The Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Folks' Handy Book, by 
Lina Beard and Adelia B. Beard

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net


Title: Little Folks' Handy Book

Author: Lina Beard
        Adelia B. Beard

Release Date: May 13, 2008 [EBook #25462]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE FOLKS' HANDY BOOK ***




Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Emmy and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[i]

Little Folks'
Handy Book

[ii]

BOOKS BY
LINA BEARD AND ADELIA B. BEARD

[iii]

[iv]

[v]

PREFACE

"Let me do it. 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. 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. "Look! See what I have made," comes with a ring of triumph as the childish hands gleefully hold up the finished article for inspection.

In this book we have endeavored to open a new and large field of simple handicrafts for little folk, giving them an original line of toys and a new line of materials with which to make them. We hope in these pages to bring to children the joy of making creditable and instructive toys of such ordinary things as empty spools, sticks of kindling wood, wooden clothespins, natural twigs, old envelopes and newspapers, and in this way to encourage resourcefulness,[vi] originality, inventiveness, and the power to do with supplies at hand.

Everything described in the book has been actually made by the authors, and made by such practical and simple methods that a child's mind can grasp them, and a child's hands be easily trained to manufacture the articles. It is, therefore, our hope that the "Little Folks' Handy Book" will be found useful both in Kindergarten and Primary grades of the schools and in the home nursery; a helpful friend to teachers and to mothers.

Flushing, N. Y., February 10, 1910.

[vii]

CONTENTS

[1]

LITTLE FOLKS' HANDY BOOK

CHAPTER I

PAPER BUILDING CARDS

Make your building cards of ordinary writing-paper. You may have as many cards as you like, though twelve are all that are used to make the things shown in our photographs.

Fig. 1—Cut an oblong out like this.

Fig. 2—This is the building card.

For each card cut an oblong of paper five inches long and two and a half inches wide. This is a very good size, but you can make them a little larger or smaller. Always remember, however, to have them just twice as long as they are wide, and all of one size. When you have cut out the oblong (Fig. 1) fold it through the middle, bringing the two short edges evenly together. The dotted line in Fig. 1 shows where it is to be folded. Now open the oblong half-way and you will have the building card (Fig. 2). They are very simple and easy to make, aren't they? But wonderful and delightful things[2] can be built with these pieces of paper. You can have a whole camp of little tents by standing the cards with the folded edge up; and to make

A Camp Chair

Fig. 3—You can make a little camp chair.

The second illustration (Fig. 3) shows just how to do this. Use the tents again for

The Pyramid

Fig. 4—Use the tents to make this pyramid.

The third and top story will be one tent, which forms the[3] peak of the pyramid. Of course you can make your pyramid very much larger by adding more tents to the first row and then building it up higher.

The Stable

Fig. 5—A little stable with four little stalls.

Build

The Garden Wall

Fig. 6—A garden wall and gateway.

[5]

CHAPTER II

TOYS MADE OF COMMON WOODEN BERRY-BASKETS

Use a one-quart wooden berry-box for the china closet (Fig. 7). Turn the empty box facing you, and slide the prongs of a clothespin up through the open crack at the lower right hand of the box. Allow one prong of the clothespin to come on the outside and the other prong on the inside of the thin wooden side of the box; adjust the clothespin well to the front edge of the box, and it will form the right-hand front leg of the china closet. Add another leg in like manner on the same side of the box for the back leg; then slide two more clothespins up on the opposite side of the box to form the remaining two legs (Fig. 8).

Fig. 7—The berry-basket china closet.

Fig. 8—Slide clothespins on the basket for legs.

The prongs of the clothespins do not reach up to the top of the inside of the box, but leave sufficient space for a shelf.[6] Make the shelf by laying a clothespin across from side to side, supported by the prongs of the back legs, and another across, supported by the prongs of the front legs (Fig. 8). The clothespin used for the front of the shelf will probably have to be a trifle longer than that for the back, as the box is wider in front than at the back. Set some toy dishes on the top, the shelf, and the inside bottom of the china closet, as in Fig. 7.

With another quart berry-box and four more clothespins make the

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).

Fig. 9—Slide the prongs of the clothespins down on the sides of the box.

Fig. 10—Make the doll's table.

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). Of course, the addition of a fringed white paper, or cloth scarf, over the top of the dressing-case would enhance its appearance, as would also a table-cloth over the top of the dinner table, but the covers were purposely omitted in the photographs that one may see exactly how the articles were made.

Fig. 11—The table can be turned minto a dressing-case.

Make a

Dolly's Bassinet

Fig. 12—A perfect little bassinet.

Fig. 13—The bassinet without the drapery.

A comical little berry-basket[8]

"Bow-wow"

Fig. 14—A comical berry-basket "bow-wow".

Fig. 15—Put the legs on slantingly.

Fig. 16 shows two clothespin horses attached to a

Berry-basket Wagon

Fig. 16—The berry-basket wagon with clothespin horses.

[9]

CHAPTER III

STRAW AND PAPER FURNITURE

A handful of straws, such as are used for lemonade and soda-water, several large sheets of writing-paper, and some small-sized pins—these are your materials. A pair of sharp scissors, a ruler marked off into whole, half, and quarter inches, and a lead pencil—these are your tools.

Fig. 17—The old-fashioned bedstead.

