Fold a sheet of the dark moss-green tissue paper crosswise, then fold again and you will have an oblong a little less than four inches wide and the length of the paper’s width. Press the folds down flat and cut them open with a paper knife, then, keeping the strips together, fold crosswise through the middle; again fold crosswise through the middle and there will be an oblong like [Fig. 420]. Cut this oblong into a fringe, bringing the slits to within one inch of the top edge and making each strip not more than one-quarter of an inch wide ([Fig. 420]). Unfold and separate four pieces to loosen the fringe, then place the top edges of the four pieces together once more and, taking a long piece of strong twine, curl the right hand upper corner of the heading of the fringe over the twine near the end ([Fig. 421]). From this start to wrap the fringe around and around the twine forming the rope shown in [Fig. 422].
When you have almost reached the ends of the first four strips of fringe, paste the ends of the headings of four more strips on to the first and continue to wrap as before. In this way you may make your evergreen rope as long as you wish.
There is just one word of caution which must go with the assurance of the real beauty of these Christmas decorations and that is: Remember to hang your wreaths and ropes where they will not be exposed to the flames of gas, candle or lamp, for while they are scarcely more inflammable than the natural greens, it is not well to take any risks and neither is it at all necessary. With this in mind your rooms may be inexpensively, prettily and safely decorated with the tissue paper Christmas greens.
CHAPTER XXVI
DOLL HOUSE OF PASTEBOARD
Fig. 423.—First pasteboard box for doll house.