HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES

"COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON."

Take white or tinted bristol board, and cut the cards the desired size. Arrange a bouquet of pressed flowers, a tiny fern, very small autumn leaves, pansies, geraniums, bleeding heart, a sprig of ivy, salvia or any delicate flower or leaf that will press nicely. Make two small holes near the bottom of the card and tie the bouquet to the card with some bright ribbon in color not to clash with the flowers. The words. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Compliments of the Season, etc., if written nicely, are an improvement. These are less expensive and more accept- able than those bought.

EVERGREEN DECORATIONS,

These have become part and parcel of the celebration of Christmas, and for this purpose are used holly, ground pine, trailing pine, ivy, all kinds of evergreens, leaves, mosses and ferns, till both church and house are made redolent with the fragrance of the pine woods.

For vines, wreaths and festoons, branches of laurel, spruce, arbor vitse, juniper, yew, silver firs and box, with clusters of the bright holly or bitter-sweet, which grows in plenty at the North, the holly of the South, and long trailing ivies or ferns are all desirable evergreens for church or home decorations. The Hartford fern is very pretty mixed with autumn leaves, and can be bought at most decorators.

Hoop-skirt springs make the best foundations for wreathes and crowns, but strong rope or cord is better adapted to the twining of festoons or garlands. Long garlands of ivy, either natural or made in wax-work, will add much to the beauty of evergreen wreaths.

In making long garlands for festooning book-cases, windows, etc., take a strong cord and tie a loop at each end, then tie it over a door- handle, or a nail, or a hook — something to hold it firmly — and bind upon it with fine twine bunches of ground-pine, coral-pine, or spruce,

E VERGREEN DECORA TIONS. 133

laurel, etc., so as to completely cover it ; but take care to tie them reg- ularly so that it will be the same size in all its length. As each garland is finished put it in the cellar or in some damp, cool place. If the ever- greens are left out of doors when first gathered, protect them from the sun, so that they will not curl up before made into wreaths. If holly and bitter-sweet cannot be obtained, the berries of the wild rose and of climbing roses will prove a good substitute for them, and a small bit of wire can be strung through each berry and then fastened by it into the evergreen.

A beautiful vine of autumn leaves is made by taking a bundle of fine bouquet wire and a ball of strong cord ; fasten the leaves one after another to the cord by wrapping the stems strongly with the wire, taking care to keep them in moderately regular order, with the best side out. Bright berries, grasses, and acorn clusters even, may be wired in along with the leaves ; anything to make an agreeable variety. Cords of this may be festooned over the window, around a mirror or picture frame, or over the folding doors. With these leaves may be mixed green ferns, pods and berries ; these may also be used for bouquets, by stemming the leaves with the fine wire and sticking them down into a base of sand, so that they will keep their places as they are arranged. Home cannot be made too bright for this season of the year, and every- thing that is bright and pretty is called into requisition.

For crosses and stars flat pieces of lath make the firmest foundation, and the evergreens and berries can be fastened to them with black Hnen thread. If holly berries are' abundant it is well to string them upon fine wire and wind them among the decorations, or fasten a clus- ter of them here and there. The leaves of the holly can also be put among the greens and adds much to the fine effect. White snowberries and red everlastings are also used to advantage in these decorations.

The room where the Christmas tree is to be placed should be trimmed with evergreens, holly and mistletoe boughs, and crosses can be cut of pasteboard, covered with green cloth or paper, and then the tiny sprigs of evergreen sewed thickly upon it.

Letters made in this way look as if cut from a snow-drift : Cut out the letters of the size desired, in thick card-beard, and paste over it cotton wool. When the wool is dried on to the paper, pull it out so as to give it the appearance of snow. Mount them upon a scarlet, crimson or blue background, and take scarlet or blue dress braid and arrange as lines at the top and bottom of the letters, or make wreaths of ever- greens for framing. Autumn leaves, sprays of ferns, trailing pine, princess pine and bitter-sweet berries can be mixed with the ever- greens, and help to relieve the somberness.

Frosted garlands and wreaths can be made by covering the paste- board with dextrine and scattering over them the tiny particles of glass

1 34 HO LI DA Y FES TI VI TIES.

which can be purchased at the glass manufacturers ; or green moss can be sprinkled on them and a light sprinkling of diamond dust.

Festoons of evergreens fastened from the center of the ceiling back to the corners and over the arched doorways gives a room a decidedly Christmas look. The garlands should be light and airy, and twined around columns and railings and along the cornices ; lighter garlands of the same kind should be made for trimming the tops of the doors and windows and the gas fixtures. Imitation berries can be made by stringing three or four soaked peas on fine wire, and dipping them in a varnish of red sealing wax dissolved in spirits of wine. Everlastings, paper fiowers and colored paper ornaments, always seem tawdry and unsightly when mixed with nature's gifts.