Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-07-07
Homemade Screens.

nAU cNiiioitiHS llO IHlul id' a "a IL, ~
Is the case with most modern io,i,e-dec-
ora;ions. DO You wish to initiate, them.
q imperunious fwrllrr in :, country
house? II You can get the ''h,ind sii.'
o!thr village carpenter he will make Won
4 light pine frame with solid feet. about
three feet by three. Or four feet high bv
two across, for fifty cents; then ash at 3
paint store for Devoe's cboniHer, which
viii cost twenty-five cents. and stain il
carefully-twO coats well rubbed in will
give fine polish. Eow take sle,ia OF
two contrasting colors, ono 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
tighter As it dries. Take tape-mca>ure
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 afterwxrd Gov
cred with fancy br.Ss-hraded nail.
Your screen now is ready for adorn-
ment. Christmas and Easter cards
gummed on according to taste make Il
very pretty and enduring remembrance
OF friends. A friend prepared \ charm
Ing fairy-tale screen for her nurs,'v in
three compartments. each telling various
fairy legends most graphically, rs the
pictures were cut from books, and ap-
prOpriatelv arranged. Sister Anne was
in her tower looking out for the brothers.
while below poor Fatima fell at the feet
OF the furious spouse. Cindcrella'S "a
reer began in ashes and misery al 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 u pleasure it was for the
dsrlings lying in their little brass cribs
to be soothed to sleepin such Il fairy-like
manner!
An invalid wa. greatly gratiied by a
present Of a screen on which her favOri,e
flowers were grouped, they being in re-
atty frontispieccS from old floral maya
zines. Historical subjects with portraits
may be used very effectively for large
folding screens. Take some Syell-known
author. put his likeness in the center and
group around pictures Of his life or illus
trations OF his works; or take 4 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 4 foundation of either silesia
or paper. be very careful 10 know jus;
where the picture is to he put. because it
can not be moved afterward without
leaving blur. Use line flour paste. rcry
s.t.n l..
on TO the picture. then set il in lis place.
and press down gently with an old linen
napkin. Do SO until all are on. when
your screen il finished, Us it needs no
vanishing afterward.
These hint. are intended for inartistic
wOrk-wOmen, or rather for those who
have the idea in their brains. but canno,
make the hand obey. For an artist tn,
field is inexhauStible, and even for those
less ambitious background carefully
put in, and then Il single figure or a
lovely engraving from u portfolio. pro-
duces 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 Il
n recent royal wedding such a 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 have the
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 i'll water
Then press them between old newspaper
with a warm iron. Arrange your pho
tographs according to taste. IL is best
to have large one in the centre, and
group the others around it. You may
have fancy pieces. or else heads of cele-
brities, or even likencsscs of your friends.
These photographs be must put on
the screen with starch boiled Just IA If to
starch clothes. When all are dried, put
on thin coat Of sizing, and afterwar,l
varnish over all. A table screen for a
lamp is similarly made. Cut out six
pieces of cardboard in the shape of Il
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 aud varnish.
Have six holes punched sch 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 is an open fire. made
either of plain or ground glass. and one
we have seen hadimpresSions of ferns on
the glass, which seen through the fire.
light gave ont very soft and tender
hue.
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, "a
you like. Such \ screen was once seen,
according TO tradition, in the stately
study of one of our most distinguished
authors. The Ii ht shining from behind
throws out all tho mellow tints of the pic
ture very effectively, conveying the im-
preston Of lovely stained glass win
dow.
The frame Of screens may be varied by
more than one device of handiwork. The
gilt cOrniceS formerly used for windows
can be utilized by being tackled on with
brads to the wooden frame, then bur-
nished up with bronze gold, which costs
from thirty to seventy live cents an ounce.
according to quality. First put on with
q brush u coating of boiled linseed-oil:
wait Il few moments for it to dry, and
then. with piece of cotton batting
dipped in the powder. lightly dust over
the surface of the frame. The magical
effect will delight any who will take the
trouble to try it, and as one ounce will
decorate Il great deal of surface and will
last some time, it is worth the time and
expense. Another pretty frame ia Of
scarlet cloth al inch and u half wide.
pinked ont at the edges. box-plcated. and
then fastened on To the frame with brass
nails. one set on every pleat.
Screens have been long in vogue; they
We're necessities Of household furniture
In the days of broad chmneys and tapes
try hangings. Then furnaces prevailed,
anu open fires and screens went out Of
fashion. OF late years. with the restora-