The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 22, 1945, Page 10

PAGE TWO T R R T SR T S R O S YR R R U U R R R e e g Colorful Homemade Decorations ‘ Lend Gaiety to Christmas Tree i ¥ Contriving homemade Christmas wreat s a family project that can provide fun for ) ters and 1 s alike. Mor it offers chances for ingenuity in design that may awaken the inventive spirit of everybody concerned The materials are usually not hard to find. Designs can be based on a few basic ideas which can be ex- wded almost eadless vari- arious d string - Christmas wre ire, binder tw se, the pr ingredi- ens may come from | 1, neighboring woods or | florist. Among com- | es are holly, pine, spruce, | boxwood, yew, arborvitae, mountain laurel. For col fruits as crabapples, cranberries, grapes, or small tangerines may be added. A coat of shellac will help preserve the fruit First, it is wise to decide of the wreaths you work from there. If the wreath is to be small- not to exceed three fect in circu ference—the frame be from a coat hanger that ened out and then fashi form of a circle. For several coat hangers may be cc bined to form a fran salvaged from some f: operation can be utilized best e size want and then can mac Among greens for small wreaths are holly, boxwood, yew or arborvitae. For larger suiwed wreaths, holly, pine, fir, ivy are ef- | tective. 1 So far as possible, in working with evergreens, it is advisable to use ST. NICHOT.AS WAS BORN IN A SMALL ITALIAN TOWN Bari, in Italy, is the birthplace of St. Nicholas. A great arch and church there are named for him, and there his bones are honored. Kn n for ages as the patron saint of sailors and children, thousand S-for Iy e Son fom s the tips of branches, cutting the ma- terial into sprays about half a foot long. Hold the material in the left hand and place it on the frame with the right. Tie the first spray secure- ly with binder twine, or if you have it, fine spool wire. Add successive groups of sprays, facing them in the same direction as the first spray and being certain to tie them se- curely, too. Watch the outline of the wreath as you proceed, so the greens are evenly distributed and the con- tour of the circle is preserved, Some irregularities and bunching may of course occur’ regardless of how careful your work is. These can be corrected by using shears to trim off excess foliage. After the wreath is finished it is ssible to add decorative fea- uch ‘as pine cones, berries or small fruits. These should be wired at the stems and then fastened securely to the wreath, Sizes and types of wreaths will de- pend on the materials available and to a certain extent on the family's geographical location. But many variations on the basic design will suggest themselves, once the proj- ect of wreath-making is undertaken. Nightly Posadas Drama Of Nine-Day Christmas In Mexico, “Posadas” com- memorate the journey of Mary and Joseph-and their attempt to find lodging in Bethlehem. Familics and friends are divid- | ed into two groups—the Holy Pil- grims and the Crucl Hearted Inn- keepers. The Pilgrims, led by an angel guiding Mary and Joseph, murch through the house carry- ing {ed candles and singing the Litany of Loretto. The Innkeepers slip into a room and close the door: soon Joseph begs entrance, which is refused until much coaxing and explana- tion reveal how desperately Mary needs shelter and the Pilgrims are finally admitted whereupon the whole assembly kneels in praer be.ore an improvised al- tar. After the ‘Posada” is over, re- freszmeas are cd and the g is spent in jollification. st of tourists from all lands come to :: his town - CHRISTMAS CANDLES Christmas tree candles date back to the very Christian era goodly size, scenes. see earliest times in the The Yule candle, of lighted early Nativity Like everyone else, we look forward to Christmas. We enjoy the spirit of giving and receiving, the pleasant, carefree atmosphere so much in evidence, the friendly greetings and the warm handclasps of ' HOMEMADE CARDS ARE WELCOMED Why not try making some of your cwn Christmas cards this year? Besides being lots of fun, testing yeur ingenuity and saving money, it will provide your friends and relatives a really personal token of your regard. ‘To meémbers of your immediate family, to wuncles, cousins and aunts, such home-contrived Christ- mas cards will be particularly ap- preciated. No special artistic talents are required for the task. Some bit cf handiwork, even though it be somewhat crude, will fill the bill. There are numerous ways to de- velop a novel card. Snapshots of the home are always interesting— perhaps the front door, the yard, a winter scene framing the house. Views of the interior—the fireplace, a living-room nook or some other spet dear to the family can like- wise be used. Such snapshots can B s Tiad e waat § D s T D R e s ) 3 friendships, tried and proven. We look forward to Christmas because the cheerfulness of the occasion overshadows the heartaches and disappointments of. the closing year, and because the approach of another year opens the door'to new opportunities and achivements. Che Crue Spirif Of _ AN ALASKA MERRY CHRISTMAS 7O EACH OF YOU Wishing you ‘all the happiness which may be contained in an old fashioned American Christmas. Flowerland EnmEEEEmEs R RS KRS OO IRNRRRNRSNNRRRRDRRDD . ¥ be mountedl on a good grade of stift Wfil&h% paper with your personal greetings % either printed by hand or written. The use of an ink of contrasting color from the paper will help illuminate the card. Or better still, use a photograph of the new baby in the family as the subjeet of your card. This will be: especially attractive to, absent relatives who have not yet seen the new arrival. Pictures of pets, too, are effective. The new puppy, the recently born Kittens or the faithful collie. will all make subjects that will kindle' a lively perspnal in- terest in the heart of the recipient. Lots of fun and vatiety will re- sult if every member of the family from the youngsters to the adults tries his or her hand at designing a personal Christmas card. Collabora- tions, too, wit. several of the family contributing ideas, are worth while. If any member of the family has sketching ability, this can be turned to good account in reproducing family scenes and characters that will lend novel in- terest to & card. Family hobbies, oc- cupations or recreations can thus be represented. - s is the time of year so many of as like best. When. the fresh-fallen snow crunches an inviiation fo enjoy all ontdoors . . . when the glowing warmth of hiearth and home are enriched with the gleeful laughter of children and the pres- ence of holid 2y visiiers well loved, 100 seldom seen. This is the tiine of year fo multiply your owp, jubilation by adding o ihe joys of others . . . . “’Christmas comes but once a year”--so make ine most of it as best you know how! Hang holly in every window! Make your home open house for the boys in nearby army camps foo distant from their own homes. &ive a Merry Christmas---and kave a merrier Christmas of your own! _Shattuck Agency IS, ™~ In 1886, Alexander Buntin in- stalled at Valleyfield, Quebec, what | is claimed to have been the first wood grinder in America. “LONG MAY OUR LAND BE BRIGHT WITH FREEDOM'S HOLY LIGHT.” x ; ; e T T e AP I I T Y Lo D e DG e ] TR -l el et a0 Christmas because of the happiness that is so much in evidence every- where, and because it is the one time of the year when cares may be forgotten, crowded into the background by the thoughtfulness and kindness of loved ones and friends. We enjoy Christmas because it affords us a fine opportunity to express our appreciation to our friendsinreturn for all past favors. We sincerely hope that your every wish may be realized during the Christ- mas Season and may your every ambition be realized during the coming year. G/z,rlsfmas Prevail We enjoy PACKER AR G S S SN SN SNE S VNE SN S S N S P O