Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 305, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1913 — Christmas Gifts by Little Fingers [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Christmas Gifts by Little Fingers

By PEGGY POWERS

I—Doll’s Coni Hammock. s—Raffia Collar Button Box. B—Match Strike. 2 Thermometer. 6—Neck Tie Rack. 9—Crochet Bag. 3 Doll’s Raffia Hammock. 7—A Pretty Bag. 10—Thread and Needle. 4 Caird Board Work Basket. 11—Ring Toss.

S Christmas draws near, < the little folks are wonders I ing what they shall make y | this year. They should nr rj know that something made ML* by themselves is appreciAffl* j ated a hundred times more than anything money could buy. As Christmas draws near, the little folks are wondering what they shall make this year. They should know that something made by themselves is appreciated a hundred times more than anything money could buy. Doesn’t mother still use the needle case given her two Christmases ago, and isn’t father as proud of his desk calendar as the day he found it hidden under his breakfast napkin? Remember, whatever it is, wrap it neatly in tissue paper when finished, tie it with ribbon and stick a piece of ‘evergreen or holly through the bow. A carefully wrapped present always adds to the pleasure of receiving it. Here are some ideas that will help answer the question of “What shall I make this year?*’ The first five suggestions are chiefly for the boys, because to make these presents they will need their tool chests, although, of course, many girls are as handy with tools as their big brothers. Ring Toss. Make a base or stand of wood nine Inches square, and two inches thick. Bore five holes in the top of this, one “in the center and one in each corner, one inch from the edge. In these holes fit rounded sticks about an inch thick. Paint or Shellac the wood. Shellac can be bought at any paint store. If It is too thick, thin it with a little alcohol. The tops of the sticks are gilded for about an Inch. Six rings are made of reeds formed in circles. Soak the reeds for about 20 minutes to make them bend easier. Cover them with raffia. This game will give much pleasure during the long winter afternoons. Neck Tie Rack. Basswood should be used for this rack, because it is soft, easily cut and light In weight Saw out of the wood a design as shown in the picture. It is % inch thick, 5% inches wide and 13 Inches long. The rod is inch thick and 11 inches long. The posts are % inch by inches. The rod and •posts should be made out of birch or maple wood because it is harder. •Give the rack an even coat of shellac. Tlace two screws and two screw eyes «n the top of the rack so it will be uready to hang up on Christmas morning. Match Strike. Out of a piece of bass wood that measures inch thick, 6% inches wide and 7 Inches long, cut with a iscroll saw a match strike like in the ipicture. Place a piece of sand paper (around a small block of wood and .sand paper it in the direction of the Igrain of the wood. Never work against itbe grain. Give the board a coat of Cut a square of sand paper and place it on a thin layer of glue in •the center of the panel. Place someI thing heavy on the sand paper until

the glue is hardened. With your carving punch and hammer strike light, careful blows over the board to decorate it. Thread and Needle. How glad mother will be receive this useful gift! It Is made” of basswood % inch thick, 3% inches wide and 14% Inches long. (See picture.) This must be given a coat of shellac. Bore a hole In the middle of the board one inch from the top by which to hang it Two, four and six Inches from that bore holes and place in each of them a peg % inch thick and 1 inch long, which holds the spool of thread. Two inches from the lowest one glue a velvet pin cushion. This cushion is 2% inches square. It is stuffed with cotton batting. One inch below the cushion screw a brass hook to hold the scissors. ,

Thermometer.

Any one is glad to have a pretty thermometer for his or her room. Look at the picture aflfi cut a design like it out of basswood. Bore a hole near the top for hanging. Sand paper the board the same as you did the match strike. Shellac both sides. If you put a coat on only one side the board will warp. Stamp the background to make it look pretty with a carving punch and hammer stamp. Cut out a background like picture for the thermometer. Glue it in place. Tack on a thermometer with the brass escutcheon pins that are used for that purpose. v

Cardboard Work Basket. And here is a dainty basket that does not require the tool chest, and “big sister” will be glad to have it. It is useful as well as pretty. Cut out of heavy white cardboard four pieces shaped like the picture. They should be 2 inches across -the bottom and 4 inches across the top. On each one embroider several spider webs with mercerized silk. Cut out of cardboard a square, a trifle less than 2 inches, for ttyp bottom of the basket Fit and sew the sides to the bottom and then sew the sides together to form a basket Run a ribbon, about an inch wide, along the edges of the basket. Sew it firmly-at the corners. At each top corner place a pretty bow. A Pretty Bag.

This is - crash bag 14 inches long and 7 inches wide when finished. At the top a piece 4 Inches long is turned over and 1% inches of it at the bottom is ravelled for a fringe. An inch from the top of the bag eight small embroidery rings are sewed, each 1% inches apart Through this a silk cord is drawn. You can make up your own embroidery design. The one in the picture is worked with a simple chain stitch. Crotchet Bag.

This bag was crotcheted with a very pimple stitch and was made by a little “girl only nine years old. Get out your crotchet needle and see what you can do. This bag may be used for many different things and if well made will last for years. For the bottom of It, cut a piece of cardboard 4 inches by 5 Inches. Cover it with any piece

of pretty silk you have in the house. Crochet, with mercerized silk crotchet thread, a chain of 160 chain stitches. For the second time round take seven stitches and go into every fourth stitch of the first row. Keep on crotcheting, in this manner until your bag is ten inches long; then sew it to the cardboard base. Run a pretty draw ribbon finished with bows through the top. At each corner of the bottom of the bag place a bow.

Raffia Collar Button Box.

How the children love raffia work! And it is wonderful what beautiful things even very little children can make. The raffia box ip this picture was made by a six-year-old youngster. It is for father’s collar buttons. In the middle of it cut a tiny hole. Wind raffia evenly around this circle from the center to the edge. Cut a piece of cardboard 2 inches wide and long enough to fit the base. Wind the raffia around this piece and with a piece of raffia sew it to the bottom of the box. Braid three pieces of raffia for a handle. Punch one hole on each side of the basket near the top and run the ends of the handle through them. You can sew smaller bows where the handles join the basket if you wish. Any one who has ever made a raffia basket knows how much pleasure it is and how glad one is to receive it for a gift. Soak a reed in hot water. Thread a needle with raffia. Make a point at one end of the reed with a knife. Wind the piece of raffia around the reed. Form this end into a coil and sew tightly. Wind the thread over the reed and place the needle through the coil of reed and raffia. In starting a new thread, bold it along the reed and work over it until the end is fastened. The designs are worked in colored raffia. When the bottom of the basket is finished begin the sides by placing the reed right on top of the last colt When the basket is finished sharpen the end of the reed to a point, finishing the coil gradually.

Doll's Raffia Hammock. Take a piece of strawboard !• inches long and 7 inches wide. Along the longest edge make notches % inch apart. Fasten two brass rings in the middle of back of strawboard. Carry, a cord from one ring on the back through the corner notch in front across the length of the board, through over the back, and loop it through the other ring. Do this until the thread passes over each notch. Then weave across. Weave once across the back dose to the edge. Work over this last row and sew between the strand so that when you place your dolls in the hammock it won’t ravel. Unfasten the rings and break away the cardboard. Doll’s Cord Hammock. Here is a picture of a hammock for dolly, made of macreme cord. A ten-year-old child made this hammock for her little sister. It is about one yard long and made of the Solomon’s knots. You can also have mamma show you how to crochet one, too. v • (Copyright, by W. Chapman |