The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-22
HOW TO MAKE HOLIDAY PRE- rENTs

men and jolly for the children they are
fraught with anxiety for the women,
who not only must anticipate the gas.
tronomic wants of the household, but
manufacture and invent something fol
everybody, regardless of age or SEX
The larger her connection the greater
her responsibility, and long before tho
big cousin with the little mustache and
the new baby nephew have been thought
OF poor mother is on the verge of dis.
traction. While it is delightful essen.
tial that all should be remembered, it is
by no means imperative that the favors
should tax the purse. And for the bene-
fit of those with whom economy is an
urgency the following suggestions are
submitted.
One of the most effective and inexpen-
sive waste baskets can be devised for
less than so cents. Get stout peach
basket from your grocer and cover it in
side and outside with any material that
is handy. If intended for room much
used, cover it again with some Blue pa
per cambria, stretched on plain. Get
two yards of dotted muslin and have
the inner side put on in gathers and the
outer drapery laid in loose plating.
Cover the connection around the brim
with ruching of blue satin ribbon,
which can be purchased any place for
IL cents yard This design is exceed
ing pretty if the outside is covered with
silk cut in little cores to fit the basket.
Have Swiss tarletan or null lining, and
finish off with band made of piece
feathers, such as duck, quail, or pea
cock. These baskets are frequently seen
in handsomely furnished libraries, sit
ting-rooms, and chambers for waste pa
per or catch-all for the threads and
tooth-picks that are constantly appear
ing on the carpets. For u different style
of parlor receptacle geta common paste
board box, such as shirts arc sold in,
and after removing the edges roll the
cover i'm the form of cylinder, lacing
the edges together with Il piece OF cable
cord. Cut out n circular piece for the
bottom and sew it in with the cord. Line
the entire inside and the outside of the
base with some dark serge or cashmere.
Get piece of coarse canvas, work in .
cross-stitch and border pattern having
different but harmonious colors for every
stripe. Use double zephyr as that is the
best for entirely covering the lines of
the canvas. 1t will be well to select
black or dark wine color for the back
ground rs the busting and sweeping
will tell on light worsteds. Fit this over
the box and finish the upper and lower
edge with heavy black silk cord. Ii
desired for little scrap-bag put loop
of the cord on one side and hang in the
corner near the machine.
For housewife there are few offer
ings from friend that will be more ac-
ceptable than a sewing-apron. Use grass
linen, duck, or some similar stout goods,
being careful to select gray or durable
brown. You can buy paper pattern
for 15c with full directions for making
and trimming. For the same tireless
worker two or three dainty dust-caps
will be appreciated. Cut the paper mus
lin, which should not be of q light color,
circular, about twelve inches in dame
ter, and get the edge pinked. Run a
narrow casing two inches from the edge
and gather with a fiat elastic.
A dozen kitchen aprons made of
brown bingham, with bib and button,
will cost So, and where is the housewife
that will not enthusep Equally useful is
a couple of holders, wadded, quilted
and bound with n good sized loop at
one corner, so as to secure it for ironing
day. We have seen sample of this
kind of work. The possessor received it
on her wedding day, and the carefully
applied patches and the darns upon
darns was sufficient evidence that it had
been appreciated.
No bathroom is complete in its APP
pointments until there is bracket with
n pair of toilet gloves on it. These are
knitted or crocheted with white ever
lasting braid. in mitten shape, large
enough TO cover n mans hand. They
cost nothing but the time spent in max
ing them, and any seven-year-old girl,
or boy either, for that matter, can be
shown how to make them. If the friend
ship is sufficiently intimate use the same
material and two knitting needles max
ing little square or n rectangular piece
of work for washrags. A collar or hand
kerchief bag TO hang near the toilet table
is n less suggestive gift and handy
one, too. 1t can be made of graduated
pieces in tidy-cotton, crocheted in the
afghan stitch, decorated, and sewed to.
gether with scarlet worsted; or cheap
or and equally serviceable method is tc
crochet an open work bag to piece Of
silver cardboard about six inches deep
with q circumference to suit the taste
One seen last week had been manufact
ured from pair of fathers old duck
pantaloons. The bag, which was uset
for holding pieces of soiled laces, meas
ured some twelve inches in depth, and
the side cores were bound together will
scarlet braid.
An after-dinner apron for lady car
be fashioned from any kind of fine cot
ton goods rufiied with deep embroidery
But these worn with n handsome toilet
when the lady whites away the tim'
with some fancy-work, are made of flint
bobinct heavily darnod with floss OF
linen thread. The ruflle is made of TIN
self same material and large satin bow
to correspond with the band takes tn
| place of n pocket. This little gift con