# Toy-Making at Home: How to Make a Hundred Toys from Odds and Ends/A Doll’s Cradle through to A Jack-in-the-Box

Layout 2
​A Doll’s Cradle is perhaps one of the simplest to commence with. To a box from which the lid has been removed, it is only necessary to add two rockers. These can be cut out from the lid by means of a fret saw, and then smoothed down with glass-paper. Fig. 49 shows the best shape for the rockers, which should be glued on about an inch from each end of the box (Fig. 50). Great care should be taken that the two rockers are as nearly alike as possible, otherwise the cradle will not swing to and fro freely.
A Doll’s Cart is also comparatively easy to make, the only really trying part being the cutting of the four wheels.
​For the body of the cart use a cigar box which has been deprived of its lid, and planed down level round the edges. To the under side of this body, and about one inch from each end, glue two pieces of wood to which to fix the wheels. Strengthen these joins by means of short pins driven through. Fix
Fig. 49.
the wheels to these pieces by means of pins (Fig. 51). In order to support these two wheel-holders, stretch another piece across the space between them, at right angles to each, gluing it firmly to the two centres.
The wheels should be cut with a fret saw, if you possess one.
Fig. 50.
If you do not possess one, then draw out the circle on the wood, and cut the square containing the circle. Then saw off the corners to form an eight-sided figure, and go on cutting off corners until you get down to the circle, which you can finish off with glass-paper (Fig. 52).
​A little hook or ring should be attached at the bottom of one end, in order that a string may be tied on, and the vehicle drawn along.
Fig. 51.
A Jack-in-the-Box.—One of the most old-fashioned of toys, this never loses its interest. The box required for it is practically cubical: therefore 6 four-inch squares of cigar-box wood must
Fig. 52.
be cut out. Two of these will need to be cut down to 3¾ in. in width, so that the four-inch bottom and lid will fit: so from two squares cut a strip ¼ in. wide. Glue and pin together the ​two 3¾ pieces and two of the four-inch pieces to form a hollow square. To this will be fixed one of the other four-inch pieces to form a bottom; and at the other end the remaining four-inch piece will be hinged (or wired on like the lid of a chocolate box).
Before the bottom is finally put on, it will be necessary to
Fig. 53.
attach the mechanism. For this you will require a strong piece of spring about 6 in. long when released, and a doll’s head. One end of the spring must be fixed to the centre of the base. You can do this by means of tiny wire staples (bent pins with
Fig. 54.
the heads nipped off) hammered over the wire into the base, and then bent back on the opposite side of the wood (Fig. 53). At the other end of the spring a piece of cardboard must be fixed, and to it the doll’s head must be firmly glued. When the mechanism is complete, nail on the bottom, and fix the lid.
​Into the centre of the front edge of the lid drive a small nail, or stout pin, and on the box just below fix a revolving catch hook. This you can quite easily cut from an old piece of fairly thick tin (Fig. 54). In this way an effective means is provided of releasing the lid and enabling the “Jack” to shoot out suddenly.