Trimming the three - Holiday decorating tips

Dennis W. Leong

Gilded-paper tree topper

Top your tree with this easy-to-make golden dazzler. It's made with "mirrored" cardboard - available at art and craft supply stores - that can be cut and scored to create an openwork minaret of rounded and pointed shapes. Once you've mastered the technique, you can vary the scored folds to create other shapes.

TIME: About 3 hours for one tree topper

COST: About $10

Materials

* One sheet (27- by 39-inch) single-ply gold mirrored cardboard with white paper backing

* Utility knife or single-edge razor blade

* 24-inch straightedge or metal ruler

* 1/2-inch-wide plastic adhesive tape

* Scissors

* Pencil

* 1/2-inch-wide double-sided plastic adhesive tape

* Metallic gold sewing thread

Directions

1. Protect your work surface with thick layers of newspaper. Lay cardboard on work surface, metallic side down. With utility knife and straightedge, cut a 5- by 18-inch rectangle; try not to lift the blade or move the straightedge as you cut. With metallic side up, gently pull rectangle over a table edge to start curling it. Then, metallic side out, roll it diagonally to form an elongated cone with a base diameter of approximately 1 1/4 inches and a top diameter of about 5/16 inch. Secure the cone with three pieces of the 1/2-inch adhesive tape, cut in half lengthwise to 1/4 inch wide. Trim the points of the base and top of the cone so they are even and the cone is about 14 1/2 inches tall. Set cone aside (A).

2. Cut a 3 3/4- by 18-inch rectangle. On the white side, lightly draw a line 1/2 inch above the base of a 33/4-inch edge (B) (this becomes the base edge). Along this line, mark 19 points at 3/16-inch intervals. Repeat at base of opposite 3 3/4-inch edge.

3. With the straightedge and the utility knife, cut firmly between pairs of marks - leaving 1/2 inch left uncut on the base edge (C) - to make 20 uniform strips that hang like fringe from the base edge (D).

4. Place straightedge against the pencil line and, with utility knife, make a score (a light cut going only partially through the board) along the line. (Hint: To keep the strips in place, bear down firmly on the straightedge as you score.) Mark and score additional lines at 6 1/2 (E), 7, 9, and 9 1/2 inches above the base edge. Turn the cardboard metallic side up and score on this side at 8 inches above the base edge.

5. With the metallic side facing you, fold at the score, white sides together (F). Turn cardboard over, white side up, and fold at the five scores on this side, bringing the metallic sides together.

6. Cut a piece of double-sided adhesive tape about 3 3/4 inches long and attach it to the white side on the base edge (G). Repeat between the 6 1/2- and 7-inch folds and between the 9- and 9 1/2-inch folds. Wrap the base edge around the cone 1 inch above the bottom edge of the cone. Attach the tape at the 6 1/2-inch point to the cone about 5 inches above the bottom of the cone; strips will balloon out in a ball. Attach the tape at the 9-inch point to the cone about 7 inches above the bottom of the cone, making a 1 1/2-inch pointed section. Gather the strips and tightly bind them to the cone with tape about 10 inches above the bottom, making them flare into a rounded, elliptical shape (H). Bind the remaining ends to the cone again with tape, 12 inches above the bottom. Trim strip ends even with the tape.

7. Wind and knot gold thread over all of the tape in order to decoratively conceal it.

8. To reinforce and lengthen the base, cut a 3 3/8- by 6-inch rectangle from the mirrored cardboard. Roll it into a tube, 3 3/8 inches tall and wide enough to go around the outside of the bottom of the cone. Put double-sided tape on the white side of the extension and wrap it around the bottom of the cone (I).

9. Wrap gold thread around the extension, 1/2 inch from each end, about 1/4 inch thick.

10. Cut a 1- by 6-inch strip of mirrored cardboard and roll it into a very tight, tapered tube to form a pointed finial. Insert the wide end into the top opening of the cone (J) - D.W.L.

Ornamental eggs

Eggs are a traditional symbol of new life and new beginnings, so what better ornament to commemorate the birth of a new millennium? Try this easy project designed by Virginia Bondi.

