The Portland daily press., 1898-12-22
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.
New and inexpensive Hints for Parties
In the Holiday Season.
IN. Y. Sun.

Christmas would hardly seem like
Christmas without an abundance of ever
greens, the waxIike mistletoe, the glossy
holly with its bright red berries and rib
bons to match these berries everywhere.
Parties and reunions come with the
holiday vacations. Invitations have been
sent and acceptances received ere this,
particularly among the little folks. This
Is the children sRseason, and everything
is done to make it memorable for them.
Attractive and unique decorations add
muoh to the spirit of holiday party, and
the mothers who are anxious to do all
they can to delight their children may
welcome few new and inexpensive hints
in this direction. A miniature Christi
mas tree or Santa Claus laden with
bonbons has been welcome decoration
for long time. In place of the single
tree it is novel plan to have four tiny
trees placed at the corners of mat made
of square of sheet wadding. Pull the
wadding apart and place the smooth side
next to the table; outline this mat with
sprays OF holly; scatter thickly over the
Iudu fbA0 OlCCcy 4I0ou ROWdOi VI PoWCIG0
isinglass, which will glisten in the can
delight like frost, and provide as many
little robins or birds OF any other kind as
you have guests, arranging them prettily
upon the trees, keeping several to place
upon the snow mat.
Another plan is to use two small culti-
waited pines. placing one at each end OF a
long mat. In place Of the mat an oval
looking glass may be used, and with the
frost powder scattered hgh tly over 1t the
glass has the appearance of frozen water.
A fine wire should te strung between the
tops of the trees and three or four OF the
smallest birds fastened to it,
An unusual and very pretty decoration
is made with split log Of wood about
the size of one used In modern fireplace.
Lay the wood upon q bed made OF moses
and evergreens. With the aid of long
tacks or brads fasten red candles to the
log, placing them irregularly. Lay pieces
of ground pine in and out over the log
ana candles, letting it trail about on the
damask cloth with holly sprays here and
there Place little patches of white
wadding over the green and then sprinkle
thickly with frost powder.
A bell composed of holly and mistletoe
or bell formed of red immortelles, and
suspended by red ribbons from the chan
delier Just high enough to escape the call
ole light, is a great addition to room
A novel decoration that does not strictly
belong to Christmastide, but may be uss-
full at some later festivities and delights
the little folks, is table with Japanese
parasols and tiny dolls. For the centre OF
the table have a red parasol about four
teen inches wide when open. Place the
end of the handle in a glass filled with
white sand to keep the parasol secure.
covering the glass with a mound of holly
and everaeens. Arrange a red mat OF
ruffled edge crepe paper SO as TO show
margin outside of the greenery. Hang
with red baby ribbon from the points OF
the umbrella any light Japanese paper
novelties that will answer for favors. At
the four corners of the table place smaller
parasols. Obtain rs many tiny Japanese
dolls as there are little people, arranging
them in groups under the umbrellas and
in different positions. A rail fence OF
notices is good support for many OF
them. The clever hostess that originated
this decoration had mistletoe suspended
from the chandelier, and two OF the little
Japs were fastened to this top of the centre
parasol, in the act of kissing.
An ingenious hostess delighted not only
the little folks, but their elders ms we'll,
with a unique and beautiful ice noun
tain for the table at children's party.
10 make this mountain, place in the CEN
tire of the table quart preserve jar.
Around this jar arrange at equal distanc-
es four pint jars, and still outside OF
these have six inverted tumblers. Upon
the top of each jar and tumbler place a
tiny glas dish to hold a small night
light or candle, such as is used in illumi-
mated flowers for dinner dtc)rations.
Have at hand a supply Of large Jumps of
plain washing soda. Begin outside the
tumhlers and fill zach part up with nn-
even pieces of soda until every part Is
covered except the small lights. Sprinkle
the whole freely with frost powder and
when the eleven little wicks are lighted
the effect is all that could be desired. In
the original scheme smaller pieces OF soda
were scattered around below the noun
tain, where two tiny Eskimos with
shovels were making 3 path for minia-
ture sleigh drawn by four curly dogs.
The bonbon boxes were in the form of
slelghs.
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