF Individuals to have something different IRON
the tree. but nothing else has ever approached II
In popularity and nothing else ever Will