Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23
T HE CHRIS TMAS TREE
How to Make the Trimming and to Put 1t
On.
OId-Time Tarlatan Stockings for
Candy Eags-Sugar
Figures.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Trimming a Christmas tree is not such
easy work as it looks Try it and you will
tird out. II is 4 process like the cooking of
a hare-frst catch your hare, then cook it
first select your tree. then trim 1t
There are several kinds of Christmas
trees-cedar, hr, pine, spruce and hem
lock. The cedar is the most expensive.
Hernlock loses Its needle in warm room
after day or two. A fir tree will outlast
the other varieties. The balsam fir has
scent like that familiar odor exhaled by
balsam pillows.
Tastes and pocket books vary, and in
like ratio must the size of the tree vary.
The tree which is of a gently sloping,
conicaI shape is the best to trim; those
with struggling, uneven branches never
look 50 well as the others.
When the tree has been purchased. it is
best to put 1t at once into the holder.
These holders may be bought at the places
where Christmas goods are sold. If the
saving Of money is an object, a soap box
weighted down with bricks and packed With
earth will serve. \ round hole should be
cut in the Id of the box and through this
the trunk Of the tree should be slipped
when ii Is To be set up. The top of the
tree should DE adorned with some master
piece Of decoration. A Santa Claus, a
large, siIded angel or a jeweled star looks
well. These can be bought in the shops
fer a very small sum. The limbs of the
tree may be festooned with strings of pop
corn. either sugar-coated, 80 that it may be
eaten by the children when the tree is I'M
trimmed, or merely gilded to look orna-
mental. The corn Is strung by taking
sharp needle threaded with white darntng
cotton and mounting the corn on the string.
After it is strung it may be gilded with
liquid gliding one bottle being enough for
4 whole tree Of corn.
Homemade Ornaments.
Cornucopias may be made Of gilt paper
and filed with comfits other small can
dies for the little ones. The paper to make
a cornucopia is cut in the shape of quad
rant. The straight edges are pasted to-
gether. some lace paper is put in to line
the top and turned over the candies when
they are placed in the cornucopia. A strip
of ribbon pasted in between the lace and
the gilt paper enables the ornament to be
hung on the tree.
Stars and crescents cut out of pasteboard
and covered with tinsel paper make pretty
ornaments. A bit of ribbon pasted at one
corner Of the ornament serves to slip over
the end of bough when the star is put
on the tree.
Tinsel trimmings help to brighten the
tree. For this reason as much gilt as pos
sfble should be disposed about the foliage.
Threads OF gold and silver tinsel strung
from limb to limb brighten the tree Won
derfulIy. Apples or oranges covered with
tinsel paper and tied to the tree with bows
of hebe ribbon can be removed on Christ
mas eve and distributed to the little ones
about the tree. Hearts of gilt may also be
made of paper, with a dainty picture on
the center of the heart. Little sachets in
the shape of hearts may be covered with
red and yellow satin and tied to the tree
with jaunty satin bows.
Full stockings Pretty.
The old-fashioned stockings and hearts
and crosses and animals cut out of tarla-
tan outlined with worsted and then filed
with fat candies and tied on the tree are
always popular ornaments Sugar figures
bought in the confectionery store will serve
| 70 break the monotony. The baker at
| Christmas time usually has his windows
| filed with horses. dogs, cats and men and
women made Of delectable cake dough and
| artistically ornamented with colored sugar
| curlycues. These are toothsome and at
| tractive to the small boy and girl.
| Candles in small candle holders are al
| v avs scattered well over the tree. 1t Is a
wise precaution to keep q pan of water in
which is a wet sponge In case of accidents
| When a spark falls upon a bough, the
| sponge quickly applied to the spot will
| check the spread Of the fire.
In Tarlatan Gowns.
| Other ornaments which can be made at
home are the dancers. The figures can be
/ bought in the shops, the head, arms and
| legs complete for each figure All that Is
| needed Is to cut out the body, place them
l in position and then make Q drsss Of tar.