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12. New Ideas and Materials

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. If the tree is made of Floral foam, it is suggested to use a half-inch thick piece. A thicker piece may be cut in half with a bread knife. By cutting the top out of one and the bottom out of the other, as in the drawings at the upper right hand corner of the page, they may be fastened together, by slipping them together to form right angles. For further decoration the wire stem on an artificial red berry is poked into the Floral foam to keep it secure. A group of berries is arranged at the top of the tree. This whole tree may be further decorated with pieces of real holly arranged at the base, or it may be elevated on a stem of some sort, such as a green spool.

The bird (Drawing 26), is made of two Christmas balls, the body larger than the head. Feather Fringette, a sparkling material similar in texture to sequins, sold in ten cent stores by the yard, together with Scotch tape and cardboard complete the bird. With a little ingenuity these ingredients will turn out an array of beautiful birds in any desired color.

The bell (Drawing 26), may be made of expandable mesh, a material which is easy to manipulate into various shapes - cornucopias, baskets, bells, etc. Its metallic appearance and pliability make it a popular and useful item for the home decorator.

Among other materials that are labor-saving and useful to the home decorator are Aero-dec, a quick-drying decorative paint. It is only necessary to press the top of the can and out comes the color spray. Among the newer materials are wired gold and silver cords, useful for bow effects, and a metallic ribbon with holes in it called Punchello.

For all seasons, Parafilm, a sort of rubber paper, will prove useful in wrapping the stems of corsages and any plant material. It excludes air and prevents flowers from wilting. It also conceals any wires that may have been used.

Floral Glow, a wax preparation, is used for spraying on flowers and foliage to add a gloss. It also serves as a sealer. It keeps plant liquids in and helps prevent materials from wilting. It will add a glaze to red berries and dull leaves that are used at Christmas.

The paper star shown in Drawings 27 and 28 makes an effective ornament for the Christmas tree, the mantel or the table, or it may be hung in a window, doorway or hallway, depending on the size made. The directions may seem a little complicated, but if each step as numbered is followed with the corresponding drawing the first star should be completed within twenty minutes. After you make one, the next ones will be comparatively simple and can be made quickly.

The idea for this decoration probably originated abroad, where many homemade ornaments of paper and straw are used to decorate the trees at Christmastime.

It is important to have uniform-width strips of paper. Stationery stores carry different kinds of paper ribbon, but there is a metallic one with a color on one side and silver on the other which is particularly pretty and easy to use. Once the trick of making the stars is mastered, papers of various widths and thicknesses may be used. The preliminary steps are as follows:

a. Procure paper ribbon with a different color on each side. This is best for learning how to make the star. In the illustration the 'light' side of the ribbon is indicated by one stripe; the 'dark' side of the ribbon is indicated by several stripes. (Drawings 27 and 28).

b. Measure the width of the paper ribbon: cut 4 strips 22 times as long as the strip is wide. (For example, if the paper is 1/2 inch wide, then make the strip 11 inches long.)

c. Fold each strip with the same color on the outside (the dark side is used outside in the illustration). Let one end extend twice the ribbon-width beyond the other. (For example, with 1/2 inch paper ribbon, one length will measure 5 inches, the other will measure 6 inches.)

d. Always work counterclockwise in quarter turns from right to left. Each step usually deals with the strip in the upper right corner of the work.

No. 26

Snow man and tree are made of Floralfoam with decorations; bird is made of feather Fringette and Christmas balls; bell of expandable mesh.

Now you are ready to follow the step-by-step illustrations:

1. Hold one folded strip in the left hand, the short side up, and the two loose ends toward you; take the second folded strip, short side up, and insert the loose ends into loop at far end of the first; hold in place with thumb and give a quarter turn, so that the second strip is in original position of the first.

2. Short side up, insert loose ends of the third folded strip through loop of the second; hold securely and turn to the left once more.

3. Take the fourth folded strip, short side up, separate loose ends so that the longer passes beneath, and the shorter passes over both lengths of the first (the ends of which should now be directly away from you): pull both through loop of third strip.

4. Pull all the strips gently into a tight, true square. The dark shorter ends are all uppermost.

5. Lock strips into position by carefully turning the square over, so that the two strips formerly at the upper right corner are now at the upper left.

6. Fold the long strip at the right over the extreme left so that the light side is exposed; quarter turn to the left.

7. Fold the next long strip at the right to the extreme left, placing it under the first; turn.

8. Take third long strip, insert it under fold formed by second and pull through, tight; turn.

 9. Pull  fourth  long strip  through  loop  of  third and tighten to secure the woven square on both sides. (These first nine steps are simple but most important; only the mastering of two kinds of points follows.)

10. The work facing you is now completely of the light side of the paper ribbon, and the strip ends are all of the same length.

11. With light side still toward you, fold upper right strip backward and to the right: crease with thumb nail to make a sharp 45-degree angle immediately above the square; this exposes dark side of strip.

12. Take that same strip, and with dark side under thumb, turn it to the front, then left, and down, easing the end through upper right loop of square.

13. Gently pull strip tighter, until a sharp point is formed. Both sides of the point should be the same color, and there should be an open slit in the diagonal side of it.

14. Quarter-turn, and continue to work similar points at the remaining three upper righthand corners.

15. When this much is done, the four points will all be light, and the square and loose ends will be dark.

16. Turn the square over, and make four more points with the uppermost strip in the four remaining corners: these will be dark and the loose ends light. The 8 points will be alternate in color.

17. With the light side facing you, turn and crease to the left each strip back upon itself, exposing dark under side. When all four are creased, take whichever of these strips happens to be at the extreme left, return it to the right, then turn under, back and up at a 45-degree angle, by holding the left thumb nail at the center of the square under this turn. It can be made sharp and neat, but do not crease the entire turn.

18. Take the end of the same strip and with the light side (same color exposed in the turn just described), facing you, insert it carefully into the pocket formed by the strip folded downward in the lower left corner.

19. Ease the strip through, until a corner of it appears through the slit in the lower left (dark) point, then pull through to make center point tight. Quarter-turn work to the left, make center points with three remaining strips on that side.

20. Repeat from step 17 on the reverse side, making certain that the points are pulled taut before clipping off the strips along diagonal edge of each outer point.

No. 27

The first ten steps in making a paper star.

No. 28

The last ten steps in making a paper star, and two views of completed star, showing three-dimensional effect.

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