The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-13
HINTS FOR THE HOUSEHOLD.


everywhere busily engaged in preparing holiday
gifts for family and friends. Even the most
simple and inexpensive of them are usually more
acceptable to. the recipients than more costly ar
ticles which represent less of that care and
thought on the part of the giver which alone
give the true value to such offerings.
So many pretty ard useful gifts may be pre-
pared at comparatively small outlay of time
and money that no woman who is ingenious and
expert with her needle need let the Christmas
days 60 by without making herself pleasantly
remembered by relatives and friends-a thing
more surely done by giving than by receiv-
ing Directions for making some of these arti-
cles given below.
Wall baskets are made of two straw Japanese
fans caught together with ribbon.
Photograph cases of brocaded plush are sim
ply long strips of the plush lined with surah SILK
and furnished with narrow strips of silk to re-
tain the photographs.
Handkerchief cases are composed of two large
satin cushions, filled with perfumed cotton bat
ting and tied together with satin ribbon. The
cushions may be embroidered with nasturtiums
or other designs, and edged with embroidered
lace
en-wipers are simple presents to make. OF
humorous character are the horse chestnut
pen -wipers the chestnuts being painted as the
face of negro and placed in the center OF a
small sunfower over the cloth leaves OF the pen
wiper.
novel and useful present for gentleman is
newspaper weight, designed to keep news
papers from falling from the table. bar of
weighted wood is covered with dark blue plush,
and embroidered with gilt thread in conven-
honal design. A handle of gilt canvas is worked
with design in different colors
&c la IL -. - 10
1t is about one-half yard long and proper
tionally wide, and has two pockets for letters
one marked Answered" and the other I'm
answered." in gold thread. An envelope, out
lined in gold thread, ornaments one corner, and
the case is hung upon the wall with old gold
satin ribbon.
Workings are composed Of satin ribbon of
three shades sewed together and embroidered
with spray of conventional flowers IN gold
thread. A taseful bag of this description is com
posed of blue. pink and olive ribbons two inches
wide scanned together. A spray in GOLD thread
docorates the bag and narrow pink ribbon fast
ems it at the top.
Baskets of all shapes and sizes are gilded, and
bronzed, and ornamented for cuffs and collars.
A handsome bow OF bright satin or velvet ribbon
sometimes they are deliberately trimmed with
ribbon, several colors combined Odd-shaped
baskets, to hang the WALL when decorated,
form very pretty and inexpensive present
A useful receptacle for holding stockings that
are to be mended has for its base round rush
basket, like those used by the Germans for bak
ing black bread. 1t is colored, and then bag
of the size desired is securely fastened TO the
bottom and at the rim Serge. momie linen or
sateen may be used for the bag sheath is
run three inches from the top for the drawing
strings.
An effective table scarf is made of scrim An
eight-inch border of old gold satin SERGE
which has been worked in arrasene embroidery
spray of .egantine is applied at either end by
means of fancy stitches in silk, corresponding
to the tones in the embroidery A hemstitched
border edges the entire scarf and the ends are
fringed with silk in all the colors of the embroid
cry and old gold.
There are few more simple or suitable
gifts for housekeeper than the little linen
doyles, which may be used for 80 many things.
They should be made of butchers linen about
third of yard square. Fringe them an inch
deep all around, or if you can, hemstitch them,
and about an inch from the hem or fringe. pull
threads and make a narrow border of simple
drawn work, pretty style for which is merely
to fasten the threads each side into little clus
tiers, thus making row of tiny bars.
A stove holder to hang by the parlor fire is
| made as follows. Take two pieces of leather or
chamois skin, each cut round and about the size
of sauce plate or tea-saucer. Lay the disks
back to back, and, with needleful of gold
thread, stitch them around with rather large
stitches little way from the edge; tie the thread
in loops at one side, by which to hang up the
holder. Another pretty way would be to use a
bronze leather disk, on which an orange silk
lining is fastened by whipping round the edge
with orange embroidery silk.
Pincushions and toilet bottles to match of
satin, velvet or plush, are always acceptable to
some of our friends and admit of any amount of
dainty embellishments A departure from the
regulation pincushion in such sets is lace box
or jewel box and cushion combined. A lovely
set was lately finished for bride. A shallow
wooden box was lined with pale blue satin. the
lid cushioned and then covered with delicate
pink satin, with painted design of yellow prim-
roses, the whole finished with fall of gold lace
and cord made an exceedingly tasteful and use
full article
Round silk bags old but very pretty and
easy for a little girl to make. Take piece of
silk or satin and cut large circular piece Hem
this and border with Oriental or some other fine
lace about three inches wide Two inches above
the hem, the right side, sew around the circle
thin ribbon silk braid to serve as casing
for the draw-string, and an opening should be
made in the casing at opposite sides OF the circle,
SO that the strings may be double. This is
dainty gift and quickly made. 1t is extremely
pretty in velvet to hang on the back of an easy
chair in the parlor, to hold some little fancy
work which may be done at odd times there.
A hairpin cushion is made of baby's blue or
pink shoe. Buy pair of shoes and use one for
the hairpin cushion and the other for pin cush-
large satin one, that is more for ornament To
make the top of the harpin cushion knit a
square of split zephyr and fasten it at the top,
after buttoning the shoe and filling it with cured
hair. Then place small bow of the ribbon in
front, and to make it more ornamental paint
little vine of flowers around the top of the shoe
The pincushion may be made in the same way,
only to cover the top with bit of satin or cash
mere. The pin cushion forms pretty and
amusing gift for bachelor
Nightdress cases are not new but are very
when laid upon the foot of the bed. There are
a number of ways to make them, and one pretty
idea is to take two pieces of card board half
yard square, cover them each on both sides
with colored slesia. and over that put dotted
muslin. On the piece to form the top put two
full box plated ruffies and puff of the swiss,
and in the center finish with lace tidy. Fasten
the four corners together with full bows of rib