The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-20

spirit Of the day. Christmas
is the embodiment Of JOY and
mirthfulness, a glorious day of gaiety
and merriment for old and young. Let
us all be children at Christmas time,
and enter into the preparations and
plans for the day with youthful fervor
Everyone is occupied with the pre-
parations for the gala occasion. TIE
custom of decorating the homes with
Christmas greens is increasing each
year. Surely it is. a happy thought in
the midst of winter at the Yule tide
season to bring the greens from the
woods. The many traditions connected
with holly and nlistletOe make them
all the more appropriate for use as
decorations. The brilliant glowing
scarlet Of the holly berries and the
green OF the evergreen have always
been associated with Christmas.
With a very small investment one
can easily arrange many unique eff
fects in decorations for the home and
table that will accord with the spirit
of the season.
Unless the Christmas tree is going
to be a surprise, and you intend to
trim it behind closed doors in the
greatest of secrecy, let the children
assist in fashioning many of the or.
naments and trinkets. and they will
have double the pleasure out of it. The
little ones will certainly delight in
stringing the popcorn with which to
festoon the tree. If the popcorn is
strung on wire it can be arranged
most effectively. If you wish, you
can dye some of the corn red and
string it alternately, one red and one
white kernel. The nimble little
fingers can string chains of cranber-
ries or cut stars out of gilt paper.
Paper link chains can be made out of
scheme of the tree. Paste narrow
strips of paper to form rings and slip
one link through another and paste
securely
1t is very simple to gild nuts, and
they are quite an addition to a tree
when suspended with gilt cord. Snow
balls are made by packing white It's
sue paper tight in the shape of an or
ange, then pasting white cotton on
the ball. The cotton is busted with
diamond dust and gives a glittering
effect. Icicles are made of white
fringe tissue paper that has been dip
ped into a solution Of alum The
green of the tree can also be given a
frosted effect if it is touched til a
solution of alum The Christmas good
les can be put in bags of tarletan.
Don't forget that the large presents
and heavy decorations of the tree
! should be at the bottom
A pretty tree for the table is the
pepper plant, which can be purchased
at any florists. The little plant can
be trimmed as a Christmas tree for
the central decoration of the table.
Around the bottom of the tree is heap
ed mound of cotton busted with mica
At each place is little red flower pot
containing a small souvenir which is
hidden by spray of mistletoe. The
souvenir can be something suggestive
| of the personality of the guest Over
| the table is suspended by red ribbons
! bunch of snow balls of white cotton
| sprinkled with mica The candle
| shades are of ornamental sprays OF
| holly, and little piece of holly is
! pasted on the place card.
| The table illustrated has the star
! shaped poinsettia for its main feature.
If it is not possible to procure the nat
ural poinsettia, beautiful ones can be
obtained made out of crepe paper
The basket for the center piece is
heaped with poinsettias and ferns Fa-
vors are hidden among the flowers,
and ribbons are attached to them ex-
tending to each plate. A large Christ.
mas bell adds to the festive appear.
ance Of the room. This bell is made on
a wire frame IS inches tall, covered
with crushed tissue paper.
The little baskets for the sailed al.
monds are made Of II poinsettia
leaves pasted neatly around a small