We will begin with the old-fashioned four-post bedstead with its canopy and valances (Fig. 17). It is easily put[10] together, but you must be careful to cut the straws for the posts all exactly the same length, making them about seven inches long, and to have your measurements for the other parts quite correct, in order that the bedstead may stand perfectly upright. Select four straight straws for the posts—sound and whole. Split straws will not do.

The mattress and canopy are exactly alike; each has its valance, and they are just the same size; so directions for one will answer for both. Cut an oblong of writing-paper eight and a half inches long and six and a half inches wide. Be sure that the ends and side edges form perfect right angles; if they do not, the bed will be crooked. The edges of your sheet of writing-paper are at right angles to one another, and if you use the top edge of your paper for the top edge of your oblong, and the side edge of the paper for one side edge of your oblong, the rest will come out all right.

Fig. 18—The mattress and canopy.

Now draw perfectly straight lines across your oblong from top to bottom, just one and a half inches from each edge (Fig. 18). Then from side to side draw two more straight lines; the first one and a half inches below the top edge and the other one and a half inches above the bottom edge. This gives the mattress with a border all around. In each corner of the mattress, a little more than a quarter of an inch from the end and side lines, draw a small cross as shown in Fig. 18. Be sure these crosses are placed correctly, and are exactly alike in mattress and canopy. Now cut out the four squares at the corners of the oblong, as indicated by the heavy lines in Fig. 18, and insert the point of your scissors[11] in the centre of each little cross and snip along each line of the cross. Do not make the slashes too deep.

Fig. 19—Slide the paper down to the pin.

Cut the edges of the border, or valance, into small points, as in Fig. 17; then bend the valance down at the sides and ends of the mattress. The dotted lines in the diagrams show where to bend the paper. Make the canopy just as you have made the mattress, but cut deeper points on the edge of the valance.

Through each of the four straw bedposts run a small pin two and a quarter inches from the end of the straw (Fig. 19).

Push the long ends of the straws up through the slashed crosses in the corners of the mattress (Fig. 19) until the bottom of the mattress rests on the pins, then run a pin through each straw just above and close to the top of the mattress. Between the two pins the paper can slip neither up nor down. Run another pin in each straw post half an inch from the top, slide the canopy down upon these, and fasten with more pins, as you did the mattress. Make the bolster by folding a piece of paper the proper shape and cutting the end edges in points for trimming.

Now you not only know how to make the bedstead, but

The Little Table

Fig. 20—The little table.

Make the legs of the table three inches long. Cut the top of the table four inches long and three and a half inches wide, and the shelf three and a half inches long and three[12] inches wide. Measure one-quarter of an inch from each edge of the table top and draw straight lines as in Fig. 21. This will give you a narrow border all around the top.

Make and cut the little crosses in the corners of top and shelf, then cut out the squares at the corners of the top and bend down the edges. The shelf of the table should be one inch above the bottom ends of the straws, and the top of the table one-quarter of an inch below the top ends of the straws.

Fig. 21—A narrow border all around the table top.

By making the straw legs of the table twice as long, and the top and shelves narrower, you can have another useful article of furniture, for by adding two shelves of paper on[13] the straws, and fastening them in the same way, this can be used as a cupboard or shelves on which to place the tiny doll dishes or clothes. The table can also be made into a little dressing-table, by simply using for the back legs straws twice as long as the front legs and then slipping a square piece of paper on the straws that extend above the table, to serve as a mirror. Just as the paper is slipped on the straws for the back of the chair (Fig. 22), silver paper is pasted on this to make it look like glass.

With these few patterns you can make any number of useful articles to furnish Miss Dolly's house. You can make small beds and large beds, small tables and large tables, and many sizes of chairs.

You can make

The Chair

Fig. 22—The high-backed chair.

This furniture will be especially useful in playing with paper dolls, and by using different colors, in colored papers, you can have a blue room, a pink room, and a green room.

Fig. 23—Push the straw through the back of the chair.

You can make tissue-paper sheets and spread for the bed and pillow-slips, too, if you like. Thus dolly can be tucked away snugly for the night.[14]

The ingenuity exercised in the construction of these simple articles will encourage the development of deftness and skill in the little fingers, which are ever ready to imitate anything that teacher can make.

Fig. 24—Cut the back and seat like these.

[15]

CHAPTER IV

A NEWSPAPER BOAT WHICH WILL SAIL ON REAL WATER

Fig. 25—The newspaper boat made water-proof and sailing on real water.

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.[16]

Fig. 26—Square of newspaper for making boat.

Fig. 27—Paper folded at centre.

Fig. 28—Paper with sides bent down, making four layers.

Fig. 29—Paper ready to turn back lower corners.

Fig. 30—Ready for folding back the upper corners.

Cut your square of paper even and straight. Place it out flat on top of a bare table and fold at the centre along the dotted line (Fig. 26), which will make Fig. 27. Bend each side of this down outwardly along its centre at the dotted line and bring the edges a quarter of an inch lower than the bottom fold A; then your paper will be four layers like Fig. 28. Turn up the lower edge B of Fig. 28, making Fig. 29. Fold back the three lower layers of the corners at the dotted lines (Fig. 29) and you will have Fig. 30. Bend back the upper corners at the dotted lines to make Fig. 31. Open Fig. 31 at the top and it will be your boat. Turn the boat upside down and slide one[17] loose edge on the bottom under the other loose edge; then pinch each bottom point and bend it down toward the centre of the boat, creasing it flat (Fig. 32). Turn the boat right side up again, set it on the table, bend the two sides well up and crease them along the bottom until the boat resembles Fig. 33.

