Leaves and stems may be cut from the green outside portion of a piece of citron and used to

connect the flowers, making a graceful design on top and side of the cake. Poinsettias and holly at Christmas, roses, apple blossoms, orange blossoms, pansies, violets, and daffodils are all easily fashioned and most attractive.

Small flowers attached with a bit of frosting to plain mints are beautiful for afternoon teas, or to top a box of bonbons.

Caraway Decorations

Candied caraway seeds of different colors, and the very tiny candies known as "hundreds" and "thousands", may be used to make most attractive decorations on candies or cakes. First make foundations of angelica. Cut angelica with a penknife into thin shavings, work with the hands into small balls, then flatten in lozenge shape, about three eighths inch in diameter. This makes a sticky surface. On it arrange a center of yellow or brown caraway candies broken in pieces, or use the "hundreds" and "thousands", putting each candy in place with a small pair of tweezers, or the end of a toothpick dipped in water to make the candies stick to it. Around the center arrange white or yellow caraway candies like the petals of a daisy.

With the very tiny candies, a single yellow candy with five blue or pink candies around makes a forget-me-not. With yellow caraways, sprays of goldenrod or chrysanthemums may be fashioned. After the flowers are made, they may easily be arranged on the soft frosting of a cake, or fastened by means of sugar syrup to a large mint. Arrange leaves and stems to connect the flowers.

A basket may be made directly on the soft frosting of a cake in any color desired, having the candies go crosswise as a basket is woven. Leaves and stems may be made of fine strips of citron. The greenest citron that can be purchased and preferably the dark outside should be used.

Silver dragnets may be used with the flower decoration for conventional designs.

Holly Decorations

Small red checker berry candies may be purchased, the size and color of holly berries. Leaves may be fashioned from ornamental frosting, fondant, or almond paste colored green, or from angelica or citron. Halves of blanched pistachio nuts also make good leaves.

Arrange two or three leaves meeting at the center, place two or more red candies where they join, and a short stem of the same material as that used for the leaves. If the red candies are; not obtainable, candied cherries may be cut the shape and size of holly berries, or fondant or almond paste may be colored with scarlet color paste, and shaped in small balls.

Large mints, and large and small cakes, decorated with holly make attractive Christmas gifts.

Figure Decorations

First lessons in drawing sometimes show the possibilities of straight lines in making figures. These can be reproduced on large mints or little cakes with the lines made with ornamental frosting or melted chocolate, or of narrow strips of angelica, with a round piece of angelica for the head. One line for the back, two for the arms and two for the legs, with a round head, may be put on at many different angles to show a boy walking, running, kneeling, or standing still. With a ball cut from a cherry, the figures can be arranged in the different attitudes of football or baseball players, and are appreciated during the ball playing season. Dancing and skating figures, and many others, can also be portrayed with a few characteristic lines.