Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 124, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1916 — HANDICRAFT FOR BOYS AND GIRLS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HANDICRAFT FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

By A. NEELY HALL and DOROTHY PERKINS

(Copyright, by A. Neely Halt)

A HOMEMADE DESK WITH A PICTURE SCROLL. Every boy can own a desk, because It is one of the simplest pieces of furniture to build. I have designed a great many desks for boys to make, but I believe that the one shown in Fig. 1 will be the most popular yet. This desk is made out of a small packing-case, or a grocery box. Select the best-looking box you can find. Get

the cover boards, too, because ,you will need them for the hinged dropleaf. The first thing to do is t© reenforce the nailing ot any boards which show signs of coming loose. Then prepare the pigeonhole partitions. Fig. 2 shows the inside of the desk. Partitions A should be fastened seven Inches each side of the center of the length of the box, or 14 inches apart, and shelves B should be so spaced that there will be a small top and bottom pigeonhole and a larger one between. Holes C in partitions A (Fig. 3) are provided for the rollers of the scroll to turn in. Bore the upper one about three inches below the upper end of A, and place the lower one ten inches or so below it. Nail partitions A to the end of shelves B; then stand these assembled pieces in the box, set a temporary brace between partitions A to hold them in the right position, and drive nails through the ends of the box into shelves B,

and through the top and bottom of the box into the ends of partitions A. Cut the scroll rollers D (Figs. 5 and 6) from pieces of broom-handle, a trifle shorter than the distance between the partitions A, and get four large spools, such as crochet-cottoif comes on, for the end knobs E (Figs. 5 and 6). Rollers D turn on the nail .pivots F (Fig. 6), which must be long enough to run through the spool knobs E, through holes’ C in partitions A, and half an inch into the ends of the rollers. The spools must fit tightly on the nails. Wrap nails F with .paper, and then coat the paper with glue so the spools will stick fast. A tough wrapping-paper should be used for the scroll. Perhaps you can find a store dealer who has a roll of paper from which you can get the length you want in one piece. Tack the ends of this paper to the scroll rollers (Fig. 7). Be careful to get the

ipaper square on the rollers, so It will roll up evenly. The pictures should be put on before the scroll is pivoted 'ln the desk. Cut out and paste these lln place. Fig. 4 shows how the box-cover boards are fastened together by means of the end battens G,‘and how the pair of hinges are placed for hinging this drop-leaf to the desk.- To {support the outer edge of the dropdeaf, when the desk is open, a pair of chains must be provided. Screw screw-eyes into the drop-leaf and the (Other side of the desk, to attach the chains to. Putty all joints and nail holes. Then « coat of stain, or two coats of paint or white-enamel, will complete the desk. By screwing a pair of screwbyes into the top, the desk may be suspended from a picture-molding; or it may be hung upon a pair of long hnolra screwed into the wall. '•

HOME-MADE CANDLE STICKS. The candle stick in Fig. 1 has a base made of a small cardboard box (Fig. 2). In this box is fitted a piece of cardboard having its edges turned

down and a hole cut through its center to receive a candle (Fig. 2); glue the turned down edges to the sides of the box. Fig. 3 shows hoy to fold p cardboard strip for the handle. One end of this is stuck through a slot in one side of the box and is glued to the box bottom; the other end .4s slipped into the box and glued to the side. The candle stick in Fig. 4 is of a more ornamental design. A pill box forms the top. Fig. 5 shows how a hole is cut through the center of the box bottom for the candle to slip through, also how slots are cut through the bottom to receive the ends of the four supports. A pattern for the supports is shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 4 shows the relative proportions of the box top and the supports. The two slots A (Fig. 6) are provided for the cross strips to stick through. Fig. 4 shows how these cross strips connect and brace the supports. The upper .pair of braces support the candle. Glue the ends of the crosspieces in slots A, and glue one crosspiece to the other at their intersection. In Fig. 1 we have a candle stick with a simple shade. The base is a small cardboard box, turned bottom side up (Fig. 8). The center post mounted upon the base is in reality a

sleeve fits over the lower part of the candle (Fig. 9). This post is folded out of one piece of cardboard, and a flap is provided on one edge to lap and glue to the other edge. The top cap projects over the sides of the support all around, and has a hole cut through its center large enough for the candle to slip through. This post is glued to the center of 4.be base, and is braced with the candle stick handles (Fig. 10). After preparing the handles, cut the two pair of slots A and B (Fig. 8) through the base, for the handle ends to stick through. Glue the inner upright of each handle to the candle post, glue the end of the outer upright to the ends of the box, and glue the end of the inner upright to the box bottom. The candle shade is made of a band of cardboard bent into a ring and covered with a strip of paper that has been slashed along its edges (Fig. 11) to form fringe. Red paper will look

best for the covering. The supports for the shade are a pair of cardboard strips (Fig. 12). Glue the upper end of these to the inside of the shade; stick the lower end through a pair of slots in the base (C, Fig. 8) and glue to the box aides.