TIME: 15 to 20 minutes per egg, plus drying

COST: About $1 per egg, depending on type of paper

Materials

* Pin

* Tape measure

* Pencil

* Large chicken eggs

* Ruler

* Scissors

* Decorative paper (origami, wrapping, or thin handmade variety)

* Mod Podge or white glue

* Small paintbrush

* Gold string

* Acrylic varnish

* Bead caps

* Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Directions

1. Prick a hole in one end of each egg, drain, and rinse thoroughly; allow to dry completely (6 to 8 hours).

2. Determine the amount of paper you need to wrap your egg by measuring the circumference and height of the egg with a tape measure and adding [fraction one-quarter] inch to each dimension. Using the resulting dimensions, measure, mark, and cut a rectangle from the decorative paper. (A large egg will require a piece about 3 5/8 inches wide by 5 7/8 inches long.)

3. Fold the paper in half lengthwise and cut slits, 1/4 inch apart, toward the fold from the opposite long edge, stopping 1/8 inch from the fold, to make "pickets" (see illustration).

4. With paper still folded, snip corners from each strip to make a pointed tip (this will help the paper overlap evenly when you wrap it around the egg).

5. Unfold the paper and place wrong side up on work surface. Brush a thin coat of Mod Podge down the center. Center "waist" of egg on one end of the paper. Carefully roll egg along the glue strip so egg is encircled by the paper; the ends of the paper should overlap at least 1/8 inch.

6. Holding the egg around its center, bend the fringed, unglued edges of the paper out and away from egg so that they resemble the petals of a flower.

7. Beginning with the top of the egg, apply Mod Podge to the underside of one of the paper strips and smooth it onto the egg's surface. Repeat with the adjacent strip, slightly overlapping the first; continue until all strips have been secured to the top of the egg. Repeat with the paper strips on the bottom portion of the egg, and allow to dry for several hours.

8. When egg is completely dry, apply two or more coats of acrylic varnish over the paper. (TIP: Varnish half of egg and allow to dry; then apply varnish to remaining half.)

9. For the ornament hanger, cut a 6-inch length of gold string. Thread ends through the center of a bead cap, and knot together on underside of cap. Attach cap to the top of the egg with hot glue.

TIP: For a particularly festive look, embellish your egg with decorative trims, tassels, beads, or glitter. - A.B. and A.O.

Ribbon leaf garland

This cascading garland of glowing leaf shapes adds sparkle to a tree or mantel. Leaves are made of metallic ribbon. You'll find different sizes of woven ribbons in brass, silver, or copper colors at craft or floral supply stores. Use ribbon stiff enough to hold a crease (this becomes the spine of the leaf).

TIME: About 2 hours for 15-foot garland

COST: About $20

Materials

* Ruler or tape measure

* Scissors

* 10 yards 2 1/2- to 3-inch-wide metallic woven ribbon

* Gold or silver fabric paint

* Hot glue gun

* 5 yards 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide metallic woven ribbon

Directions

1. Measure and cut the wider ribbon into 4-inch-long pieces and fold each piece in half lengthwise.

2. To make leaves, cut arcing shapes with short stems from folded ribbons. Outline the leaves with gold or silver paint.

3. With a glue gun, adhere the leaves to the narrower ribbon, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Angle them upward and alternate their outward directions. - P.O.W.

TREE TRIMMING 101

Choosing a fresh tree

* Do a freshness test. Gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and slide your hand back toward yourself. Very few needles should come off in your hand if the tree is fresh. Now bounce the tree on its stump. Not many green needles should fall.

* When you get the tree home, keep it in a sheltered, unheated area such as a porch or garage. This will protect it from the wind and sun until you are ready to decorate. Set the tree in a bucket of clean water. If left out of water for more than six hours, a sap seal will form, which prevents water absorption. If this happens, recut.

* Remember to add water. Your tree will drink a gallon of water or more in the first 24 hours, and one or more quarts a day thereafter.

Adding lights and ornaments

* Before putting on the strings of lights, test to see if any replacement bulbs are needed. You can string bulbs from the top or the bottom. If you start from the bottom, plug the light cord into the wall socket first. Not only can you see your work, but this will also ensure that you end up with a female end of the light cord on top so you can plug in a tree topper that lights. If you prefer to start at the top of the tree, place the first strand with the female end of the light cord at the top. This is important so you'll have a male end to go into the light socket when you're done. Weave the lights in toward the trunk as well as on the outer reaches of the branches. Wind the light cord around the branches so the cord doesn't show.

* Your garland should produce a nice swag effect. Garland one ring of branches that are all growing at the same height, and then move up or down to the next ring of branches.

* Place small ornaments on the smaller limbs and bigger ornaments on the larger limbs. As with the lights, hang ornaments inside the branches as well as on the ends. Putting bigger ornaments in toward the trunk creates a balanced look.

- Jill Slater

COPYRIGHT 1999 Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group