O Christmas Tree

These three decorating ideas bring a touch of winter beauty indoors, highlighting the natural grace of the tree itself.

Start by stringing all-white lights on the tree. Then create a convincing effect of thick snow by laying lengths of rolled cotton, available at drugstores, on the branches. For a final touch, sprinkle crystal snow over the cotton. Note: The cotton will tend to stick to the branches. Keep this in mind if you're decorating an artificial tree you plan to reuse.

Another way to suggest the effect of snow is to nestle clusters of dried white hydrangea on the branches of your tree. For garlands, use thick gold cording. Drape the cording in asymmetrical loops and weave gold-mesh wire-edge ribbon among the branches. Pinch and crimp the ribbon so it traces an interesting, meandering line through the boughs.

Tabletop trees can be big enough
to be a focal point.

If you don't have room for a floor-to-ceiling tree, try a short, fat tabletop tree instead. This one has been nailed to a thick slice of wood for a natural base. Grapevines make a free form garland, which wraps randomly through the branches. Blown-glass pinecone ornaments accompany real pinecones dipped in white paint. The red ornaments are inexpensive red glass balls that have been dipped in white paint. (See "Snow-Dipped Ornaments.")