The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-11-06
For the ChIIdren-A DoII,. House.

A large packing case divided into fouI
compartments by two shelves placed
crosswise inside, makes an excellent
dolls house. Any carpenter would fiji
these shelves aud put on a door in front
at a very small charge. The four COM
partments make a dining. room, drawing
room, kitchen and bed The cell
ings should be covered with white
glazed calico, pasted on; this makes q
good imitation Of Rhitewash. Pale vel.
low calico pasted ON the kitchen walls
answers for tho usual 'distempering' OF
a real kitchen; this is less troublesome
than painting or applying real white
wash, and looks quite as well. The cal.
leo must be strained as tightly as posi-
BILE. The walls OF the other rooms
should be covered with paper. Carpets
can be made out Of pieces Of velvet, or,
better still, worked on canvas in a small
pattern suitable 10 the room. This is O
capital piece OF easy work for a little
girl. One great advantage in the dolls
house as a toy is that, like a doll, it in
duces children TO practice needle work
Real carpet is too thick for the dolls
rooms, but drugget does not look amiss.
Small pictures, cut ont Of papers or
taken OF bonbons, look well on the walls,
if surrounded by a small strip Of gilt
paper TO initiate a frame.
Much Of the furniture can beImade at
home. Beds are easily manufactured
Take an old notepaperor spool box, and
place the lid upright against one. end,
the box being turned bottom upward
This forms a bed with a back and tester.
Sew the lid firmly in its place, and paste
pink glazed calico within and without,
also along tho sides; then cover with
white muslin edged with lace, arranged
like the curtains, draperies and valance
Of a real bed. A mattress, stuffed with
any scraps of wool or %wadding, sheets,
blankets (of fanneD, Counterpart and
pillows can now be added. Silk patch.
work is effective for the Counterpart, or
one can be knitted in fine wool on steel
pins, in strips of red and white. Lace
over silk is very pretty for a counter
pane.
Here, again, is ON opportunity for the
juvenile furnishers TO exercise a little
neat needle-work,
a capital wardrobe can be made of
another such a box without the lid. II
should be lined inside with pink or
white glazed calico, and covered outside
with paper. Imitation oak-paneling
looks best. Stand this on one end, put
a row Of bent pins at the back, inside,
for the dolls TO hang their dresses on,
aud close the entrance by a curtain of
some soft material (crimson llama or
merino does well).
The curtain should be made to draw
to and fro; this is easily managed by
running a wire through a row of loops
at the back of the curtain; and then fix
ing it ecross the door. If made in a
soft material (silk is too harsh), it will
draw easily.
Tables and chairs can be made in card
board, but they are hardly durable
enough to be suitable for the dolls
house. If the family contains a brother
with a taste for carpentry, he had better
be applied to. Tables and chairs are
easily made, even by amateur carpenters.
II done neatly, it will be sufficient to
paint the legs and back to initiate what
ever wood is Notwithstanding is a
sticky and smelly operation, and hardly
one to be recommended to young folks
who have auy respect for their own
frocks or their porents' carpets.
Extremely pretty chairs can be made
by covering the wood with strong gum
and then laying cut straw regularly side
by side upon it till the chair is covered.
Sofas without armB can be made out of
an empty hook-and eye box; turn the
box bottom upward for the seat, sew
a piece of card against one side to form
the back, and cover the back and seat
first with a thin layer of wadding, then
with silk, velvet or chintz.
A dolls house, such as described, is a
toy in which all the children can take an
interest, wen the boys being useful in
making it. Where such a toy is known
to exist, friends and relatives who wish
to make presents to the little one gen.
orally let their gifts take the shape Of
some addition to the dolls house, which
often grows surprisingly rich in the
course of years.