This holiday season some of the most delightful ways to deck the halls include two traditional favorites: candles and flowers.

Here are a few hints from Jill Slater, head designer for flower possibilities.com. For fine floral design, there are five things to consider.

1. Give it a home. Before designing, know where your creation will live—by the bedside, on a desk or window sill—wherever. Then choose a container that best suits the situation, for example, a recycled blue water bottle might match your bath towels.

2. Simple color combos. Stick to a simple color theme, three colors maximum; two are better and hues of one color may be best.

3. Select multiple shapes. Use a variety of flower shapes: round, face flowers such as daisies or chrysanthemums and cone-shaped roses or bell-fringed freesia.

4. Conditioning counts. When you get your flowers home, always re-cut the stems and set them in water treated with floral preservative.

5. Handy tools. Sharp floral clippers make for a clean and precision cut that lets flowers drink more easily. Water tubes are good for simple centerpieces. A bowof fresh fruit can become the center of attention when water-tubed

flowers are inserted into the gapof a bowl of apples.

Few things set flowers off so well as candlelight. To make thmost of the combination, considethese tips:

•Pillar candles look great with fresh flowers inserted around them. •Float flowers and floatincandles together in a bowl.

•Small votive cups filled with one or several flowers are simpland easy to create. You can alternate them with votive candles down the table or on the window sill.

•Fill miniature gourds with either flowers or tea lights. Then line them up.

•Tall narrow candles (tapers) are lovely in long and low arrangements. Insert two tall tapers into a bread pan that has been filled with floral foam. Intersperse flowers and foliage into the foam.

•Remember, never leave a burning candle unattended.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.