A MAKE-YOUR OWN ORNAMENT TREE TRIMMING PARTY

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'Tis the season for festive gatherings, the reinforcement of family traditions, and joyous celebrations ushering in yet another year. And no matter what the cause for holiday rejoicing—be it a rededication to one's faith or the winter solstice—there's no better time for a party!

Of course, tree decorating is a popular reason for yuletide get-togethers. And my family has, these past few years, established a new tradition . . . by hosting annual Down—Home Organic Christmas Tree Ornament—Making Parties!

Now that's sure a mouthful to say, but the idea is simple: We invite friends and relations each year to join in creating a new season's worth of homemade decora tions .. . baubles that are a bit more permanent than cranberry, popcorn, and paper-chain garlands. And we've found that it's a lot more fun to make the ornaments than merely to hang them! Best of all, every year as we unpack our best efforts from previous seasons, the handcrafted objects become nostalgic reminders of shared joys from past Christmases.

Here are some of our most successful projects for you to try.

ORNAMENTAL EGG-CELLENCE

Eggs are seldom in short supply on most farms and homesteads, and their shells make beautiful and natural substitutes for the slick, mass-produced balls of glass that adorn most American Christmas trees. (They don't need to be white shells, by the way . . . very nice effects can be produced with the beige and brown eggs laid by many homestead hens.)

Empty the contents of the egg by poking a hole in each tip with a large needle, and gently blowing at one end. Rinse the inside of the empty shell carefully, and then set the future ornament aside to dry.

We paint our hen fruit with enamel, acrylic, or oil paints in four festive colors: red, blue, yellow, and green. Our decorations tend to be traditional scenes or fanciful geometric patterns, but the design possibilities are all but unlimited.

After the painted shells are completely dry, the eggs can be covered with a coat of clear varnish. This will darken the background colors somewhat, but the ornaments will be much stronger and more durable in their protective jackets.

Finally, poke a pipe cleaner through the bottom hole and out the top of each shell, bend its lower end to hold the egg, and shape a loop in the upper tip. The decoration is ready to hang!

SALT OR BAKER'S CLAY CRAFT

Your pantry can provide most of the ingredients for "kitchen clay", which can be turned into unique tree trimmers. Salt clay is made by mixing together 2 cups of white flour, 1 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of powdered tempera paint (any color), 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and 2 cups of water. Knead the dough until it's smooth. The clay will be ready to work with when it feels neither crumbly nor wet and doesn't stick to your fingers. Make a separate batch for each color you want to use.

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