New Christmas Ideas and Materials 1

Since the first writing of this book some new materials have been introduced which help to simplify the making of Christmas decorations.
It is not necessary to use privet canes and sphagnum moss for frames and bases, as has been previously suggested. They are still good, but may be replaced with the plastic materials now sold under the names of Floral foam and Styrofoam. They resemble snow in appearance, are very strong, but of light weight, and may easily be cut into de­sired shapes with a sharp, long-bladed kitchen knife.

A piece two inches thick makes a suitable base for ever­greens and other materials. To give the base stability and weight, I anchor the Floral foam on a heavy lead needle­point flower holder. This prevents the plastic from resting immediately on the woodwork or table, and adds weight at the base where it is needed. Stems of all kinds and wires may be inserted in this snowy base and will remain in position.

In Drawing 26, patterns for a snow man and snow woman are shown, as well as a tree. For the snow people, black Scotch tape may be used for the eyes, eyebrows and but­tons. The nose and mouth may be made of red Scotch tape or lipstick. A few wisps of black dog hairs for his hair and yarn for the muffler complete the man.

The tree, (Drawing 26), is a pattern that may be copied in other materials such as paper or colored cardboard. It is easy to make and useful for a table decoration, especially where many tables are to be decorated and the budget is limited.

Next- New Christmas Ideas and Materials part2

1   2   3   4   5   6