Fig. 31—Square folded into boat.

Fig. 32—Fold points on bottom of boat inward toward centre—this way.

Fig. 33—Newspaper boat without sail.

To render the craft water-proof melt a piece of wax candle, turn the boat upside down again and give the bottom a coat of the melted white wax, extending the coat half way or more up the sides. Use a teaspoon for pouring the wax over the[18] boat; the hot wax soon hardens and in a few moments you may launch the little craft on the water.

If you want to make a

Sailing Vessel

With thread and needle take a stitch or two in the lower corner of the sail and attach it with a short length of the thread to the stern; fasten securely. Also fasten the pennant to the mast, so that it cannot turn, for in this vessel both sail and pennant must be stationary and not swing to either side. Be careful not to have the sail too heavy.

[19]

CHAPTER V

PAPER JEWELRY

Ordinary brown wrapping paper is the best to use for this paper jewelry. Indeed the pale, creamy yellow of some wrapping paper is much like ivory in color, and the chains and ornaments made of it are really charming.

The Necklace

See how simply the necklace is made without glue or paste. It is a system of double rings that shift and slide in one's hands like the links of a metal chain. When the principle is understood it is all very easy.

The rings may be cut out free-hand by folding the paper as in Fig. 34. Cut an oblong about six inches long and three inches wide and fold it crosswise through the middle, then bring the two side edges together and fold it again lengthwise. Start at the top where the paper is folded and cut out the ring as in Fig. 34. You will notice in the drawing that the circle at the top is slightly elongated; this is necessary in fitting the rings together. The ring when opened will look like Fig. 35. Cut out six rings the size and shape of Fig. 35, then make two smaller ones, like A (Fig. 36), and eight still smaller ones, like B (Fig. 36). Now cut a single ring perfectly round, a trifle larger than Fig. 34, a double ring like C (Fig. 37), and a pearl-shaped pendant like Fig. 38. Open Fig. 38 and cut the three-cornered catch in one half and the slit in the other half, as shown in Fig. 39. Cut the catch first, then fold the pendant again, as in Fig. 38, and punch[20] small holes with a pin at the base of the catch through the other half, to mark the place for the slit. The slit must not be as long as the base of the catch, else the catch will not hold.

The little queen. Adorned with paper jewelry.

Put the necklace together by slipping the half of one ring over both halves of another, as in Fig. 40. Commence with the single ring. Slip half of a large double ring through the single ring, bring the double ring together and slip another large ring through that, then add another large ring and you will have a chain of three large rings with the single ring at the end.

Fig. 34—Fold and cut like this.	Fig. 35—When the ring is opened.
Fig. 36—Make smaller rings like these.	Fig. 37—Fasten the pendant on the ring.
Fig. 38—The pendant.	Fig. 39—The pendant open.
Fig. 40—Slip the half of one ring over both halves of another.	Fig. 41—Cut a clasp like this.

Fig. 42—Fasten the clasp in this way.

[21]To the end double ring attach a ring, like A (Fig. 36); to A add a chain of four rings like B (Fig. 36). This gives you[22] just half of the necklace, for the single ring is to be the middle one. Make the other half in the same way, starting on the opposite side of the single ring and slipping ring into ring as you did before. Attach the ring pendant, C (Fig. 37), to the single ring between the two side rings, then add the pendant. Fasten the two halves of the pendant together by folding the two points of the catch inward, slipping the catch through the slit and then spreading the points out again flat. This makes a very secure fastening and, unless the neck of the catch is too slender, it will neither break nor pull apart.

Fig. 43—The finished jewelry.

Fig. 41 is the clasp for the necklace. Cut it out like the pattern and make it about three inches long. Slip one end of the clasp through the last ring on one end of the necklace, the other end of the clasp through the last ring on the other end of the necklace, then bring the clasp together and slip the catch through the slit, as in Fig. 42. The photograph (Fig. 43) shows how pretty the necklace is when finished.[23]

The Coronet

The coronet shown in the illustration of the "Little queen" is cut in one piece (Fig. 44). At the widest part, from top to bottom, it is three inches wide, and the ends may be lengthened or shortened to fit any head. The ends must meet and fasten at the back.

Fig. 44—The coronet is cut in one piece.

Fig. 45—Little rings ornament the coronet.

Little rings, one inch in diameter, cut like Fig. 45, ornament the coronet, as shown in Fig. 44. They are fastened by the catch at the top through slits cut in the coronet. Make three slits, one below the other, a little over one inch apart, down the middle of the coronet, and on either side of these make six more slits in the position shown on the right half of Fig. 44. This gives fifteen slits, for which you must have fifteen rings. These dangling little rings that shake and twinkle with every movement are fascinating little ornaments, and are far prettier than more elaborate designs.

Ear-rings

Quite oriental-looking ear-rings are made like Fig. 46. Cut first two single elongated hoops like Fig. 47, making them almost three inches long and one and three-quarter inches from side to side. These long hoops are to slip over the ears to hold the ear-rings on. Cut two hoops, like D (Fig. 46), and two pendants, like E (Fig. 46). Fasten the hoop D upon the hoop (Fig. 46), and the pendant E upon the hoop D, clasping the pendant by its catch as you did the pendant of the necklace. The children need not follow exactly the shapes of the "danglers" and pendants shown here—let them exercise their own taste in these.

