Adelia B. Beard

“ Just a glance at a pile of ordinary every-day kindling wood could hardly suggest to one the possibilities existing in the crude material for building all sorts of interesting and realistic things for the little folks, but experiment and you will find that Klondike log-houses, rail-fences and lumber camps, bridges, and substantial little rafts which will float on water in laundry or bath tub, pond or stream, can be easily and readily built from the little sticks we use to start our fires. ”

“ Substantial little hammocks which will hold good-sized dolls, and even a real pussy with no danger of the material breaking, can be made of ordinary kindling wood or strips of pasteboard (Fig. 135) . Both styles of hammocks are woven in the same manner. The weaving is like that used for the [77] raft and is of the simplest, most primitive kind, merely crossing of the two ends of each side string between each piece of wood (or pasteboard) slat, with loops of string left at each end of the hammock for hanging it up. ”

“ The trees are easy to make and are very effective; they are simply fringed strips of paper rolled like a paper lighter with the large ends stuck into spools. Cut a strip of green tissue-paper fifteen inches long and five wide; then cut one-third of the strip narrow, about one inch wide, and fringe the remaining two thirds (Fig. 64) . With the thumb and first finger of your right hand begin to roll the corner as shown at A (Fig. 64) . Continue rolling, and the fringe, which forms the foliage, will stand out on the outside of the rolled part or trunk of the tree. ”

“ Using the hands and brain together stimulates interest and quickens observation and intelligence, and, as the object takes form beneath the little fingers, the act of making, of creating, brings with it a delight and satisfaction which the mere possession of the same thing made by another can not give. ”

“ There are to be a number of gold-tipped rays flaming out from the star to represent its spreading light. For these rays select ten broom straws with two prongs. Trim the prongs evenly, shorten the stems at the bottom, and spread the prongs apart (Fig. 186) . Now, cut twenty strips of gold paper half an inch wide and a little over four inches long. Lay one strip down, cover the wrong side with paste, place three broom straws with their prongs resting on the paste side of the paper, and press another [108] strip of gold paper over the first, inclosing the tips of the straws. ”

“ To make a foot-ball player, finish the blouse without necktie or belt; make the shoulders wide and the hair rather short, like a college boy's rough head. So much for the boy. Paste a letter cut out of colored paper on the front of the blouse to make it look like a college sweater, and gather the trousers in a little at the knees. You can tuck an egg-shaped ball made of brown raw wool under one arm for a realistic touch, if you choose. ”

“ String three raisins for one arm, run the needle through the middle of the top body raisin, where the shoulders should be, then string on the three raisins for the other arm and tie a knot at the end. Jocko is all right now, except that he is very limp. Put stiffening into his joints by running broom straws through his legs, body, and arms. Use a raisin stem for the tail, and fasten it on by pushing the largest end into the lowest body raisin. Make the eyes by running a short piece of broom straw through the head, allowing the ends to stand out a short distance in the place for the eyes. ”

“ Make the bureau of six spools close together in two rows of three spools each, and cut the top of a piece of paper with a high extension in the centre, which you must bend upright for a mirror. The washstand can be four spools quite close together covered with a piece of paper. A piano is easily made, but you must think it out for yourself. Use a small spool for the piano-stool. [33]
The Lamp
(Fig. 67) is a spool with a little roll of white paper shoved into the hole and a circular piece of paper crimped around the edge for the shade. ”

“ You can make the disks on some strings all of one size; on others they may graduate down to quite small ones at the ends. When the disks are cut out, lay one down, bottom side up, H (Fig. 209) . Cover this with paste, then lay a white cotton string across the disk, directly through the middle. Allow about six inches of the string to extend beyond the disk, and let each string be one yard long. Before the paste has time to dry, press the mate of the disk, G (Fig. 209) , on top of H, over the string, taking care to have the edges even. ”

“ For each of the two archways, take two thin sticks of wood and stand them at the top outward edge of the pier, with ends braced together at the top, and spread out at the bottom, as in the photograph.
Use either natural or tissue-paper trees stuck into empty spools for foliage, or little toy trees, if you happen to have them among the children's store toys. [72]
Though the bridge is not intended to be over real water, you might try the experiment and strengthen the hollow piers by filling them with stones, when building the bridge out-of-doors. ”

“ Doll's Table
Slide the prongs of a clothespin down on either side of the box at the four corners (Fig. 9) , then turn the table right side up, placing it on its feet. Set the table with toy dishes, and dinner will be ready (Fig. 10) .
The table can be turned into a dressing-case by standing two clothespins on their heads at each side of the back of the top of the table, and sliding a piece of stiff paper across from clothespin to clothespin between the prongs for a mirror [7] (Fig. 11) . ”

“ Ordinary garden flowers and those most easily procured make the best models. The carnation, the morning-glory, and the rarer blossoms of the hibiscus are well adapted to the work, also the daffodil and some of the wonderful orchids. ”

