How to Decorate a Culinary Christmas Tree

Do the holidays fill your head with visions of ingenious ingredients and fragrant foodstuffs? Why not decorate your tree to reflect your talents and skills?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Christmas Tree Ornaments
• Christmas Trees
• String Lights
• Tree Stands
• Gourmet Items
• Miniature Foodstuffs
• Kitchen Strings
• Miniature Utensils
• Copying Services

1. Buy a tree and set it up.

2. Put lights on it. Any lights will do for a culinary tree, but red pepper lights are perfect.

3. Collect the materials you'll need: Miniature whisks and pastry brushes, cinnamon sticks, pieces of old silverware and miniature bottles of oils, vinegars, hot sauces and liqueurs are a start. For these, kitchen supply houses and gourmet food stores are excellent sources, but don't forget to ask your friends if they've been hoarding any.

4. Make miniature versions of your favorite cookbooks. Take them to the copy store, reduce their covers (front and back), and then glue them to cardboard. Punch a hole in the corner of your new ornaments and tie string through the holes to hang them on the tree.

5. Make miniature versions of recipe cards in the same way.

6. Start decorating with the biggest items, then move on to medium and smaller items, tying string to them if necessary and arranging as you go.

Tips & Warnings

• Dollhouse supply and toy shops stock lots of miniatures, including fake foodstuffs.

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on 11/22/2005 Use penne pasta to make a garland by threading it onto butcher's twine. Add red beads every 9-12 inches for color.