To make the fan, allow about three times as much material as the width of the space, and pleat one edge into small pleats; attach this to the centre of the top of the frame, and then carry the two outside bottom corners of the material up to the corners of the window frame, and gather each into a rosette, as Figure [47A].
The drapery on the top floor of the illustration is made as a scarf drapery. Gather the high points, allowing the hands to describe two sides of an equilateral triangle (Figure [48]), and form the surplus into rosettes, the lower points gather as Figure [46]; tie in position, form rosettes and carry the goods on up to the next point, as illustrated. Do not tie rosettes where the shields will be placed, but allow the goods to fall in a deep festoon. The shields or trophies are a quick and effective decoration, usually made of sheets of tin or heavy cardboard, mounted on a frame, as illustrated Figure [49], and painted with emblematic devices or coats of arms; flags are inserted at the top to form a spray.
The Venetian masts shown on the top of the building are very largely employed in out-door decorations, usually in the form of a colonnade, to line the sides of a street or walk, or to flank the entrance and approach of public buildings during a demonstration. A quick way to erect them when they cannot be driven into the ground is to stand them in barrels; fasten them upright and fill the barrels with sand or stones.
They may be any height, and placed as far apart as you wish, but do not put them nearer than a mast length apart to obtain the best effect.
The small triangular banners are suspended from the mast top by ropes attached at each corner of the wide end of the banner, a rod being hemmed in the banner for this purpose.
Festoons of wreathing or small flags and code signal flags may be strung from mast to mast with good effect. The decorator can easily arrange a variety of treatments embodying some or all of these ideas, and by following out the architectural suggestions of each building will obtain sufficient variety to avoid repetition.
Two things are to be carefully considered in decorations of this character. The danger of fire from contact with electric wires, and the changes which may be occasioned by the weather.