Wichita eagle., 1888-02-08
WOMAN AND HOME.
ROW OLD ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
HAY Be RE-FASHiONED.

The Children's Party-SittinE Posture of
Infants-A Philosophical view-,Iar-
riase as q Partnership-Man's Downfall.
For the Baby.
1t is very fortunate for people in medium
circumstances that odd furniture is now
in vogue. for many articles that would
In former years be relegated to the attic,
as untitled for sight or use, may, With
little ingenuity and taste, be converted into
handsome and artistic articles of furniture
No matter how old fashioned chair or table
may be, III fact, the older it is the better; as
Ions as it holds together, it can be used in
some way TO help furnish the home
An old fashioned washstand can be con-
verted into beautiful table for the parlor,
and, if it is put together carefully, will never
give a hint of home manufacture. Remove
.he back and rungs used for towels, and over
the hole in the top, intended for the bowl,
iasten thin pine board SO as to cover the
whole top. With soap and water and brush
scour of the old varnish and paint. Wipe,
and when thoroughly dry so over the whole
with sandpaper until it is as smooth as you
which must be ebony. To make this stain
get at the druggists 4 small piece Of
asphaltum gum ard break it up fine. Into
an old pint tin half filed with turpentine,
put two heaping tablespoonfuls of the as
phaltum. Set it where it will be warm, never
hot, lot it stand four days, stirring it fre-
quently, and it will tA ready for use. With
brush an inch wide spread the stain over
NF ba Il Tn,
half an hour. when it is dry, give it another
coat. Three coats are sufficient to make il a
Jet black with beautiful lustre. Now, take
some pressed! ferns and with mucilage paste
them neatly on the stand Arrange two
groups of large ferns, two or three in each
group, and paste III the center of the top and
bottom shelf Around these paste small
ferns in any design liked Two or three small
ones, grouped in each corner OF the shelves,
look pretty with tiny single ones scattered
carclessly about the sides and legs of the
stand
When the mucilage is thoroughly dry gid
the fern with gold paint, using fine camels
hair brush. and going over each fern very
carefully, so as to get Us little as possible of
the gliding outside of the fern. Use the
finest grade of ferns you can possibly get,
for, although it is more troublesome to gild
them, yet they look 50 much nicer that they
repay fully the labor spent on them. When
the ferris are dry give the whole stand a coat
of copal varnish, let dry and it is done To
be sure. it will take time to make table of
this kind, but it deed not ali be done at once.
The arrangement and gliding of tse ferns Is
the most tedious part OF tho work, and how
many of these shall be used depends wholly
upoa the maker. a group of large gilded
ferns in the centre of each shelf and the rest
of the stand left plain is a simple and artistic
way of ornamenting. This is good imita
ton of japanese ware and can be used for
cabinets plaques. panels, etc, and answer
the purpose for which it is intended every
bit as well as the real. more expensive arti.
Gle A simpler and easier way of doing the
work, which may be liked by some, as it
does away with washing or sand papering
the article to be decorated, is to paint iG
black, instead of staining il, and proceed as
though stained. To be sure, it will not in
any way be as smooth and nice as il done in
the first way. but where time is scarce it VIII
in most cases do as well.
pretty and inexpensive and easily made
table is one made of the cover Of small but
ter firkin and three broom handles or round
sticks as thick as broofa handles. Cut the
sticks the length desired, and crossing them
in the center get the exact angle wanted,
then with long screw attach them firmly
together. Fasten the top securely 20 the
sticks, and gid the legs. Cover the top With
garnet plush or felt, and around the edge at
tach garnet and gold chenille ball fringe.
Tie a bow of broad garnet satin ribbon
around where the sticks are fastened TO-
gether. 10 conceal the screw. Another way
is TO take Of the rim of the cover, after glue
ing firmly a narrow piece of wood across The
inside Of the cover TO keep il together. and
fasten the cover to the top Of the crossed
sticks FbOuizs -. whole. and tie a bright
scarlet satin bow ribbon around the center
OF the sticks, paint the table white, with
narrow stripe Of gold running around the
edge and down The outside Of each leg:
varnisb with white varnish, and tie where
the sticks cross bright gold bow Of broad
satin ribbon.
White furniture is much sought after
that. to 30 up TO the times some one article,
at the very least, Of white end gold should be
found ia all hcues. White paint, white
varnish and gold paint are all that are re-
auired to transform any article Of furniture
into the fashionable shade. An old mirror
that has bean set aside on account Of is
frame being worn and Old may, with white
PAINT, varnish and one or two stripes Of gold,
be converted into handsome piece Of
fnrn,ture, for OF all the furnishings Of the
hone the mirror stands at tce head a. the
nnost beautiful when framed in white and
gold An old fashioned light stand painted
white, with bands Of gold with a white felt
scarf thrown over T. the ends embroidered
with golden rods or csxles, -
pretty addition 10 any room A willow
chair or rocker that has grown
dark nav be made beautiful By
painting in white and gold. nphoisteriEs the
seat and arms in myrtle green plush, running
myrtle green satin ribbon through the space
around or scro0 III. back, srd fastening a.
the right band corner IN . broad bow. Ins
back rnay have round or SQUARE cushion of
the same snste Of plush, OF ned not have
Any common cane seat chair, painted Ia
white and gold, upholstered IN peacock blue,
with bow Of tie same SHADE Of rlbton tied
a. tie upp-r right hand corner cf the back,
Is very pretty II do>s not matter wnai
coior the article II that is To se decorated, IT
can be painted white. II Is advisatge TO have
bat few articles Of wnIts i.e q room. for osse
O. two give n much better appearance 20 the
room, where IL 10 a snail one, than q iaTxs
usmber. Too many are APT 20 S,ve u . mo
no.cuous iopk--Bosson Budget