TABLE EQUIPMENT 331

Table decorations frequently include candles, often in combina-
tion with flowers. Beautiful candlesticks and candelabra are avail-
able in silver, pewter, chromium, iron, pottery, glass, plastics, or
wood. Many styles, too, are represented from the delicate Neo-
Classic to the precise Modern. Candle holders can also be impro-
vised in several ways. For example, low glass salt cups glued to
cardboard strips of interesting shapes make effective holders.
Some unusual candle holders for special parties should be ac-
quired, like a Mexican tin Christmas tree supporting many holders.
For pictures of candlesticks see pages 59, 104, 210, 334, and 345.

For an informal Christmas dinner a thick wreath of fir or mag-
nolia leaves might lie flat on the table surrounding a thicket of tall
orange candles. The magnolia wreath could be natural or shel-
lacked or painted white with sparkles added. Unless they are
lighted candles should not be used for table decoration.

Sometimes amusing or beautiful little porcelain or glass figures
of humans, birds, animals, or plants are combined with flowers for
central table compositions. Children especially enjoy these fig-
ures. They must be selected with discrimination, for some, such
as the common porcelain dancing nudes, are particularly poor in
design and in idea. An example of good usage is a 12-inch Staf-
fordshire dog or rooster (page 350) standing in the middle of a
tightly packed low bed of blue bachelor buttons arranged in a
flat tin baking pan, which has been painted white. An effective
centerpriece can be made quickly by fastening a dozen small china
or glass birds with clips on a well-chosen bare branch.

Paper decorations such as curls, laces, fringes, scrolls, and fes-
toons in white, color, silver, or gold are sometimes needed to give
a delightful gay touch of festivity and artificiality. For example,
an effective St. Valentine's Day table employed, on the bare pol-
ished table, a central rose-colored cardboard heart edged with a
flaring white lace paper frill cut from the edge of paper doilies.
A similar heart was hung over the fireplace. Arrangements of
rose and white camellias added life and beauty, In this center-
piece the artificial material was larger in quantity than the natural
material; the reverse would have been equally satisfactory.

Between meals no cloth, doily, or runner is desirable on a
dining table. A mat is sometimes needed under the centerpiece of
flowers, fruit, leaves, vegetables, porcelain, or other material*