Tools and Technique 3

The solution is to impale cranberries on toothpicks and then to wire them in bunches of three to the decoration. (Drawing 4)

It is necessary to bore holes in most nuts, acorns, some eucalyptus pods, sycamore balls, and the fruit of the sweet gum, in order to wire them. As with fruits, the wire ends should be twisted in back of the nut, where they will not show on the finished decoration. It may be easier to girdle a walnut. (Drawing 7)

The wires will show on the back of the wreath or spray, of course, but they should not stick out. It is a simple matter to turn the ends into the greens, and avoid annoy­ing scratches and pinpricks for those who handle the decorations. Loose ends of wire may also scratch doors, or get caught in table coverings. A workmanlike job of wir­ing makes a neat decoration, easily handled, and unlikely to fall apart or lose shape and pattern. It really requires only a little practice to master wiring, though it may sound somewhat complicated.

After wiring, the next mechanical process is that of shellacking. A coat of white shellac gives a nice gloss, prevents loss of moisture, fills holes made by the wire and also seems to arrest the process of decay in fruits and berries. The best method is to shellac each piece after it is wired, using a small brush and protecting the worktable with sheets of newspaper. Some may prefer a sprayer, but this is more troublesome to clean than a brush. Dipping fruit, berry or cone into shellac is less desirable; it requires more shellac and the thicker resulting coat takes longer to dry and dulls the colors.

Bows of ribbon, made by looping, are given two twists of wire around the center, with enough wire to spare for fastening to wreath or spray. Sometimes the ribbon is drawn over the wire to conceal it. (Drawing 3)
Cellophane straws or glass sips are prepared for use by twisting a 12-inch length of wire around the middle of a bunch of them.

When the wire is pulled tight the straws spread out from the center.
Pompons, which are pleasing in many decorative pieces, may be made of cellophane, using strips about 10 inches wide and 18 inches long. The cellophane is gathered through the center, along the length, and twisted around the center with a 12-inch wire. (Drawing 19) Tight twist-Ing, as with the straws, forces the cellophane forward into pompon shape. Leave both ends of the wire pro­truding, like a hairpin, so that the pompons can be fastened in place.

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Chapter 5 Trimming the Tree