The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-03-18
Home-Made Screens.

Is the case with most modern house-dec
4orations. Do you wish to initiate them
% impecunious dweller in country
housee If you can get the ''blind side"
Ofthe village carpenter he will make you
a light pine frame with solid feet, about
three feet by three, or four feet high by
two across, for fifty cents; then ask at a
paint store for Devoe's ebonizer, which
will cost twenty-five cents, and stain ii
'carefully-two coats well rubbed in will
give a fine polish. Now take silesia of
two contrasting colors, one for each side
of your screen, cut the exact size, which
dampen thoroughly, and stretch while
wet upon your frame, lacking it very
lightly on both sides, and drawing it
tighteras it dries. Take atape-measure
and mark off equal distance say an inch
or an inch and half apart, turning the
edges in, and then tack with very small
carpet-tacks, which are afterward COW
cred with fancy brass-headed nail.
Your screen now is ready for adorn-
ment. Christmas and Easter cards
gummed on according to taste make a
very pretty and enduring remembrance
of friends. A friend prepared a charm
ing fairy-tale screen for her nursey, in
three compartments, each telling various
fairy legends most graphically, as the
pictures were cut from books, and APP
propriately arranged. Sister Anne was
in her tower looking out for the brothers,
while below poor Fatima fell at the feet
of the furious spouse. Cinderella's ca
reer began in ashes and misery at the
bottom, while the happy Prince tried on
the bright slipper at the top, and Jack
really twined his bean stalk up and down
the last compartment, while Kate Green
away'squaint little maidens peeped in
and out What pleasure it was for the
darings lying in their little brass cribs
TO be soothed to sleep in such a fairy-like
manner! ...-..,......
An invalid was greatly gratified by a
present of screen on which her favorite
flowers were grouped, they being in re-
atty frontispieces from old floral maya
zines. Historical subjects with portraits
may be used very effectively for large
folding screens. Take some well-known
author, put'his likeness in the center and
group around pictures of his life or illus
trations of his works; or take poem and
illustrate it by collecting suitable pictures
from various sources from time to time.
You will be surprised at the result.
In fastening on all these pictures for
screens to a foundation of either. silesia
or paper, be very careful to know Just
where the picture is to be put, because it
can not be moved afterward without
leaving blur Use fine flour paste, aerv
smooth and rather stiff. Put the paste
on to the picture, then set it in its place,
and press down gently with an old linen
napkin. Do so until all are on, when
your screen, is finished, as it needs no
vanishing afterward. >'t
These hints are intended for inartistic
work-women, or rather for those who
have the idea in their brains, but cannot
make the hand obey. For an artist the
field is inexhaustible. and even for those
less ambitious a background carefully
put in, and then single figure or a
lovely engraving from a portfolio, pro-
duces a surprising effect. Those from
the illustrated papers are always avail
able for such purpose.
Some English screens are made of
photographs on tinted paper. At a
a recent royal wedding such screen
was named among the gifts made by one
of the princesSes. They are easily made.
The frame may be either black or bright
red stained wood; stretch over the mus
lin that has been shrunk, or else havethe
frame altogether of wood; cover this
with the kind of paper used for the fly
leaves of books-crimson for one side,
French gray the other, or China blue and
old gold. Slip your photographs from
the cards by floating them in water
Then press, them between old newspaper
with warm iron. Arrange your pho,
-tographs according to taste. 1t is best
10 have a large one in the centre, and
group the others around it! You may
have fancy pieces, or else heads of cele-
brities, or even likenesses of your friends
These photographs be must put on
the screen with starch boiled just as if to
starch clothes. When all are dried, put
on thin coat of sizing, and afterward
yarnish over all. A table screen for a
lamp is similarly made Cut out six
pieces of cardboard in the shape of a
Gothic window. Paste on one side only
the tinted paper. When dry, fasten
together on the back. Then, as,in your
large SCREEN group your photographs
on, finishing off with sizing and varnish.
Have six holes punched each side, and
fasten together with ribbon bows. This
makes three folds to, your SCREEN The
edges may be finished off with gold
paper, or ribbon glued on, if you prefer.
A transparent screen is very orna-
mental where there's an open fire, made
either of plain or ground glass, and one
We have seen had impressions of ferns on
the glass, which seen through the fire.
light gave.out a very soft and tender
hue. gag fa4Gua.aa .e4 .o III
Another transparent screen is made of
thin muslin or tarlatan, or, better still,
white Grape, stretched on frame; then
water-color pictures are gummed on it,
arranged Enthusiastically or tastefully, as
you like. Such screen was once seen,
according to tradition, in the stately
study of one of our most distinguished
authors. The light shining from behind
throws out all the mellow tints of the pic
sture very effectively, conveying the i'm
preston of a lovely stained glass win
dow. ~ s--. --, ~ s-
The frame of screens may be varied by
more than one device of handiwork. The