Evening star., 1951-12-09
Holiday
Lighting
By Dorothy BihImon

Ever since the 1rSt Christmas |
Eve light has been the symbol of
the holiday season. If that
serves as a reminder to decorate
this years Christmas trimmings
with little light, then it should
be welcome news that you. can
let your budget be your guide.
Before buying or making any of
your Christmas decorations, look
at your house. study the interior
with an eagle eye. In decorating
with light indoors, consider the
fireplace. windows. tables and the
tree itself. Then pick the spot
that best reflects the personality
OF the house.
Windows decorate easily, spread
ing cheer indoors and out with
any one of such festive orna-
ments as miniature Christmas
trees bedecked with colored lights;
light-entWined wreaths; illumin-
ated cellophane bells in red, blue
and white and clusters of two,
three or five; lighted stars and
crosses. Also attractive are
artificial evergreen garlands from
which hang tiny, electric lighted,
red, plastic bells spelling Merry
Christmas. All Of these decora-
tions are just as appropriate for
the fireplace. However, here are
some other suggestions. Bank
the mantel with sprigs of fire.
proofed evergreen through which
twinkle colored lights. Make card
board Christmas trees, about IA
inches high. and silhouette them
against the fireplace wall by tack
ing them to the front of a wood
base fitted with an electric light
socket.
The same lighting effect, which
the family "handyman" can rig up
easily. will transform a matching
pair OF color transparencies into
luminous decorations. Trans
parencies come ready-made. but
you can also make your own from
the inexpensive Christmas prints
available wherever pictures are
sold. BY rubbing the print with
a little mineral or cooking oil, it
becomes translucent and the
light glows through. Fit the print
into cardboard frame. but, first
paint the frame with blue and
sprinkle it with some of the gold
silver and multicolored sand"
known as Filters.
More and more tree trimmers
are investing in the bubble-lieht
lamp. A five-watt bulb is inclosed
IN a plastic base topped by a
3-inch glass tube containing
a colorfully dyed fluid which
merrily bubbles away. One of the
members Of our family has had
these bubble-light lamps ever
since they were first introduced
and we must admit they are most
unusual IN appearance and veryi
attractive. These lights come I'M
a serles-type string of nine lamps
lhey can be used on the same
Tree with conventional tree lights
(which is quite effective) and can
be plugged into other strings of
series-type lamps. II
Lighted table decorations all
ready to plug into the nearest out
let, include bells. sprays, candles
Snowmen. Santa Clause on a rein
deer, all made of plastic in various
shapes and sizes. II
To make Christmas trees safer
! safety fuse plug has been at
,ached to multiple burning indoor
md outdoor tree lights this year
lhls will eliminate the old holiday
nuisance of locating and changing
louse fuses in the event of a short
'lrcuit The safety factor helps
prevent overloads and guards
lgalnst other types of electrical
lazards. Two 5-ampere cartridge
ype fuses are set inside the plug
ttached to the tree lights. A
imple twist of the fingers removes
he fuse. The plug will protect old
trings OF lights if the householder
aakeS sure that the set with the
afety-fuse plug is the first one
onnected to the outlet.