“ On this strip paste the front and back of each feather together at its base. Also paste together lengthwise the upper portion of the band, and, instead of folding as you did the first band, separate and open out its two lower lengthwise halves. Crease them backward away from each other, so that the feathers may stand erect and the band be at right angles on each side of the feathers (Fig. 178) .
The open base of the band lying against the boy's back causes the feathers to stand out and not fall flat and spoil the [104] effect, as they otherwise might do. ”

“ Nine times out of ten you will succeed, and a [45] bubble will swell out from the spool as in Fig. 81. These wooden bubble-blowers last a long time, with no danger of breaking when accidentally dropped on the floor, and you can always find enough to provide one for each of the players who meet for a trial of skill in bubble-blowing.
Fig. 81—You can blow bubbles with a spool.
Now try
Pretty Butterflies
which fly from spools. Cut a butterfly (Fig. 82) from bright-colored tissue paper or thin writing paper, bend at the dotted line and paste on the large end of a very small cork. ”

“ The Garden Wall
(Fig. 6) by standing the cards on their side edges. You can make the garden any size or shape you like, but always have [4] the gateway just wide enough to hold the tent roof on top. See how the cards stand with edges in on either side of the opening. This will support the tent-shaped roof. Perhaps the children will want a house in the garden. You can build one if you try. Then see how many more things can be made of the paper cards, for I have not told you half of them. ”

“ Buy a sheet of light pink tissue-paper, another of darker pink, and one of the darkest red you can find; then a sheet of light yellow-green and one of dark green. Have a table "cleared for the action" and place your paper on the right-hand side, adding a pair of scissors and a spool of coarse thread, or, better still, of soft darning cotton.
With all this you are to copy the
Carnation
which some one has given you or you have growing in your own garden. Make one of your light pink paper, one of the darker pink, and another of the rich, deep red to have a variety (Fig. 225) . ”

“ These four sticks form the square foundation of one bridge pier.
Continue building by crossing the second layer of sticks with a third layer, the third layer with a fourth layer, and so on until the pier is built up sufficiently high, six or more layers, according to the thickness of the sticks. As you build be sure that the two sticks forming each layer lie absolutely steady and are of about the same thickness, that those built on top of them may not slant, but lie level and steady. ”

“ Canton flannel, fleecy side up, is best, but any kind will answer the purpose. Then erect several kindling-wood houses and form a Klondike settlement (Fig. 131) .
Original home-made toy men, dogs, and sled may be used [75] to complete the scene, or they can be cut from newspapers or old magazines. Stiffen by pasting them on cardboard; then cut out the men, dogs, and sled more carefully in detail. Bend one leg forward and one backward to make the men stand alone, and bend two legs outward and two inward to enable the dogs to stand. Paste narrow strips of paper on the dogs for harness. ”

“ Make the strip six inches wide; the tops of the feathers must be along the folded edge. Let the feathers be fully four inches high, and allow a space of one inch on the band at the base of each feather, F (Fig. 177) . The widest part of each feather should be one and three-quarters inches. Make the band four thicknesses by folding it over at the dotted line; then crease each separate feather on the right side lengthwise, through the centre, to stiffen them and insure their standing erect. Cut another long strip of feathers in the same way, to fall from the head down the back. ”

“ In making pictures of this kind, figures that were originally standing may be forced to sit; babies may be placed in arms which, on the cards they were stolen from, held only cakes of soap, perhaps, or boxes of blacking; heads may be ruthlessly torn from bodies to which they belong, and as ruthlessly clapped upon strange shoulders ”

“ Let me make it," is the cry when a child sees an older person putting together the different parts of an interesting piece of work; and it is this desire to do things himself, this impulse toward self-expression, that, when properly directed, forms so great a factor in his all-around development and education. ”

“ Build other layers in like manner, and make the fence high or low, as desired. Pile up kindling wood into a wood-pile with small pieces scattered on the ground, and if there is a toy horse you can make him haul more wood (Fig. 132) . ”

“ The brilliant colors and shining gilt of the papers used, give a sparkle and life that are most captivating, and the ornaments are so easily made that the children themselves can do much toward decorating a tree in this manner. ”

“ The best framework for a newspaper wigwam can be made of long-handled feather dusters, but long-handled brushes, or poles of any kind you may happen to have, will answer the purpose; all that is necessary is something you can make into a framework similar to Fig. ”

“ You can fold a thirteen-and-a-half-inch square of newspaper into a fine boat measuring thirteen inches from stem to stern. It will be a good, stanch craft like Fig. 25, to float and sail out in the open on pond, lake, or river, or at home in basin or bath tub. ”

“ If you use different tones, tints, and shades of green, running from very light to dark, and make a lot of them varying in height, the trees will look very pretty and they can form a jungle where toy wild animals can live ”