OCR Text |
Show i RIBBON FLOWERS ARE 1 DAINTIEST OF GIFTS By JULIA BOTTOM LEY. Exquisite ribbon roses, corsage bouquets of ribbon violet and nosegays nose-gays of small ribbon or silk buds all scented are among the Christmas offerings for this year that hardly cost more than the time it takes to make thera. This item of cost is an important one to most of us. There are so many that we wish to remember, remem-ber, at the holiday season, that even modest gifts mount up into a total which it is unfair to ourselves for us to spend. The one way out is to make up things in which the ideas and work make value. Our friends appreciate these more than any other sort of gift. To make the little buttonhole bouquets bou-quets shown here, requires a bolt of light purple or dark lavender velvet ribbon, a spool of green covered wire called "tie-wire," and one small Lev''- i U'lf $?i ;l bunch of millinery foliage. For this purpose tb velvet maiden-hair fern is the best choice. Scraps of ribbon or silk in bright colors pink, rose, yellow or white, or other colors if desired make up the small rosebuds. A narrow fold four to six inches long is rolled into the semblance of a bud. The tie-wire tie-wire is wound about this roll at one end to form the stem. As this wire is as fine as a coarse thread it should be doubled to make the rosebud stems. The violets are made either of velvet vel-vet baby ribbon or No. 2 silk ribbon Little bows of four loops, each three-quarters three-quarters of an inch .deep, are wound at the middle with the tie-wire which holds the loops to place and forms the stem. After the roses and violets have been made, group them together in a little bouquet and tie the stems with a bit of tie-wire. Place a spray of the maiden-hair fern with hem, wrap with tin-foil, which may be had at the florists, and tie with a plain bow of the baby ribbon. Purple tin-foil should be used. To make a large bunch of violets a wider ribbon (about a half inch wide) should be used. The violets are made in the manner first described. A single dark red rosebud of ribbon or silk is mounted with them and a few millinery milli-nery leaves of rose foliage. There are usually plenty of these among one's discarded millinery flowers. If they' are crumpled they may be pressed lightly with an iron not hot but Just warm. The ribbon rose is more difficult to make, but most beautiful for a cor- ( f V ' ' i sage ornament. It requires from one to one and a quarter yards of rather heavy satin ribbon, about, two inches wide. The petals are made by cutting cut-ting the ribbon in lengths of two and a half inches. A tiny covered wire Is tacked in with invisible stitrhes along the sides and upper edge of the petals and these petals curled back over a hatpin. The lower edge is folded to shape the petal and sewed to place. A heavy wire forms the stem. Fasten at one end of this a email wad of cotton the size of a thimble and cover it with a bit of silk, winding it to the stem with thread. Next wrap a bit of ribbon tlehtly about this renter find then place the petals, wincing with thrrad and tack-!r.c tack-!r.c wiih etitehes to the fcteni. When (he rose is finished fa si en it to the mi!lin'-ry fol'ape and stem, or wind tho wire stem with green baby rib ben, if a millinery stern is not used. |