The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-16
Home Made Decorations,

II llOAGNb WHY lARNNhN' NAN
scarce the walls often look bad, espe- |
cially if covered with a light-colored
paper Brackets are Il great help
to the housewife in getting rid of
this suggestion of badness. Any
carpenter will make deal brackets
to a given shape, and it is easy work
to cover the board and make val
ance for it. The consideration of
what material is best to use, and
what should be the color, and in
what style the ornamentation should
carried out, are the main points on
which success depends. Virginia
creeper leaves look well on white,
gray, and black grounds, and they
are well adapted for the valance
either of mantle-boards or of brack-
cts they can be massed together
in punches or applied as border
ing, and are equally effective in
both styles.
\ charming screen can be made
as follows A length of satin, of
delicate gray tint, is worked with
shaded chenille. The design may
be formed of flowers alone, or birds
may be introduced. In one we
have seen the design consists of
water plants exquisitely tinted
flag, tall bulrushes of red-brown hue
and various grasses are lightly ar
ranged so as to leave much of the
satin ground visable a kingtisher
with its brilliant blue plumage, set
ties on some of the lower foliage,
while his mate hovers above. The
lovely blue feathers of the birds give
the color that is requisite to throw
up the rest of the piece, while dart
ing across the top of the panel is a
dragon fly. Various pieces of work
could be carried out in shaded chen
lille, and the soft tints are suited to
articles to be placed in a drawing
room. Banner screens, hand screen
work-bags, tea cozies, may have @
spray of wild roses branching across
one side, on the other few leaves
rich in autumnal tints of gold, rec
and brown. The cozies are made
smaller than they used to be, which
is certainly an improvement L
large they take up so much room
on the occasional tables used for
o'clock tea, and look rather clums!
but when hastily made and wei
worked or painted they add to rath
cr than detract from the pretty ap
pearance of this fashionable ant
sociable repast.
An embroidered tea cloth is
sine qua non, as many folks think
1t may be either embroidered al
over in n set pattern or merely boz
dered with crewel-work. yellow
jasmine or pink convolvulus
suitable for the latter purpose the.
give sufficient colors without con
trasting too strongly with the whit
ground. Vivid colors are objection
able as the china generally afford
all that is necessary; and we mus
study to have our cloth decoratio
harmonic with our cups and sauce
so that we may secure a good ton
of color throughout. On entering
room the tea-table, although it doe
not as formerly occupy the cent?
of the floor, is yet an object that il
vites attention, and we shall not |
throwing away our time if we max
it as attractive as we possibly can.
Dust and Carpets.
Although the upturning incidel
tai to housekeeping may not be
itself agreeable, it is nevertheless
relief when the time comes for it, f
the house suddenly has a feeling
'stuffness, the carpets, no matt
how well swept, will look dusty al
the walls dingy and after the lol
reign of artificial heat, with its O
companying dust, it is a relief
throw open the windows and let t
fresh air and the broom and scru
bing-brush drive out the accumuI
tions of the winter.
But do not let your ardor rush v
into the thick of the fray until y
are ready for it and until the weat
cr is really settled. Closets a
chests can be overhauled and pat
cd away, curtains and bureau GOV,
Numbered ready to put up aga
old bcd-quilts, or even old clothil
If clean, may be made into pads
put under the stair carpet to Ike
1t from wearing on the edges of
steps and the good manager will
that she has on hand Il supply
tacks and carpet thread with plel
of houSc-cleanSng cloths and a
marble sand.
The oftcner carpets are shak
the longer they will wear the {