Fraternity-Testvériség, 1960 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1960-12-01 / 12. szám
FRATERNITY 5 bumpy or uneven surface will work well for “texture rubbings”. Then punch holes, one on each end of the strips of paper. Place one end of the strip over the other to form an elongated loop matching the holes on each end. Then slip the looped strips of paper on to a stick. Start with the larger strips first and finish up with the smaller ones. Insert the stick into a block of clay. Arrange the “branches” so they are even all around the tree. Then add a star or angel to the top of the tree. Another colorful tree can be made from Crayola crayons and freezer paper. First sprinkle fine crayon shavings on to the waxy side of a sheet of freezer paper. Get as transparent a freezer paper as you can; the more transparent the paper, the more luminous the color will be. Use an old vegetable grater to make the crayon shavings, or simply scrape the wax crayon with a flat stick, such as a tongue depressor. When a generous sprinkling of Crayola crayon shavings has been scattered over the freezer paper, cover with a second sheet of freezer paper. This time, be sure to place the waxy side face down. In other words, the two waxy sides must face each other. Apply a warm, not hot, iron in order to melt the crayon and fuse the two waxy sheets together. In ironing the paper, use a lifting motion, rather than a gliding motion, in order to keep the colors from blending together too much. Cut four tall triangular shapes from these sheets. Make a one-half inch crease along the two long sides of each of the triangles. Staple the folded edge of one triangle to the folded edge of another. Repeat until all four triangles have been stapled together to form a tall pyramidal shape. A long chain of gold beads or a similar Christmas decoration can be strung around the tree. Punch holes through the stapled edges, and insert the chain. Start near the top, and go around the tree several times until you reach the bottom. Then add a Christmas ornament to the top of the tree. A third mantel or table decoration can be made from a sheet of paper approximately 12 inches by 24 inches in size. First draw a semicircle on the paper, with a twelve-inch radius. Cut it out. Then fold the semi-circle in half, forming a quarter of a pie shape. Fold in half two or three more times. Now open the folds, and refold into accordion pleats, along the creases you just made. Place the paper on a flat surface and decorate by coloring alternate pleats with Crayola crayons. You can also make slits in the uncolored pleats, to which you can later attach small ornaments. Tape the two straight edges together to form a cone-shaped tree. Insert a stick through the top end, and hold in place with tape. Then insert the “trunk” of the tree into a paper dish filled with clay. A small ornament can be placed on top of the tree as the finishing touch. While you’re decorating your trees, you might remember that the evergreen didn’t always have its gay Christmass dress of brightly colored bulbs and balls, nor its tinsel and angel hair. At one time, popcorn and tufts of cotton were used to simulate snow . . . apples and strings of cranberries provided color. The idea of decorating the tree probably stems from the ancient custom of hanging foodstuffs high on the branches of evergreens to keep them out of the reach of prowling animals.
