Bored with board games? Tired of television? Hallmark movies giving you the heebie-jeebies? If youve run out of ways to salvage your sanity during wintry days, Alcoa Wrap has the answers! Alcoas Book of Decorations, released in 1959, is chock-full of do-it-yourself decorations guaranteed to fill up all that free time, for as long as it takes things to get back to normal (and then some). All it takes is aluminum foil and patience. Lots and lots of both. If youve ever thought of aluminum foil at all, youve probably focused on its basic usefulness: keeping warm foods warm, cold foods cold, and leftovers from spoiling. Household hints books offer up plenty of additional uses: sharpening scissors, cleaning cast-iron pans, even making a make-do funnel. But aluminum foil as a gateway to what the Alcoa book bills as beautiful, festive decorations? That takes some imagination. Fortunately, Conny of Alcoa (Conny von Hagen), who designed them, had plenty. Get set for Surprises! Look for light-hearted beasts and birds, never seen on land or sea! Examine a glittering pleasure train that carries a covey of happy young passengers, yet never steams out of your living room! The directions are easy to follow, the results delightful to see: centerpieces, table favors, toys, seasonal displays, scores of charming decorations that bring a bright sparkle to special occasions. Pull out your scissors and join the party! Although Conny travelled the country, showing children and grown-ups how to make things of foil, most folks had to make do with those easy-to-follow directions. Lets take a look at one set, say, for that glittering pleasure train. A sparkling aluminum train provides a marvelous make-believe trip for children. Each passenger car is a rectangular cardboard box, covered with foil taped to it. Wheels are nine-inch foil pie plates painted black inside and glued to the car. The big locomotive is made with a longer rectangular box, the curved hood a rounded cardboard square. The front end is rounded with a crushed piece of Alcoa. The locomotive cab is a square box with two sides removed, and windows cut in for the Engineer. Stacks are red construction paper cylinders held in place with tape. The front headlight is a small foil plate, and the cowcatcher is foil-covered cardboard with stripes of red paper. I dont know about you, but Id soon run out of aluminum foil or patience (or both), and that Choo-Choo Express still wouldnt be ready to leave the station. Although Conny of Alcoa bills these as great rainy-day projects, some might take a monsoon to complete. Still, theres no denying the artistry that went into the creation of Connys Alcoa Wrap creations. A shimmering mermaid molded over a chicken wire base, a spaceman helmet crafted over an inflated balloon, a bridal shower bride constructed of such upcoming necessities as a mop and a wastebasket. Those look like fun, particularly if someone else has done all the work. Paging through Alcoas Decorations brought to mind the one and only time I put Alcoa Wrap to a decorative use. As a young fellow with a Polaroid camera, Id round up the neighborhood kids to act out (in costume) favorite stories. Our greatest hits included Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and our final effort, The Wizard of Oz. Wizard of course requires a Tin Man, and my younger brother was recruited for the role. To get the right effect, we covered him with tin foil. The lawnmowers gasoline funnel was borrowed for his hat. Then we went outside. It was a typical summers day in Minnesota: hot, with a blazing sun. My foil-clad brother (now the equivalent of a roasting turkey) managed to pose for a photo or two before keeling over. Filming ended, and I received a roasting of my own from my parents. Where was Conny of Alcoa when I really needed her? Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann. All photos by Donald-Brian Johnson. Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous Schiffer books on design and collectibles, including Postwar Pop, a collection of his columns. Please address inquiries to: donaldbrian@msn.com.