Fig. 46—Oriental-looking ear-rings.

Fig. 47—Cut two hoops like this.

The Bangle Bracelet

[24]The bangle bracelet (Fig. 48) is made as in Fig. 49. Cut a strip of paper half an inch wide and about eight inches long;[25] make a catch at one end and a slit in the other end, then a little below the middle cut six slits half an inch apart, as in Fig. 49.

Fig. 48—The bangle bracelet.

Fig. 49—Cut a strip for the bangle bracelet.

Cut six round charms, three-quarters of an inch in diameter, with a catch at the top like Fig. 50, and fasten the charms on the bracelet. Fig. 49 gives the inside of the bracelet with three charms attached. This bracelet is large for a small child, but can be shortened at the end to fit any little arm.

Fig. 50—Cut six round charms.

Playing lady. The lorgnette.

A Link Bracelet

Fig. 51 is a link bracelet. Make this by folding a strip of paper eight inches long crosswise through the middle. Bring the folded end half way down and fold, turn back the other[26] end and fold like a fan. This divides the paper into six equal parts. Now cut out the outer edge of all the links at once. Free the two end links and cut out the centres of the others, then cut the centres of the two links, as shown in Fig. 51, making the catch and slit like the pattern.

Fig. 51—A link bracelet.

Fig. 52—Slip one link through another.

The links of the long chain shown in the photograph of "The queen and her captive," are cut exactly like the bangle bracelet (Fig. 49). The slits and charms are, of course, omitted. Fig. 52 shows how the chain is put together by slipping one link through another and fastening it with its catch. You can make the chain any length. It is so strong that only rough handling will pull it apart.

The Lorgnette

Now comes the lorgnette, which works beautifully made of rather stiff paper. Make the case of a strip of paper three[27] inches wide and eight inches long. Fold the paper lengthwise through the middle and cut it, rounding at the top like Fig. 53. In one side cut a small round hole at the top, rather near the edge of the case, F (Fig. 53), and fold back the lower corners according to the dotted lines. Cut out the eyeglasses like Fig. 54. Curl the edges of the ball G together and slide the ball through the hole F in the case, as in Fig. 55.

Fig. 53—Make the lorgnette case of a strip of paper.

Fig. 54.

Fig. 55—The glasses swing loosely.

The glasses swing quite loosely by this hinge, and will slide easily in and out of the case. When tucked away inside the case a little flirt of the hand, a turn of the wrist, will throw them out and they can be lifted to a piquant little nose in the most approved and fine-ladylike fashion.

The lorgnette in use is shown in the photograph, "Playing lady." "The little queen" displays jewelry, and "The queen and her captive" show the long chain.

The queen and her captive.

[28]

CHAPTER VI

WHAT TO MAKE OF EMPTY SPOOLS

Gather up all the spools you can find, big, little, thick, and thin; no matter how many, you can use them all. There is no end of fun to be had with these always-on-hand, easily found toys; they may be made into almost everything.

Spool Houses

Fig. 56—First row of spools.	Fig. 57—Second row of spools.
Fig. 58—Third row of spools.	Fig. 59—Fourth row of spools.
Fig. 60—Fifth row of spools.	Fig. 61—A piece of pasteboard on top.
Fig. 62—Place the roof on top.

Make the yard into a cheerful

Sunshiny Garden

Fig. 63—Trees and flowers made of paper and spools.

Fig. 64—This is the way to make a tree.

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. When you reach the solid, narrow part of the paper strip it will roll into a smooth, round stick, forming the lower part of the tree trunk. Paste the last wrapped corner of the paper roll in place and clip the tree trunk off even across the bottom edge; then press it into a hole in the centre of an empty spool of ordinary size, and there's your tree! You can vary the foliage by crimping the fringe with knife or scissors before the strip is rolled into a tree and by having the fringe of some much longer than that of others. 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; or a number of the trees might form a playground or a grove where dolls may go for a picnic.

In the photograph of the group of trees you will see a number of pots of flowers. The flowers are disks and squares of different bright-colored tissue-paper, each one with its centre pinched together and twisted into a stemlike piece, which is pushed down into a buttonhole-twist spool. Around some of the flowers a smaller square of green may be used for foliage.[32]

You could make an extensive flower garden by using a great number of these short, flat spools and bits of gay tissue-paper, and they can be arranged and rearranged in many different ways.

It is possible to make all kinds of toy furniture of spools. If you want

A Bedroom Set,

Fig. 65—A little bedstead.

Fig. 66—A table can be made in a moment's time.

Fig. 67—The lamp.

A little table can be made in a moment's time. All that is necessary is to choose a large spool and place a round piece of paper on the top (Fig. 66). 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

You can glue the tops on the table and washstand and the mirror on the bureau also; though this is not necessary, for if you are careful and do not knock against the furniture it will remain secure.

Now make the toy

Kitchen

Fig. 68—Just like a kitchen.

[34]

Fig. 69—The stove without the stovepipe.

