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Decoupage a serving tray with last year's cards (they're probably sitting in a drawer somewhere) and set on your coffee table.

Wrap a garland around the bedroom mirror.

Arrange a couple of poinsettias in a bare corner and tie big, bright bows around the pots.

Decorate the guest bath: Wrap the tissue box like a gift, tie ribbons around the shower-curtain rings, and set out small fragrant flower arrangements.

Put out a potpourri of pine needles, orange rinds and cinnamon sticks.

Decorate the dining-room chandelier with bright, festive ribbon.

Sew small brass jingle bells along the hem of a tablecloth.

Boost the effect of votive candles by placing them on squares of mirrored
glass.

Tie a scarf around a stuffed bear and set him up in a chair.

Add holiday spirit to any corner with a small potted tree like Norfolk pine. Trim it with toys (the smaller, the better), ornaments (old and new) plus a
garland of bright, shiny beads. When spring comes, plant it outside.

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Legend has it that the first Christmas stocking was filled with gold coins, then tossed through the window of a poor nobleman's home to provide a dowry for his beautiful daughter. And since the man had three daughters--they always seem to in legends--the miracle was repeated three times. On the third night, however, the delighted father caught a glimpse of his benefactor--Saint Nicholas himself. Through the years, the custom of hanging stockings may have become less marriage-oriented (and the stocking-stuffers less pricey), but it's no less magical, especially for little ones, whose first taste of Christmas bounty is often the tiny treasures that stockings hold.


Trimming the tree is one of the highlights of the season, so call the family together, haul the boxes out of the basement, untangle those wires, hang those lights and get ready to bask in the glow.

Lights go on first, garlands next, then ornaments. And while it's easier to attach the tree-topping angel or star before you stand the tree up, it's more
fun to save it for the final, dramatic touch--just be careful.

Use lots of lights. If your tree is loaded with a mind-boggling collection of different ornaments, limit the lights to one color to help tie everything
together. If the tree is sparse, lights in a variety of colors and shapes will help fill things out.

Attach strings of lights from the bottom up, working so they're concentrated at the bottom two thirds of the tree, then gradually thin out toward the top.
(Try to wind wires tightly around trunk and branches so only the lights are visible.)

Work from the inside out when hanging ornaments. Put some large, shiny ones on the innermost branches to reflect light and eliminate dark spots. (Another way to brighten the center of the tree is to wrap the trunk with foil or garlands of gold tinsel.)

Dress the tree with purchased ornaments and things you love. Buttons, costume jewelry, dollhouse furniture, tiny bits of lace or silk tassels all
add richness and interest. And don't worry about overdoing it. This time of year, more is definitely better.

If you don't have a huge collection of ornaments, fill out the tree with simple things like Christmas cards, candy canes, ribbons and bows, store-
bought tinsel and snowflakes cut from paper doilies. Tiny boxes covered with gift wrap can look surprisingly elegant, and gingerbread men, cinnamon sticks and seashells all add charm. To add glitter, hang walnuts, pinecones, bay leaves or blown eggs decorated with gold or silver paint and tiny sparkles.  * Place your most attractive ornaments at eye level on the outermost branches for all to see.

For a lush look, attach ornaments with narrow red, green or gold ribbon instead of wire hooks. Or, for a country flair, tie ornaments in place with
lengths of raffia.

Experiment with different tree toppers: A collectible china doll dressed in its Sunday best, a big fluffy-gold lame bow, a nest of twigs, dried flowers
and small wooden eggs.

Don't forget to decorate the base of the tree--a pretty tablecloth, a piece of lace, satin or silk, an arrangement of potted plants or poinsettias, or
even a collection of stuffed animals and dolls is all it takes.

Be sure to keep the tree moist; fill the stand with fresh water at least every other day.

Theme Your Trees

Set up small trees and decorate each one differently. Use folk-art crafts, toys, family photos, greeting cards, cookie cutters, herb bundles and anything
else that appeals. A Southwestern Tree sports popcorn balls, punched-tin ornaments and plain foam balls covered with dried corn or strips of calico.
Raffia streamers, dried chili peppers and a string of pepper-shaped lights finish it off. The Natural Tree gets a fragrant melange of dried orange
slices, kumquats, seckel pears and lady apples, and is topped with a Pepperberry Star edged with tiny pinecones.

