Gild several until they shine like gold, then silver others, and they will look as if covered with white frost. If you have collected any of the prickly sweet-gum balls that look as if they were carved in little starry patterns, gild and silver these, too, and let them dangle from the tree on long gilt or silver cords.
These natural, outdoor ornaments are not easily broken, and may be kept from year to year for your Christmas tree.
CHAPTER XX
BURDOCK-BURRS
The Little House of Burrs
Now let us build a little woodsy house of burrs ([Fig. 124]) and put it in a little garden. Gather two heaping handfuls of large-sized burdock-burrs, small ones are not strong enough, and begin building. These burrs grow on a bush; they are about the size of a marble, are almost round, are prickly, and are pinkish at the top.
Make the roof first ([Fig. 125]). Stick ten or twelve burrs together in a row with pink heads all pointing in the same direction. Place this row on a flat, smooth surface, a board, flat stone, table, or, perhaps, the hard earth, and attach another row of burrs along the side edge of the first row. Continue to add more burrs until you have six or seven rows fastened into one flat piece.
Be sure that this piece does not bulge out or sink down in places, for the roof must be perfectly flat. Make the two side walls ([Figs. 126] and [127]) and the back wall of the house as you made the roof; the back wall must be the length of the roof and the height of the side walls ([Fig. 128]). The side walls must each fit on the ends of the roof and be high enough to look well.
The front wall of the house must have a doorway and a window ([Fig. 129]). But first make it solid, exactly like the back wall and exactly the same size, then lay it down on the flat surface that you are using for a table, and open a hole for the doorway by taking out five or six burrs, counting from the bottom up, and two or three burrs, counting from side to side. That will make about ten or twelve burrs to be removed. Take out the burrs for the window and make the opening three or four burrs high and two burrs wide. (See [Fig. 129]).