See how firm and substantial the little kitchen furniture looks in the photograph with its fine stove, dresser, and wash-tub (Fig. 68). Use four spools for the feet of the stove. Over these lay a piece of pasteboard about six inches long and four inches wide, allowing it to project beyond the front feet to form the apron; then build on the body of the stove, making it of spools two layers deep, as in Fig. 69. Cut a piece of pasteboard to fit over the spools for the stove top, and have it long enough to stand out a short distance at the back; then you can build on the stovepipe (Fig. 70).

Fig. 70—The finished stove.

Fig. 71—The kitchen dresser.

Make the dresser of spools and strips cut from pasteboard boxes (Fig. 71).[35]

For the tubs stand four spools close together, and set a little round box on top of them. Make the washboard of a piece of paper folded many times backward and forward, fan fashion. After carefully creasing the folds, pull the paper out slightly and put it in the tub for the next washday (Fig. 68).

After cooking,

A Dining Table

Fig. 72—The dining table.

When enough furniture has been manufactured, build

A Wagon

Fig. 73—Pattern of little wagon.

Cut Fig. 73 from heavy paper or cardboard that will fold without breaking. Bend all the dotted lines and cut all the heavy lines in the pattern. Push a burnt match, or a wooden toothpick through one hub, then through an empty spool[37] and the second hub. The spool forms the wheels. Screw a small pin cautiously through each of the two projecting ends of the match, piercing the wood and leaving the head and point of the pin standing out (Fig. 74). Tie a knot in the end of a string to prevent its sliding out and thread it through the hole in the dashboard.

Fig. 74—The wagon of cardboard with spool for wheels.

By laying narrow strips of paper on a table or on the floor to form a boundary line, you may make a

Sunday-School Room

Fig. 75—A Sunday-school room made of spools.

Leave an open space for the doorway at the opposite end of the room from the organ. Build up a column of four large spools at each side of the space and connect them with a strip of paper laid from the top of one column to the top of the other.

Build the fine, large pipe-organ close to the edge of the back room. Stand eight spools in a row tight to each other at equal distances from each boundary side line. Build the[38] row up three spools high, then skipping the end spools, build on two layers of six spools each; again skip the end spools and build on a layer of four spools. Crown the last layer with two top spools. Across the centre front of the organ stand a row of spools, two high and three long. Over them lay a piece of paper bent lengthwise through the centre for the key-board and music-rack. Bend another piece of paper for the music and stand it on the key-board against the rack. Make the organ seat of two spools placed side by side in front of the organ with a strip of paper laid over them. Let the seats for the doll children be rows of three spools each. Place the seats one in front of another in parallel lines a short distance apart and allow a wide, lengthwise central aisle between them. All this is shown in Fig. 75.

Trolley Car

Fig. 76—The spool trolley car.

Hunt up an old pasteboard box, for you will need a box lid about fifteen inches long and eight inches wide as a foundation for the realistic trolley car (Fig. 76). Use eight spools[39] for the wheels; place two spool wheels near the front and two near the back on each side. Lay the spools down flat and rest the edge of the box lid on the body of the spools; then stand a row of eleven spools on each side of the top of the box lid. Beginning at one end of the row, build up every other spool into three-spool columns; the intervening spaces form the open windows of the car.

Leave windows on the opposite side of the car in the same way, and place a row of spools close up against the bottom spools of each side of the car to form the car seats. Roof the car with a piece of cardboard cut off square at one end and rounded at the other. On top of each side of this roof place one row of six buttonhole-twist spools, the spools of each row separated equal distances (Fig. 76). Stand a spool on the front of the car platform for the motorman's wheel and you have a car like that in the photograph.

When the trolley is taken apart use the spools in building

A Bridge

Fig. 77 shows that the piers can be built to a good height and be solid and substantial.

Stand three large-sized spools together, forming a triangle, with one point turned to face the opposite pier. This group of three spools is the foundation of one of the two columns, which together form one pier of the bridge.

Fig. 77—The spool bridge.

About two inches distant and on a line with the triangle of spools stand a group of three more spools, and build up each group into a column four spools high. You will need two more columns for the opposite pier of the bridge; build them as you did the first, and place the second pier exactly opposite to and as far from the first as you desire the span should reach—say about fourteen inches.

Lay a strip of pasteboard six inches wide across from pier to pier, allowing the ends to rest on the piers, but not extend beyond the outside end edges of the piers; then if your span[40] is fourteen, inches long, cut from a pasteboard box two more strips fourteen inches long and of the same width as the span; score each strip across one end, one inch from the edge, bend slightly and fit the bent edge of each strip on one end of the bridge, allowing the other end of the strip to extend away from the pier and rest on the floor, forming an inclined approach to the bridge proper as in Fig. 77.

When your pasteboard strips are well settled in place, continue building up the piers on top of the pasteboard, making each group of three spools two layers high; then build up one spool two layers high on top of the four columns.

Fig. 78—Span the two columns with this.

Complete the archway by spanning the two columns of each pier with a narrow strip of stiff white paper bent up into a point at the centre and out into a flap at each end (Fig. 78). The flaps[41] rest on top of the spools. The photograph shows how the entire bridge should look, and in the photograph you will find a little lady hurrying across the bridge on her way home, and following in her wake Mr. Clothespin and Mrs. Clothespin. A paper boat under the bridge would make the scene more realistic.

Next build

A Memorial Arch

Fig. 79—A spool memorial arch.

The Parthenon

Fig. 80—The Parthenon made of spools.

