Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-11-07

Homs-Made Sofas and Chairs.
Daisy Eyebright is contributing
to the Country Gentleman a series
of papers on adjoining our homes.
Her second paper is on the above
topic.
We will commence with a sofa or
lounge for the common sitting.room,
upon which smother" can rest when
weary with her work, and "father''
can take siesta after dinner; while
it will always be convenient seat
for the young folks. We will Sc
lect the longest box in our possess
sion-one that is about six feet in
length, and at least a yard in width,
and make it sixteen or eighteen
inches high. five cannot find one
box of SO large dimensions, we put
two together and thus furnish our
frame, for it must be long enough
to stretch ones length upon it
easily. First we must put casters
on each corner, so that we can roll
it easily and not wear the carpet.
The coarse baggage should be
tackled loosely on, over the top, at:
ter first placing layer OF fine
rowen hay or straw evenly over the
top of the box, and then thiok GOV.
ering of cotton batting. Old worn
out comfortables or "puffs," are ex-
cellent for this purpose, or any soft
wooden material. Take care to
spread tile stuffing as evenly as pos
sible, so that there will not be any
hillocks or hollows when it is fin
ished, and then tack down the bag
gage or coarse muslin tightly. II
you can procure a mans help, and
the needed springs from furniture
dealer, it would be much easier to
use them; tie them down loosely,
cover with the baggage, and sew it
to them slightly after spreading
cotton batting lightly over them.
Now your couch is ready for its
covering, and this should be nailed
on smoothly, and firmly fastened to
the sides and ends. You can cover
the sides plainly, or with flounce,
hemming it at the bottom. If the
latter is used, tack it on the box
plaits four inches in width. This
is much more graceful than the
plain covering, but sometimes the
material runs short, and one must
save enough for pillows, as they are
indispensable adjuncts to any sofa
or lounge. Make the pillows five
Fights OF a yard square, and stuff
them with feathers, if you have
them; if not, with "exelcior," fine
rowen hay, or fine cut straw. Pa
per cut in thin strips will make
respectable stuffing, all other ma
terial lacking. Three or four pill
lows are desirable, and they can be
placed against the back Of the
lounge to give it finish, when not
otherwise needed. BY adding tas-
sells and cord to the pillows they
may be made more ornamental. If
any readers possess old damask or
moreen curtains, they will find them
very useful in covering such q
lounge. And many persons sub.
stitnte drugget for chintz, because
it wears so much longer, and is not
so readily spoiled by the hands and
feet Of children. Sometimes one
does net possess sufficient closet
room, and then the lounge can be
made to do duty instead, by putting
on lid to the box with strong
iron hinges, one near each end and
one in the middle. 1t is better,
however, to saw off a piece of the
lid, about ten inches from its edge.
Nail it firmly on the box, and fit the
hinges on that, and then you can
lift the lid without disturbing the
pillows at the back. In covering
this lid the bagging and chintx
must be covered over smoothly, and
nailed on the under side of it, SO as
to permit it to be easily opened and
closed, and the founce will conceal
the opening. The interior of the
box can then be pasted over and
covered with wall paper.
Now we must have comfortable
chairs for father aud mother, and
barrels can be transformed into
them. With little aid from car
penter's saw we will cut them into
proper shape, first drawing tho out
line on the barrel with chalk, curved
as to form the back and arms.
Then nail each hoop firmly to the
barrel, and four casters should be
firmly attached to the bottom. Now
we will make good seat by taking
three strips of webbing, lacking
them tightly across the barrel, then
interlacing three more and fasten-
ing to its sides. Tack on coarse
bagging or muslin all around the
sides and over the top OF the bar
rel, and stuff 1t we'll on the back and
sides with some soft stuff. Then
cover the whole affair with chintz;
making a flounce around the lower
part. Make soft cushion for the
seat, and oanament the upper edges
of the chair with box plated rudie,
plated in the middle. Our sitting
room needs some ottomans or stools
for the accommodation OF the young
folks. We will take some small
boxes, about two feet by foot and
Dor square ones will do; and pro-
coed as with the lounge. Strong
hinges can be put on for lid, and
the ottoman will answer for a seat
a mending basket, a work-box, or q
receptacle for newspapers and mag
azines. We will stuff these seats so
that they will be comfortable, and
add to the ease of our children Us
well as to the convenience Of our
selves. With table, a mirror, and
few engravings, or chromos, in
homemade frames, hung on the walls
our bare parlcr or sitting-room pre-