Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
Many Dainty Articles That Will
Make Acceptable Gifts.
FOR CHRISTMAS.
Even Thus Early il is Well 10 Begin II
Your Pocket Book 10 Not PlethOric-
How Photograph Cases and Other
Fancy Articles May be Chcaply Made.
Written for THE EVENING STAR.

~4AsS eVltable, no matter how fOrehanded one
Is, Is enough to make one quake. Year by year
as the circle of friends enlarges about one the
present giving increases and grows in prom
inence in connection with the holiday season.
All the shopkeepers cater to this tendency,
and each Christmas shows an increase of elab-
crate preparation on their part. Individual
efforts. too, keep pace with the fashion Of the
day, until it fairly becomes burden to keep up
the list OF presents which includes so many
friends. This is not right, for it takes away
the pleasure which should accompany q gift
made on this anniversary above all others.
1t would be much wiser to curtail
the number Of membranes to be bestowed
until it is within bounds that shall not be too
great tax on either mind, time or pocket
book. As to the last, il q woman has any in
genuity at all in her fingers she ought now to
exercise 1T to the relief of her purse, which tho
mondays are bound to leave all too attenuated
AT best. For outside friends, some pretty little
| tribe shows that they have been in the
| thoughts, while it does not put them under an
obligation as a valuable gift might or make it
encumbent for them to return the like, when
possibly 1t is beyond their means to do so with
out straining point pecuniarily, know of
one young woman who has a great many peo-
pie to think of at Christmas who has resolved
to limit her actual expenditure of money on
each person to % cents.
WHAT TWENTY-FIVE CENTS WILL DO,
As she has very little money to call her own,
and at least thirty people on her list for pres
ents, it is a wise resolve. She has rehearsed to
me some of her projects already matured as to
the variety and kind of gifts she can manage
by her skill to get up for that small sum of
money, and as hint to others similarly stu
ated Will tell OF her scheme AS far as am
aDie VI course she must make most of her
gifts to have that limit produce the best re-
suits and by buying enough material for sew
eral things at once she saves money, time and
thought. For the better outlay of her money
she Is apt to look about her on remnant
days, when she can find piece of India silk or
some linen or duck or satin, which will perhaps
give her enough material for two articles, for
what she would ordinarily spend on
one. In the same way she looks
about in the general shopping for any little
BARGAIN which she may avail herself of for
her Christmas work. Little silk and plush
covers for pin books make a dainty trife, and
several OF these are on her list. small piece
OF plush or figured silk is cut to fit over the
pin book, about five and half by four and half
inches, and pointed envelope flap ia broupht
over onto the front This piece is lined with
contrasting color, the edge Of the outside be-
ing turned in and the lining hemmed down on
It, At each end of the book the cover instead
OF being sewed up, is tied together by narrow
ribbon or gold braid drawn through two small
eyeiets and tied in a tiny bow. Two eyelets
are at the bottom OF the back and front, through
wnlcn RIBBON Is drawn and tied in bow in
front, making loop, and a ribbon some three
elghths OF yard long is run through it and
held by 1t, the ends being brought around and
tied In front to fasten the case and hold the
flap in place.
AMONG OTHER PURCHASES BY WHOLESALE,
as it were, is a bunch of Japanese gold thread
and the quantity will serve to add to heighten
the effect Of her whole number of thirty gifts
II she should desire. 1t will appear on num-
per, az any rate, and some photograph cases
among other things. Three-eighths of a yard
OF plain India silk or pongee of lovely golden
Drown was ono of the remnants bought one
day. and in looking at it a photograph case
suggested itself. The silk was folded in half
lenSthwiSe and on one half which WAS To he
for the outside of the case. gold thread was an
pied In very slight design like water lines
with spiral twist here and there. After this
little decoration was completed layer of cot
ton wadding was split and the glazed sides put
together. leaving the softest sides out This
was then put between the two folds Of riik,
with sachet powder sprinkled over it. The
cages OF silk were run together and on the
edges OF both outside aud lining of the case
two threads OF gold thread were couched on
with yellow sewing silk, completely hiding the
stitches when the edges are Joined. Bv SIM
ply Folding over once more, this time in the
opposite way from the first, a case about SIX by
ton lnches-for this was rather narrow silk In
the hrst place-was formed. pretty TO look at.
SOFT TO handle and sweet to smell. This could
be used as well, too, for handkerchiefs az for
photographs.
sACRETs OF ALL KINDS
are great resource when Christmas gifts are
In contemplation, and another one my friend
will make will be a pretty variety. The little
SIX handkerchlefs which come in delicate colors
ana with tiny scallops Oh the edge are what
she will use for this style, and she intends
making pink, green and white one. As
she mas cotton wool and sachet powder in some
quantity she will not count the infinitesimaI
cost OF the trihing amount OF each she will use
Tor each OF these sachets. For the handker-
chiefs themselves she will have to pay the
quarter" assigned to each gift, and then max
ing ball Of cotton wool she will sprinkle il
well with the violet powder and orris root
combined, and drawing the handkerchief ND
around it willk not it on top. As ribbon to
tie around the knotted ends would bankrupt
her in her 25-cent outlay, she will take three
it around with loops and ends, and very likely
1t will look prettier and more airy than ribbon
could, especially on the white handkerchief.
With such attractive materials at such a trifling
cost, and barely fifteen minutes work in this
case, surely Christmas may be duly celebrated
by even the impecunious by taking q little
thought as to ways and means.
PRErrILY PAINTED BASKETS.
Another goodinvestment my friend has made
is can Of enamel white paint at Is cents, q
brush at 10 and tube Of chrome yellow oil
paint at 16 cents; think she said very little
OF the latter mixed with the white will give the
ivory tint and can be deepened to cream or
yellow II desired. A more expensive paint of
an ivory tint can be bought in glass bottles II
Is very good, but the other and cheaper il
good too when the yellow Is carefully mixed in
the right shade. With this painting outfit MANY
articles can be made to present the proper hoi-
iday appearance, and some successful ventures
are already completed. Various little baskets
at from to 10 cents in price have been picked
up from time to time as opportunity offered and
BY painting them white they have assumed
more festal air. Whenever the baskets permit
Of 1t gold thread has been laced and woven in
and out, and the larger and more open ones
have been lined with silk, some in plain col
ors, some figured just a. the remnants" best
fitted in. For the smaller baskets q little
shirred bag top has been made, drawn up with
baby ribbon to match In color. II some of the
smaller baskets did not cost quito the quarter
then there was q surplus to spend ON some
thing else which overrun in price by q few
cents the stipulated amount
Other specimens which are 70 be added 70
the collection are the burnt match holders.
made OF cover crocheted Of silk to at over q
small glass tumbler. A ball of knitting silk il
IS cents, and 1t will certainly make two.
perhaps three, OF the covers; q tumbler can't
cost more than few cents, and a half yard of
ribbon to hang 1t up on the gas fixture will be
. few cents more. Made of yellow. pale blue
or old pink silk this II really n nrettv littis