If you have enough spools, you can make a miniature representation of one of the most beautiful temples ever built. Begin by standing four spools in a row for the first end of the building, allowing about the width of a spool between each two. Place eight in a row for the first side, four for the other end, and eight for the second side (Fig. 80). Have the spools all of the same size, that the walls may be alike and perfectly even, because, as you know, the walls are to be formed of columns, not as many as in the original, but enough to give an idea of the Greek temple. Build up the spools three deep into pillars; then lay a piece of pasteboard on the top of the columns for a ceiling. Bend another piece of pasteboard[43] lengthwise through the centre for the roof, and stand it tent-like on top of the ceiling. You can measure the correct size of the ceiling by laying a piece of pasteboard down flat on the floor along the eight-columned side of the Parthenon to obtain the length, and placing it flat on the floor across the four-columned side to mark the width. Make the roof the same length and a little wider than the ceiling, to allow for the height of the bend through the centre.

You must imagine a space immediately beneath the roof of the little Greek temple filled in with the most beautiful statuary, and think of the spools as white marble columns, and you should see, in fancy, another row of stately columns inside the ones you have built. Tell all about the real[44] Parthenon and hunt up a picture of the temple that all may see just how near you came to making the little model look like the wonderful Parthenon on the Acropolis, in Athens.

After admiring the building for a while, pretend that a left-over spool

Is a Venetian Shell

You can

Blow Bubbles with a Spool,

Fig. 81—You can blow bubbles with a spool.

Now try

Pretty Butterflies

Fig. 82—Pattern of butterfly.

Fig. 83—It will fly from the spool.

Take another empty spool and stick a common wire hairpin partially into the hole, bend the hairpin slightly down against the edges of the hole, do the same with three more hairpins, and you will have a spool with a funnel-like opening of hairpins at the top (Fig. 84). In the funnel place a small, light-weight ball made of a crushed bit of bright paper wound around with thread. Raise the spool to your lips and blow gently (Fig. 85). The ball will rise and fall in mid-air, in the same way that you have seen one of rubber dance at the top of a small fountain or jet of water.

Fig. 84—The ball is placed on top of the spool.

Fig. 85—The ball will rise and fall.

[47]

CHAPTER VII

OLD ENVELOPE TOYS, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM

Don't throw away your old envelopes; see what amusing toys can be made of them simply by folding and cutting. No paste or glue is needed, and any one of the toys given here can be made in five minutes or less.

Fig. 86—The side view of the frog shows his beautiful open mouth.

Fig. 87—The frog is sprawled out on the table.

The Frog

The frog is one of the simplest and at the same time the funniest of the collection. Fig. 86 gives a side view in which his beautiful open mouth can be seen to advantage. Fig. 87 shows him sprawled out on the table. Fig. 88 gives the pattern of the frog as it appears when drawn on the envelope. You will notice that the bottom fold of the envelope is used for the top of the animal. Draw the outlines as in Fig. 88, then cut along the lines you have drawn. The under part of the body follows the edge of the lower lap of the envelope from front to hind leg. Now flatten out the fold at the top and bend the paper under at the corners,[48] which forms the head and tail. Cut a slit along the folded edge of the head for the mouth, pull the lower part down and the mouth will open wide as a frog's mouth naturally does. By working the lower jaw the frog can be made to snap at imaginary flies. Draw the eyes as shown in Fig. 87 and bend down the lower part of the body along the dotted line, shown in Fig. 88, spread out the hind legs, and Master Frog is finished.

Fig. 88—The pattern of the frog drawn on an envelope.

The Little Bed

Fig. 89—Use a long envelope for the little bed.

For the little bed (Fig. 89) use a long envelope. If the top lap is open, cut it off. Flatten out the bottom fold as you did[49] for the frog's back, then bend the ends and sides as in Fig. 90. Bend up the points at each end for head and footboards, and there is your bed.

The Table

Make the table (Fig. 91) of a smaller envelope in the same way, but leave the points extending out at the ends (Fig. 90) and cut short legs on the bottom edge (Fig. 91).

Fig. 90—Fold the envelope this way for the bed.

Fig. 91—Make the table of a smaller envelope.

Plates and other dishes can be made very easily. For circular dishes use a cent or a ten-cent piece for a pattern. Very effective cups and goblets can be made from old pieces of tinfoil. The table, however, is strong enough to hold the little china or tin dishes usually found among a child's collection of toys.

The Sofa

Fig. 92—A comfortable little sofa.

The comfortable little high-backed sofa (Fig. 92) is made of a long envelope with the top left open. Fold the envelope[50] into the box shape, as for the bed, with the points turned up. Then fold the tips of the points inward, as in Fig. 93. Now reverse the box and slit down the two front edges which gives an opening in front. Bend down this front piece and cut it off on a line with the two ends.

Fig. 93—Fold the tips of the points inward.

The Arm-Chair

A deep, low-seated arm-chair can be made of an oblong envelope of ordinary size by following the directions for the sofa and allowing the back to curve instead of making it flat, then slitting down the sides and bending them over to form the arms (Fig. 94).

Fig. 94—Make the arm-chair of an oblong envelope.

The Bath Tub.

Fig. 95—A little bath tub for imaginary water.

