In nine cases out of ten a splendid part of the decorative effort of the tree arrangement is overlooked, through lack of attention to the base. A tree that is placed in a large decorative urn or a big brass jardiniere, or even a painted wooden box or tub, has a distinction that one simply based on the ordinary stand quite lacks. Another thing about "planting" the tree in this way is that it lasts much longer, because the earth about it may be watered, and this will keep the needles from drying and falling as quickly as they would dry and fall otherwise.

It is always a wise precaution to make a square of green denim about the size of a sheet to spread under the Christmas tree. This can be lifted to shake back towards the center whatever needles fall on it, and it will save the rugs from the inevitable pieces of candy, nuts and so on, that children usually stamp into the floor covering. Then, too, it adds to the general color scheme.

A simple method of decorating throughout is to tie bunches of holly to all of the electric lights. The arrangement of wreaths in the windows is one with which every one is familiar. One room planned with a good idea of restraint in decoration is to have a single large wreath in the center window and two bay trees at the side windows.

Great big wreaths are easily made and are much more effective than small ones. They can be based on wooden hoops. Take an ordinary wooden hoop such as the children use to play hoop with, place a sprig of holly on it, and wind some florist's wire around it, another sprig just below this, and continue winding the florist's wire around successive sprigs until the wreath is formed. Wreaths of this kind can be used in a variety of ways.

For example, an original scheme would be to have such a huge wreath suspended over the dining room table, encircling the center lights. The wreath could be attached by wires to the electric light fixture at the ceiling and the wires covered with ribbons. It would be an attractive plan to suspend little red tissue paper packages from the holly wreath by means of narrow dangling ribbons. At a given signal the guests and family together pull these little ribbon ends, breaking the bags, out of which would drop a cloud of confetti and some appropriate favor or little gift.

Strings of popcorn and strings of cranberries may be mingled with tree or table decorations, and the stringing of these is something that the children like to do, and that will keep them busy and out of the way conveniently.

Wreaths made entirely of poinsettias are comparatively new and dashing in color. Other Christmas greens are too well known to require description. Every one knows the graceful beauty of the long, slender palm leaves, the charm of the holly, the festoons of evergreen, the hemlock, the long simple branches of pine set in vases, and not many will need reminding to tie a bunch of mistletoe to the lantern light in the front hall.