with his funny broom held high in air. He wears a peaked white hat and carries a bag filled with goodies. He is made entirely of prunes (Fig. 528)—one for the head, two for the body, one for each arm, one for each hand, two for each leg and one for each foot. The prunes are
Fig. 528. strung together with a coarse needle and thread. If he is too limber, give him a backbone by running a slender stick through the back of the head and body. Make him a paper hat shaped like a wide-mouthed horn, and cut out a paper face and paste it on the little man’s head; then tie the sheer white bag across his shoulders, fasten it at the side with a pin and fill the bag with sweets; the broom can be fashioned of a wooden toothpick with a bunch of broom-straws bound upon one end. The happy child who receives the chimney sweep from the tree may devour the prunes when tired of the toy.
Home-made
Fancy Cakes
cut in odd shapes make fine decorations and will be eaten with delight by the young people. Select a simple recipe, roll the dough out flat and cut into the shapes of men, women, animals, and birds. When baked, ornament the cakes with icing put on in thin, slender lines; in most instances outline the figures in white sugar.
Yellow is a color which stands out well in the midst of the dark green foliage of the fir, and
Oranges
may be used to supply it. A few can be hung to the tree by means of ribbons; others may be made into pretty little