[51]A little bath tub, but one that will scarcely hold water, is shown in Fig. 95. In this the upper lap is left open, the[52] points are bent under, and the sides left to curve naturally. A baby carriage can also be made in this way, but for the carriage the points must extend down and have wheels drawn on them and the tips must be cut off squarely at the bottom so that the carriage will stand. The lap is the back and the handle in one (Fig. 96).

Fig. 96—A doll-baby can ride in this carriage.

The Bungalow

Fig. 97—The bungalow is made of a long envelope.

The little bungalow (Fig. 97) is something very different, yet it, too, is made of an envelope. Though it appears to have many parts it is all in one piece. The envelope is a long one, such as is used for legal papers. Fig. 98 gives the pattern. The heavy lines show where to cut and the dotted lines where to bend. The lap forms the front porch, but the porch may be left off entirely if the envelope has been slit at the top in opening it. With a little care, however, many envelopes can be opened intact. Cut along the heavy lines of the door and windows, then open the door and the little shutters. Bend back the ends of the house and in the middle of each end take a little plait from top to bottom. This is to make the ends narrower and give room for the roof to slant. Bend the roof back from the eaves along the dotted line. The back of the bungalow is made like the front, except that it has no door, windows, or porch.

Children who have a knack at drawing can greatly improve the bungalow by drawing the slats to the blinds, drawing in the panelling on the front door, putting on the knob, putting shingles on the roof, etc., etc.

Fig. 98—Draw the bungalow on the envelope in this way.

[53]

The Cart

The little cart (Fig. 99), that will hold quite a heavy doll, and can be trundled about like one made of wood, is not cut at all.

Fig. 99—The cart can be trundled about like one made of wood.

Fold an oblong envelope into the box shape (Fig. 93), with points turned up, but let the points be deeper than for the bed or sofa. This is because the ends of the envelope are to form the sides of the cart and must be longer from front to back. Bend the tips of the points in and crease the folds sharply that they may lie flat against the sides. Sharpen one end of a small, round stick and push it through the middle of the folded point on one side, then slide a large, empty spool on the stick and thrust the point of the stick through the opposite side (Fig. 100). The stick should stand out beyond the cart about half an inch on each side, and will need no fastening.

Fig. 100—This is the way to put wheels on the cart.

Puncture a hole in one end of the cart, thread a cotton string through the hole, tie a large knot on the inside end and pull the string through until the knot presses close against the end of the cart. Let the string be long enough to reach easily from the floor to the little hand that will hold the other end.[54]

Besides all these toys, a baby's cradle that has rockers and will rock, a cunning little dressing-table with its mirror, boxes of different shapes and sizes, and various kinds of baskets can be made of the old envelope. Probably there are other forms it may be made to assume—boats perhaps, that for a time at least will float on the water, and animals other than the frog.

[55]

CHAPTER VIII

TOYS OF CLOTHESPINS

You can make cunning, soft, downy hens and roosters simply of raw cotton and clothespins (Fig. 101). The little creatures may be pure white, dark colored, or part dark and part light, according to the cotton used.

Fig. 101—Soft, downy hens and roosters.

All of

The Chickens

Fig. 102—Slide the prongs of two clothespins together.	Fig. 103—Tie a piece of raw cotton over the head of one clothespin.

With a string tie a piece of raw cotton over the head of one clothespin; have the string tight, but the cotton cover rather loose. Bring the cotton partly down the clothespin and tie it again (Fig. 103); then use your fingers to shape the top cotton into the form of a rooster's head; gently pull a little of it out to make the beak; tie a string around the beak where it joins the head, and, with thumb and finger slightly dampened, twist the end of the beak into a point (Fig. 104). Cotton which comes in sheets is best for the tail, but the other will[57] do. Lay the centre of a generous piece of cotton over the head of the second clothespin, plait the loose ends around the pin, and fasten with a string, making the edge of the tail in a line with the opening of the prongs of the pin. Cut the folded end rounded on top, and slit it up a short distance into wide fringe to form the long feathers of the rooster's tail (Fig. 104).

Fig. 104—Pull a little of the cotton out to make a beak.

Fig. 105—A fine little rooster that will move his little head.

With another piece of cotton cover the back and sides of the rooster, as you would put a saddle on a horse. Bring the edges of the cover together down the neck and body; when fitted lift the cover, put paste here and there on its under side near the edge, replace the cover and it will stick fast; then, with the top of a wire hairpin, push the edges of the cover, front and back, in between the open prongs of the clothespin. Ink round bits of paper and paste on the rooster for eyes; make his comb and wattles of red tissue paper (Fig. 105), and you will have a fine rooster which can actually[58]

Move His Little Cotton Head

Fig. 106—The little hen.

Fashion the hen in the same way you made the rooster, only have the tail smaller and without long feathers (Fig. 106). The comb on the hen must also be smaller than that on the rooster. The general shape of the hen is the same as that of the rooster. Notice that the direction of outline along the lower edge of tail and body is one continuous slanting line; remember this when adjusting the tail that it may not stand out backward at right angles from the body.

The Little Lambs

Fig. 107—Making a downy little lamb out of a clothespin.

Fig. 108—Tie a gay ribbon around the lamb's neck.

Fig. 109—The group of sheep.

[60]

The Rabbit

Fig. 110—Such a funny little long-eared rabbit.

Fig. 111—The doggie's head is large.

