Tiny Trees

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.