Go for the Gold

It may be hard to pull off any other time of year, but the holidays are perfect for the rich warmth of gold. Toss a Golden Pillow on a sofa, and pull
out all the stops when you do the table. Stamp or paint golden stars and swirls on white table linens, and set the places with sparkling china, goblets
and flatware. Add inexpensive golden votives, golden starfish or seashells, Studded Candles (simply use pushpins from the crafts store) and Moss Stars wrapped in gold ribbon.

Greens Galore

Drape velvet ribbon through a bowl of fresh fruit, Christmas balls or even pine boughs to create an instant, informal centerpiece.

Don't stop at pine for garlands and wreaths. Try boxwood, eucalyptus, juniper and other evergreens too.

Tuck sprigs of holly into the soil around potted plants.

Drape a pretty shawl over a sideboard or mantel, then create a still life with dried flowers and fresh greens.

Fill tin cookie cutters with cranberries and popcorn and display them, with sprigs of holly, on a pretty platter.

Tuck wooden toys or antique dolls among pine boughs on a mantelpiece.

Fill glass pitchers or vases with Christmas balls and sprigs of holly.

Add a string of Christmas lights to a large potted plant.

Holiday Scents

Place orange rinds, cloves, cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer. The whole house will smell wonderful.

Bake an apple pie--even a frozen, store-bought one.

Buy a small, fragrant topiary--such as rosemary--for a kitchen windowsill.

Toss a few fresh orange rinds in the fireplace.

Make a small wreath from fresh lavender stems--just bend them into a circle and tie with raffia. Hang in the kitchen or bath.

Company's Coming

Stencil plain white-linen guest towels with holiday themes using gold, green and red fabric paint.

Buy fragrant soaps, wrap them in colorful tissue and place them in a basket in the guest bathroom.

Make place cards by writing the names of your guests on Christmas balls using a metallic paint-pen. Or paint the names on wooden napkin rings.

Drape short ribbons from the chandelier.

Tie lengths of red velvet ribbon around the corners of the tablecloth.

Wrap up a little box of assorted chocolates for each place setting.

Cover doorknobs with holiday fabric that's been cut into squares with pinking shears. Secure the fabric with a big ribbon.

Easy Decorating

Dress up the table with a cascade of sugar-dusted fruit. Simply brush fruit with lightly beaten egg white, dip in granulated sugar, then air-dry on a
rack. Display on fine china.

When the main event rolls around, pull out all the stops and let your silver, china and crystal sparkle against elegant, snow-white table linen.
Punch up the shimmer with ribbon-tied napkin rings, glitter-wrapped candies and shiny tree ornaments. And instead of the usual evergreens and berries, fill small vases with bunches of fresh white tulips.

To make a centerpiece in no time at all, fill a wooden box with pears and kumquats, then tuck rosemary sprigs or small pine boughs all around.

Step by step to the prettiest stairway: Weave branches of holly through the posts, add swags of thick gold cord and hang gilded starfish (available at
crafts stores) along the way. To gild starfish: Paint with barn-red acrylic; add Dutch Metal leaf with white glue.

A fresh-flower wreath gives a table or sideboard an elegant touch. To make it: Soak a wreath of florist's foam in water. Drain, place the wreath on a
tray and insert flowers and greens. Stand a vase filled with tree ornaments in the center.

Let There Be Light

Tie ribbons around the base of candlesticks.

Arrange a group of candles--both votives and tapers--on a pretty tray or mirror. Even unlit, they'll look festive.

Hang ornaments from the dining-room chandelier.

CENTERPIECES:
Centerpieces don't have to be traditional flowers in a stiff arrangement; anything you want can be front and center. Just remember to keep the height of your centerpiece low enough so that guests can see each other across the table:

Pine cones, spray-painted red and green, interspersed with shiny Xmas balls for the holidays

Branches of evergreens can have "snow" on them by sprinkling with powdered sugar

Sprays of dried, colored leaves and acorns and squash in baskets for autumn.

Fresh cut flowers don't have to be immersed in a vase--use a milk jug, pitcher, coffee pot, or an arrangement of small laboratory bottles, each holding a single bud.

The same is true of candlesticks--use a melange of sizes, styles, heights, and colors to make a majestic, flickering focal point.

A footed cake plate for a series of tiny pots of violets or miniature cacti.

Use all types of collectibles that you may own-- snow globes, animal figurines, tea cups, etc.

Highly fragrant blossoms (tuber roses, lilacs, and gardenias, for example) are ideal for an elegant tea, but for a sit-down dinner, their delicious redolence will compete with your food; for outdoor entertaining, they may be too fragrant and attract bugs.

MERRY CHRISTMAS