St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-11-06
Suggestions for Home Nj ade
Christmas Gifts.

As the holiday season draws near,
the old question, "What shall make
for mother, or father, or brothers or
sisters, will make itself conspicuous p
We all place Il greater value on gift
which Il friend has made than on one
which has been simply purchased, and
with good reason; for some of the
makers individuality will creep into
the gift and endue it with an atmos-
phere of its own. | purpose suggest
ing various gifts, with the hope that
when they have been modified or elab-
Grated to suit individual tastes, they
will prove useful, and will help to
bridge the chasm opened by the ques-
tion, "What shall I give on Christ
mas p
a pretty pair of pillow-shams may
be made of eight hemstitched handker-
chiefs, OF suitable size. Use four to
each sham, and join them with torchon
insertion. A border of torchon inser-
tion should he added. A sheet sham
may he formed of several handker-
chiefs placed side by side, also Joined
by torchon insertion, and finished with
border of torchon edging. These are
easily and satisfactorily laundered.
Much may be made from japanese
fans. Besides using the kind which
fold up III groups of three, placed fiat
on the wall, with or without ribbon
being run through the sticks, Il single
fan may be made into a pretty catch
all. to hang by ii bureau, by first remOv-
ing the rivet and then bringing the fan
around in the shape of cornucopia,
weaving ribbon in the sticks, which
should he brought closer and closer
together, and terminate in many
looped bow or bunch of pompons.
A hand-screen may be made of fan
which does not close. A square OF
round block, with hole in it to stick
the handle of the fan into, will serve as
standard. This should he about four
and II half inches square, or as many in
diameter, if round. Cover this smooth
" with plush-a small piece will be
sufficient. When the handle has been
carefully fitted into the base, the fan
may he covered with satin, which can
he beautifed with embroidery or paint
ing.
A pretty shaving paper holder is
made by fastening tissue paper, pink
ed, behind Japanese fan, which may
have Il satin bow added to the place
where the handle joins the fan, or per
haps the entire fan may be satin-cov-
cred and embellished with an embrOid-
cred monogram.
Large, stout fans, such as may be
purchased at any store for five cents
may be made into lovely wall pockets
by covering them with any material.
! from cretonne to satin, and adding Il
"pocket on one side, finishing off the
| lower edge with "a row of silk balls OF
pendants.
Some Of the prettiest and most serv
iceable whisk broom holders are the
least expensive. The fiat "straw cuff, .
which is made for this purpose, and
can be purchased for few cents, i.
entirely transformed and glOrified by
being gilded and having few tiny
peacock feathers placed upon it. Add
Il ribbon to hang it up by also place i;
bow across the feathers, as if to hold
them in place. Palm-leaf fans treated
in the same way (gilded and having
peacock feathers laid Ou) are quite eff
fective when placed at the back of q
mantel-piece. 1t is as easy to use the
copper tint as the gold, for either may
be bought at a trifiing cost at any store
where artists materials are sold. Sill
yer and green also may be utilized, and
are less common than the gold. Glass
bottles, such as are sold for covering
with silk, may be gilded or silvered,
and, when painted in oils, make Il
dainty gift.
A novel card-receiver may be made
at small outlay by using a thick wood
en- dish as foundation. + is should
be covered with glue and then well
covered with coarse sawdust which
has previously been sifted, to rid it oi
dust and very fine PARTICLES When
thoroughly dry, it may be gilded ol
cOppered or silyered in fact, may be
treated in any way the fancy dictates
The bottom of the dish is, of course
left smooth. Picture frames of til,
plainest wood may be treated in thi,
way with the most satisfactory results
A pretty ease for cabinet photo
graphs is made of plush. A piece nine
by twenty-six inches is required
This should be lined with satin or silk
with some wadding between the two
fabrics. Sprinkle "A very little sache
powder on the wadding. Fold the
ends over till they are within few
inches of meeting in the middle. This
will make it much after the fashion o
the common card-case. This is 1
change from the photograph album
! which now deserves to be elasset