Decorating for Christmas
 December 1952
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Make Our Merry Cookies for Your Tree

 

 
One look at Best Cook van Wesep's fabulous Merry Christmas Cookie Tree and we knew we had latched onto an idea you would like to try. Have another look at our cover, then [look down at her tree below], and you'll see that everything on the tree can be nibbled--the cookies, the sparkling candies, the garlands of puffy white popcorn. (4)

Our cover cookies are all decorated with simple candies: gumdrops, jellybeans, licorice, sprinkles and silver dragees.

 

 

  • 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2/3 cup shortening
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

McCall's Vanilla Cookie Dough

Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Work shortening until creamy, add sugar gradually and mix thoroughly. Stir in unbeaten eggs, vanilla extract and flour mixture until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

When firm, roll dough 1/4" thick on a lightly floured cookie sheet. Lay paper patterns on dough and cut around edges with a sharp knife. Scrape away surrounding dough, and bake cookies in a 375F or moderate oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool, then remove from baking sheet.

To fortify cookies and attach cords for hanging to tree at the same time: Cut another copy of cookie pattern from strong paper. Cover back of cookies with coating of frosting, press 2 lengths of narrow ribbon or cord into frosting and paste on the cutout. Now you're ready to frost and decorate cookies.
  • 2 1/2 cups sifte confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 egg whites

Best Cook Mrs. Van Wesep's Perfect Cookie Frosting

Mix confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar together in a bowl. Add the unbeaten egg white and beat with an electric mixer or rotary beater until mixture stands in stiff peaks. To keep surface from hardening while you frost cookies, keep bowl covered with a damp cloth.

Now divide into separate bowls and tint different shades with any food coloring you like. (6)
The inspiration for our Christmas cover came from Mrs. [Alieda] van Wesep, who is preparing to hang her snowy-winged angel on the top of the magical tree that holds in its Christmas arms shimmering fishes, dancing whimsical birds, amazing camels, fantastic cats, merry pigs and little lambs. (59) Mrs. Van Wesep is vice-president in charghe of advertising and publiciy, Lord & Taylor, Fifth Ave.
The beautiful Cookie Tree is one of three trees at Mrs. van Wesep's annual Christmas Eve party. (58)

Make Your Own
Glitter and Gleam

 

Opulent angels are made from bottles. Pick a pretty one, swish paint inside. For the head make very stiff dough of half salt, half flower, a little water. While soft, mount on nail in cork and pin on scouring-pad copper curls, notary seal halo. Let harden, paint features. Glue on pipe-cleaner arms, wings. Decorate with sequins, ribbons. (41)

 

Bell-pull card holder is a strip of felt or heavy material. Pink edges; use dowels top and bottom. Pin on or staple on cards as they arrive.

Christmas mobile, gay and bouncy in a view window, is contrived of wire, tree ornaments and toys. Use three weights of soft steal wire for large mobiles. (41) Start with smallest section of mobile. Put loop in wire off-center. Use fishing swivel for haing. Put lead shot in ornaments to balance. Attach at balance point to end of next section.(90)

A glistening flurry of paper flakes to decorate a wall, hang in clusters from lighting fixtures or trim your tree. Try making each one a different size or shape like real snowflakes, spray with snow. ... It's easy. (40)

How to make a Snowflake
by Marion Holbrook (85)


Step 1: To make a 4-inch flake, cut paper strip 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Mark off in 1-inch sections; accordion-pleat. Cut pointed design, with lacy detail in the folds opposite ends marked red.

Step 2: Bring ends together to form continuous folds and sew with overcasting stitch, as shown. Any thin paper that folds crisply and is strong enough to hold stitches can be used successfully. Step 3: Spread open with points out. Turn over to back of snowflake where sewed ends show. Run thread through ends of 6 center folds and draw ends together evenly to form center of snowflake. Step 4: Turn snowflake over and run thread through remaining center folds. Draw together.

 

These are basic instructions. Size may vary; designs are infinite. Use 1/2-inch pleats for delicate flakes.
More Glitter and Gleam
  • Make pine cones into elfin trees. Swab with rubber cement and sprinkle with cookie shot and silver dragees. Top with delicate stars, stand on cardboard bases covered with metallic paper. Place in a sheaf of greenery sprinkled with cookie shot. (41)
  • Make a basket tree. Heap a tier basket with Christmas balls, top with a straw star from Sweden and set three little Swedish house gnomes to guard the Christmas treasure. (39)
  • Thin pineapple tops, spray with aluminum paint. Stand center pineapple on silvered flowerpot and tie a pretty bow. Arrange greens and silver balls at base and finish with tall, slender candles. (39)
An ad for Miller High Life beer shows this Styro-foam Christmas tree form used to hold toothpicked hors d'oeuvres, such as olives, small weiners, and cheese balls rolled in herbs. (90)

Betsy McCall
Writes to Santa Claus

 

Betsy McCall was a very popular paper doll during the 1950's.

 

 

 

 

 

This webpage was designed by David Claudon, 10 July 2001.

 

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