Materials and Tools:

White taper candles
White nylon tulle
Lots of white ribbon and some accent colors of ribbon
White Christmas-tree lights
Votive candles and holders
Pushpins or double-sided tape
Four rented plant stands in graduated sizes
Rented folding chairs
Silk ivy
Silk flowers
Gelatin mold
Ferns

1. Start preparing the living room by removing the clutter. Take down the pictures on the walls. Remove the knickknacks. Move bulky pieces of furniture.

2. Decorate the mantel by draping it with nylon tulle and weaving white Christmas-tree lights through the tulle along the length of the fireplace. Hold the tulle in place with pushpins or double-sticking tape. Place votive candles in holders across the mantel. Put an arrangement of fresh or silk flowers at one end of the mantel and tapers in holders at the other end.

3. Save money on flower arrangements by using a gelatin mold as a container. Arrange flowers on only one side of the container rather than all the way around since the arrangement will be placed against a wall.

4. To create an altar, cover a rectangular dining-room table with a white tablecloth, place a flower arrangement in the center and put tapers in holders at each end.

5. Rent four plant stands in graduated sizes, decorate them with ribbon bows, and place live ferns on top of each one. Frame the altar with the plant stands.

6. Dress up your houseplants by billowing nylon tulle on top of the soil and around the base of the plant. Place the plant containers inside wicker baskets, and add a decorative white bow to the each of the baskets. Tulle is very inexpensive, costing only about 79 cents a yard.

7. Rent inexpensive white folding chairs, and arrange them in rows facing the altar. Decorate the chairs by spiraling ribbon around a length of nylon tulle, then drape the tulle from chair to chair from the back row to the front. Attach the tulle rope to the top of each chair with a piece of wire at the top of the chair back. Wire fresh or silk flowers to the tulle at the top of each chair.