The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-20
Trimming a
Christmas
Tree

covery of u real live" tree with gray
bearded, snow-spncklad Santa Claus peep
ing from It's branches
1t matters not how small the tree, il 1t
be prettily decorated. In this II is chiefly
the first cost which counts. The same
ornaments. with very few additions. will
do year after year.
AS for the tree itself, there are tive diff
fercnt inds, all beautiful in themselves
the pire,. hemlock. spruce. cedar and bal
sam lir The prcttiost OF ali anu conse-
quently the most "%r"nsivc is the cedar
covcrsd 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
sioG.
It is most convenient TO have the tree
placed AT once in n holder but the price OF
this may be saved by mounting the u.c
in decu box well nactcd with Garth
The tree must be well bruced a@d The
box must be as nearly square as possible.
The box should be painted with green
enamel
building OF u house. begins NJ the top.
Custom has made IL almost IMPERATIVE
that a figure OF Santa Claus occurY this,
the most conspicuous position. fhe ii%-
urcs sold i'll the shops for this purpose
arc made made OF either cardboard or
plaster and COS, from il cents to - cents:
Except for the large trees the. 81 cent size
Scill answer admirably. The figure maj
be held in place with wire or strong black
Stock should now be taken OF all the ar
ticles which arc to be used for decora-
tons. Tinsel plays an imnortant part in
this. for IL gives Il brightness ami glitter
obtainable from nothing else. Strings of
popcorn may be procured already strung.
or it may be bought in bulk very chcaply.
With needle and strong thread il is cast
ly strung. Each string should be from
three 10 four feet long. Cranbcrries scat
strings add color Ia them.
Strings of silver and gilt balls and balls
Gecora,ions shreds Of ' rw ' cat,on n'G may
also be sprnkled over the t.ce. This does
very nicely TO represent snow; English
walnuts, either natural or liIded may be
tied with ribbon and added to the other
materials. You cannot have too much
Quantity rather Than quality makes a
tree beautiful. y dozen or more dolls,
made of bright -colored tissue paper.
should be added ii there are any little
sugar animals of every conceivable kind
are always appreciated by the youngsters.
Little paste board boxes may he haG at
any drug store. and when touched up with
gilt paint. filled with candy ana tied with
ribbon make very pretty ornaments, Last
sb IF al" te the be cna shte " ed is ,hat ;he na
securely fixed in I'll IT. sockets. SO that
Ihre can be no possibility OF their failing.
All these articles should be spread out
around the tree before the work of deco
rating begins, so that glance will show
Just what material there is 10 work with.
Then commence at the top and festoon
the popcorn ana strings of glass balls In
graceful loops. selecting the most promi-
Ing up as much as possible any bare spots.
The cotton balls, walnuts, candy boxes
and figures come next. Tie the lighter ar
ticles at the tips OF the branches and the
heavier further III.
The tinsel may represent iciclcs. and
the more thicltly II is hung on branches
and twigs the better. Last of all add the
candles. FuSten the holders at the forks
Of the branches. This prevents them slip
ping. See that the candies are perfectly
upright and have clear space above.
Small presents may be placed on the
tree and larger ones around it's base The
tree must. of course. be set before deco
rating, In the room in which il is to re-
main. unless ii Is very small tree. in
which case IL may be decorated I'm n room
to which the children seldom 20. on
Christmas morning it may be carried to
the nursery while the little ones are en-
joying their breakfast or exhibiting their
toys in some other part of the house. In
this way the sudden appearance of the
tree will seem all the more wonderful