Inspired by angels

Southern Living, Dec 2000 by Jernigan, Sarah

Personal collections hold deep meanings. Each item conjures a memory of the giver or the place or time it represents. And with each addition, the appreciation grows.

What better time to showcase such a collection than during this season, when friends and family gather to reflect on the passing year? Here, we offer ideas for using your collections along with holiday decorations. So take a minute to think about your favorite things and how you might share them with loved ones.

DINING AMONG ANGELS

The table provides several possibilities for angels in our collection. Ornaments that can stand on their own make wonderful place card holders. We simply tied handwritten name cards to their tops.

Die-cut wooden angel ornaments, secured with a ribbon, become terrific napkin rings. (We found the plain wooden angels at a crafts fair and sprayed each with gold paint for a festive look.) Once the party is over, the silk ribbon accompanies the ornament for a memorable party favor.

Several different items are clustered together for the centerpiece. The long, low grouping sparks more interest than a stylized arrangement from the florist, and it offers a great opportunity to sprinkle parts of the collection along the table.

Three little tin garden angels, looking as if they just arrived at the party together, serve as a focal point. Placed among the angels, nosegays of roses, paperwhites, and hypericum berries echo the kissing ball dangling from the chandelier. Dried sheet moss anchors the arrangement. Dry florist foam, covered with the moss, is stacked at intervals to form an elevated base for the candles.

An assortment of handmade pottery angels on the butler's tray enlivens an otherwise unexciting corner of the dining room. Different in size and shape but similar in color and personality, these three angels work together beautifully.

WELCOMING ANGELS

In the foyer, our collection of angels makes a valuable first impression. A neatly wrapped package and an assortment of fresh-cut flowers surround a heavenly sculpture, hinting at what's in store.

The ceramic angel kneels on a bed of dry sheet moss, which softens the setting while protecting the glass tabletop from scratches. Gardenias, placed on the moss, add a gentle fragrance. A halo of hypericum berries and eucalyptus seeds crowns the sculpture and brings a bit of color to the composition.

An arrangement of fresh-cut tulips, freesia, and paperwhites set atop a decorative column lend height and distinction to the setting. White poinsettias or potted tulips and paperwhites could replace the cut flowers for long-term color.

No matter what your favorite things are, they always will add heart and spirit to your home. The trick is to remember to find a special place in your holiday plans.

SUGGESTIONS FOR HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS

* Nativity scenes and menorahs are popular collectibles. Display them in different areas of the home, perhaps as a centerpiece on the dining room table or in a bookcase. Accent furnishings also offer surfaces that can be used for showcasing items.

* Instead of just using your ornament collection on the tree, display them collectively in a bowl, or dangle a few from a chandelier with beautiful ribbon. Mix ornaments into garland hung on the mantel or around a doorway.

* Santas and nutcrackers always add to the festivities, especially for children. Group your collection in threes, or place them individually throughout the house. Nestle a jolly Santa on a table by a lamp, or line the nutcrackers up on a kitchen windowsill. Just one look at your artfully displayed collections, and guests will know that you see the holidays as a season of imagination.

* Don't forget those popular miniature towns from well-known companies, such as Department 56. Children have so much fun placing the towns people around each building. And because new pieces may be added over time, it's a great reminder for others that you might enjoy one for your collection as a gift.

Pages 108-110: Die-cut wood angel ornaments are available from Catalina Woodcrafts in Charleston, South Carolina, (843) 762-9031; pottery angels on butler's tray are Mississippi Moni Angels from Oxford Floral Company in Oxford, Mississippi, 1-800-748-8917; angel ornaments as place cards, tall ceramic angel and column, and tin angels in center of table are available from Oxford Floral Company in Oxford, 1-800-748-8917.