Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/186

 WOMAN'S HOME 164 TABLE DECORATI0MS LEAVES, BERRIES, AND GRASSES By LYDIA CHATTERTON The Rowati'beffy — Grasses for "Winter Decoration — The Use oF a Mirror for the Tabic W^ 'E should do well to imitate the squirrel by storing up for the winter months in the time of plenty. Few of us remember that so many of the autumn treasures can be preserved for our use in winter-time, and each year leaves and berries find their way to the rubbish-heap, or are left to die on the trees, when, with a little trouble, they might be kept to gladden our hearts in the dull days. What is more beautiful than the placentas of the honesty, a plant that can easily be grown in any garden ? These placentas rival mo ther-o '-pearl, and in the light reflect colours just as pearls do. When the honesty has gone to seed, and the seed- pods are quite brown, they should be gathered in bunches. Cut with stalks as long as possible ; remove the brown outer skin from either side with the fingers. The seeds are then taken away, and the pearly portion remains. It looks charming mixed with the flaming Cape gooseberry — another plant that should be cultivated for winter use — and arranged in old-world jars forms an ideal decoration for an orange-and- white room. Cand3labrum triangle of rowari'berries and baskets daintily arranged This combination can also be used with good effect for table decoration. Fill a set of Coalport china vases with them, and place them on a loosely ruffled sUp of chiffon that shades from white to deepest orange. Have all the little etcaeteras of the table service to correspond in colour. The Rowan«berry The rowan-berries are a lovely shade of red that makes them particularly suitable for winter decoration. If they are packed in salt they will keep fresh and bright for Christmas, when they can be utilised in con- junction with holly-leaves. A design for rowan-berries is here depicted, in which they have been used with their own leaves. A triangle has been formed by laying them fiat on the tablecloth in the centre of the table. In the middle of this stands a candelabrum with red silk shades. Three garlands of creeper-leaves, entwined with red satin bebe ribbons, are suspended from the candelabrum to the corners of the triangle. At the corners of the table miniature baskets are placed. These have been painted silver, lined with ruches of red crinkled tissue-paper, and the handles twined with sprays of creeper, and the baskets are filled with white fondants. The ice-cases consist of souffle-cases, with two rows of tinted autumn leaves round them. These leaves are made of stiff paper, and coloured in natural colours. Grasses for Winter Decoration Reed grasses, fine grasses, and the various kinds of teasels should all be dried for winter use. When cut they should be tied in bunches and hung, heads down- wards, until dry, and then they will stand well and not be Hmp. Reed grasses are handsome in pottery jars on pedestals for the corners of rooms. Bulrushes also look well mixed with them. The blue teasels are pretty for table decoration. In the illustration they are arranged in a tall white glass vase, with a spray of ruddy black- berry foliage twined round the stem. The vase is placed upon a white lace d'oyley, and a similar d'oyley is placed for each plate. From the centre to the corners and sides of the table graceful trails of blackberry foliage with berries are arranged, and clusters of cob-nuts are placed about the table. The candlesticks are of white china with Empire shades. Use little baskets for the sweetmeats, and fill them with imitation blackberry sweets. Another delightful scheme can be carried out with autumn leaves and white china figure vases. Any pretty autumn foliage