The Ears and Tail of a Dog

When tying beaks, ears, and tails of the various animals, cut the string ends close to the knot; then the string will sink into the cotton.[61]

Fig. 112—Begin to dress the doll in this way.

Fig. 113—A strip of cotton for arms.

To dress a

Little Girl Doll,

Fig. 114—Little girl doll made of a clothespin and dressed in raw cotton.

Fig. 115—Miss Dolly's back.

Fig. 116—The clothespin boy.

Make the

Boy Doll

Fasten a belt high at the back and low in the front around his waist, giving the coat a Russian-blouse effect; make him a ribbon bow necktie, and ink the features.

These small people are very bewitching, as are also the animals.

You can color the sheet cotton slightly here and there with water-color paint if you are clever with a paint brush. As you work with these little dolls and animals you will find ever so many ways to vary them in effect. They are so soft and fluffy that a baby can play with them without injury, and a school or college boy may be amused by being presented with one, appropriately dressed, as a souvenir of pleasant experiences at a college luncheon or dinner.

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.

Little girl dolls may be similarly made to represent basket-ball players in short skirts and school or college sweaters, with appropriate emblems on the front, for a special entertainment.

Making these figures is much less trouble than dressing dolls entails, and much more of a novelty, too. They take so many shapes that they fit almost any occasion.

In fact, the possibilities of these cotton and clothespin toys are almost endless in the hands of ingenious young people.

[64]

CHAPTER IX

SCRAP-BOOKS

Mother Goose Scrap-Book

The nursery scrap-books made of linen or colored cambric are, perhaps, familiar to most of our readers; but for the benefit of those who may not yet have seen these durable little books, we will give the following directions for making one:

Fig. 117—Scrap-book opened and stitched through the middle.

Fig. 118—Scrap-book folded and then stitched.

Cut from a piece of strong linen, colored cambric, or white muslin, four oblongs twenty-four inches long by twelve inches wide. Buttonhole-stitch the edges all around with some bright-colored worsted, then place the oblongs neatly together and stitch them directly through the centre with strong thread (Fig. 117). Fold them over, stitch again, as in Fig. 118, and your book is finished and ready for the pictures.

Fig. 119—Three Wise Men of Gotham	Fig. 121—Little Jack Horner.

Fig. 120—Materials for Three Wise Men of Gotham.

It is in the preparation of these pictures that you will find[65] the novelty of the plan I propose. Instead of pasting in cards and pictures which have become too familiar to awaken interest, let the young book-makers design and form their own pictures by cutting special figures, or parts of figures, from different cards, and then pasting them together so as to form new combinations.

Fig. 122—Materials for Little Jack Horner.

Any subject which pleases the fancy can be illustrated in this way, and the children will soon be deeply interested in the work and delighted at the strange and striking pictorial characters that can be produced by ingenious combinations.

Stories and little poems may be very nicely and aptly illustrated; but the "Mother Goose Melodies" are, perhaps, the most suitable subjects with which to interest younger children, as they will be easily recognized by the little folk.

Take, for instance, the "Three Wise Men of Gotham," who went to sea in a bowl. Will not Fig. 119 serve very well as an illustration of the subject? Yet these figures are cut from advertising cards, and no two from the same card. Fig. 120 shows the materials; Fig. 119 shows the result of combining them.[66]

Again, the little man dancing so gaily (Fig. 122) is turned into "Little Jack Horner" eating his Christmas pie (Fig. 121), by merely cutting off his legs and substituting a dress skirt and pair of feet clipped from another card. The Christmas pie in his lap is from still another card.

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; and you will be surprised to see what amusing, and often excellent, illustrations present themselves as the result of a little ingenuity in clipping and pasting.

Another kind, which we shall call the

Transformation Scrap-Book

Unlike any other, where the picture once pasted in must remain ever the same, the transformation scrap-book alters one picture many times. To work these transformations, a blank book is the first article required; one eight inches long by six and a half or seven wide is a good size.[67]

Cut the pages of this book across, one-third the way down. Fig. 123 shows how this should be done. The three-cornered piece cut out near the binding allows the pages to be turned without catching or tearing. Leave the first page uncut; also the one in the middle of the book.

Cut from picture-cards, or old toy-books which have colored illustrations, the odd and funny figures of men and women, boys and girls, selecting those which will give variety of costumes and attitudes.

Fig. 123—Transformation scrap-book with pages cut.

Paste the figure of a woman or a girl on the first page, placing it so that when the lower part of the next page is turned the upper edge of it will come across the neck of the figure where it is joined on to the shoulders.

Fig. 124—Leaves from a transformation scrap-book.

Cut the heads from the rest of the pictured women, turn the lower part of the next page and, choosing a body as different as possible from the one just used, paste it upon the lower part of the second page, directly under the head belonging to the first body. Upon the upper part of the second page paste any one of the other heads, being careful to place it so that it will fit the body. Continue in this way, pasting the heads upon the upper, and the bodies on the lower, part of the page, until the space allowed for the women is filled up; then, commencing at the page left in the middle of the book, paste upon it the figure of a man, and continue in the same manner as with the women, until the spaces are all used and the book is complete.

[68]The combinations formed in this way are very funny.[69] Old heads with young bodies; young heads with old bodies; then one head with a great variety of bodies, and so on.

The first picture may represent a man, tall, thin, dressed in a rowing costume, as shown in the illustration. Turn the lower part of the next page, and