Tiny Trees

Baskets of Goodies

Add a bit of nature to any corner.

The trick to decorating a small tree is to keep the scale of the decorations in line with the size of the tree. Miniature baskets and pinecones (shown) have been decorated with bits and pieces of baby's breath, eucalyptus, rose hips, dried hydrangea, and pepper berries. Small pieces of floral materials left over from other holiday projects are perfect for these little ornaments. To add some color, a cranberry garland wraps the tree in bright red from top to bottom. A silver star is this little tree's crowning touch.

These tiny ornaments are fun to make.

Pepper berries and baby's breath (shown) have been hot-glued to the bottom of pine cones, on top of the ribbon hanger. Use strips of leftover ribbon or bits of seasonal fabric as handles and bows for hanging the pinecones from the tree.

A selection of handmade ornaments like these make nice gifts, especially for friends who live in small spaces. Nestle a few ornaments in tissue paper in a box, and save one to use as a decoration for the wrap.

• To make this tree a family effort, invest in a low-temperature hot-glue gun so children can help assemble ornaments.
• Small trees are easier for kids to decorate, so you might want to let them put a special tree on display in their room.

Oranges Add Up

A fruited tree is perfect for a
kitchen or dining area.

Like a close cousin of the scraggly specimen that steals the show in Charlie Brown's Christmas special every year, this little evergreen was rescued from the garbage outside a florist's shop.

The inspiration for the orange-slice ornaments came from a math teacher's classroom. Just before Christmas break, the teacher -- the same person who found this little tree -- began teaching his students the principles of multiplication, slicing oranges and lemons to demonstrate the point.

For a party, arrange mugs of hot
spiced punch under your tree.

Rather than let the fruit go to waste, the teacher let the slices dry overnight, then brought them home. With the help of regular ornament hooks, the orange slices became fragrant adornment for the little tree. As a final touch, you can place a small tree in a decorative pot, as shown.

Topiary Treat

To be seasoned and seasonal,
decorate with cloves of garlic.

Any topiary that has foam underneath its greenery can get this unusual and inexpensive holiday treatment: garlic cloves. Pull apart a head of garlic and separate the largest cloves. Use heavy-gauge florist's wire to spear each clove, then push the other end of the wire into the topiary's foam.

You can continue the garlic theme by wiring more cloves to a wreath or into a greenery swag on the mantel. For the first couple of days, the room will smell like garlic -- but no more strongly than if you were cooking with the fresh cloves. After that the scent will fade. If you find the scent too strong, consider leaving the topiaries outdoors for a couple of days.