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What Shall We Do Now? 249
of a definite shape, the foundation could be a stiffer wire, or laths of wood. Ivy chains are described on page 103.
The simplest form of paper chain is made of coloured tissue paper and gum. You merely cut strips the size of the links and join them one by one. Unfortunately the colours in which tissue paper is made are not very satisfactory. Far better tints are to be had in lining papers, but this is less cheap, and, being coloured only on one side, there is apt to be a good deal of white on view in the completed chain. It is also more brittle than tissue paper.
For paper flowers, paper and tools are especially made. But for the purposes of home decoration ordinary tissue paper, wire, gum, and scissors will serve well enough.
Mottoes and good wishes can be lettered in cotton wool on a background of scarlet or other coloured linen or lining paper. Scarlet is perhaps the most cheery. Or you can make more delicate letters by sewing holly berries on to a white background ; and small green letters can be made by sewing box leaves on a white background. For larger green letters and also for bordering, holly leaves and laurel leaves are good. Cotton-wool makes the best snow.
In hanging things on the Christmas tree you have to be careful that nothing is placed immediately over a candle, nor should a branch of the tree itself be near enough to a candle to catch fire. After all the things are taken off the tree there is no harm in its burning a little, because the smell of a burning Christmas tree is one of the best smells there is. To put presents of any value on the tree is perhaps a mistake, partly because they run a chance of being injured by fire or grease, and partly because they are heavy. The best things of all are candles, as many as possible, and silver balls which reflect. On the top there should, of course, be either a Father Christmas ; or a Christ child, as the Germans, who understand Christmas trees even better than we do, always have. For lighting the candles a |
Paper decoration*. |
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Mottoes. |
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Christmas trees. |
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