Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
DECORATIONS OF PAPER
CHILDREN MAY MAKE THEM FOR
CHRISTMAS TREES.

Anything that the children can do per-
sonally toward decorating the Christmas
tree adds lust so much to their pleasure,
and the variety of pretty and appropriate
decorations which are within the scope Of
their small fingers Is almost illimitable.
In every kindergarten in the city little folks
are busy now making artistic paper chains.
vari-colored japanese lanterns. paper balls
and baskets. and scores of other pretty
trinkets that can be concocted at trifing
expense.
To make a square basket-the simplest of
these ornaments-the instructor says: Take
a square of bright red. blue or gilt paper
that is about five inches long and the same
dimension in width. place 1t in front and
fold the corner nearest over to the opposite
one that is farthest away. Then open the
paper and turn the crease so 1t extends
back and front. Repeat the first operation
on the opposite side by folding the corner
nearest to the one farthest away. making
diagonals. Next turn paper upside down
and place an edge toward the maker. Fold
the two corners nearest to those farthest
away to make a book. Open the paper
then place the crease back and front, then
fold corners nearest to those farthest away,
making two books. Then fold the corner
nearest to the one farthest away and the
basket is made. A handle to fasten the
UdShcI IL u tres Is mace DY sewing a
piece Of wool through these corners. These
baskets may be rendered decidedly attrac
tive by pasting narrow strip of paper to
two sides and filling in lining Of tissue
paper. with the edges pinked or cut into
fringe.
round basket may be fashioned In the
same way by cutting the square corners
slightly
In making a box for tree take a five
inch piece Of square paper. fold the front
edges over to the back corners to make
book, open the paper and fold to make a
book on the other side. so that the creases
show distinctly four squares. Next fold
the nearest edges to the middle crease.
then the back edges to the same crease,
making what is called a SHUTTER; open the
paper and repeat on the other side, thus
folding the sheet into sixteen squares.
Cut the first vertical crease on the right
side to the first horizontal crease then cut
the third vertical crease to the first hori
zontal line. and do the same thing on the
opposite or back side. This leaves four
squares at the four corners. with an oblong
piece of paper in the center. The box is
made out of these by putting paste on each
Of the squares and sticking them inside
the oblong piece. A top for the box is
made in exactly the same way.
Nothing is more effective for a tree
nament than Japanese lantern made out
of two colors, preferably gilt and red, or
gilt and blue Such a decoration is made
by folding a square piece of paper into a
book, by laying the front and back edges
together and then folding these again
into shutters by laying the edges to-
gether. Make as many shutters as can
be conveniently folded. then unfold and
fold again into book on the opposite
side. Roll over the edges to the first
crease and cut down each crease to the
folded edges. On the other strip put paste
and glue the other edge to 1t, making the
lantern. At the top paste on the inside a
handle made of a narrow strip of paper, in
a shade to match either of the colors Of the
lantern.
several Of them should be made for trim
ming. The length of each depends en-
tirely on what use Is to be made of 1t, so
the sizes Of the squares must be governed
by the need. In making these rings
square of paper should be folded into
book, by laying the front edges over on
the back ones and then doubling them
again into shutters. Keep on folding and
making these shutters by bringing each
are not more. than an eighth Of an inch
in width. Then cut along each crease
this will give enough pieces to make six
or eight rings from f1ve-inch square
paper A bit of paste Is put on one end of
one Of these strips, and ring is made:
through this ring another piece is slipped
and one end Is pasted to the other. In
this way the chain Is made any length de-
sired. If composed of alternate rings of
gold and red. or blue and silver, such a
chain Is beautiful.
A more decorative and fanciful chain
Is made by folding a square of paper into
an oblong again. This paper is then cut
at the outside toward the center in some
pretty and unusual design and then the
links are fitted together. An effective chain
may be made out Of inch pieces of dry