Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-01
HOMES.
How Handsome Household Ornaments
May Be Cheaply Made.
A NEAT LITTLE BOOK CASE.
breakfast Hominy Boxes and Coffee
Sacks the Principal Materials Used I'm
Its Manufactured Sketching Stool
for a Foot Rest.
Written for THE EVENING star.

~
VA make dainty foundation for what
ever lies above. India silk is very pretty for
the purpose and quite generally used, but for
rooms in every day use dotted null over a
colored cambria or the attractive silko!ine or
crepeline make inexpensive and good Ones
easily renewed when the freshness is gone
Florentne violet orris POWDER which is half
violet powder and half orris root, is the
best for this purpose. These satchets give
a finish that nothing else can to areceptacle for
holding delicate ribbons and laces and other
little toilet accessories, and when once a house
is fitted up with them they will last long
time. lovely present for baby is a sachot
large enough to fold over the christening robe
and hold it in its folds. This may be appro-
priately made moro elaborate than one for
more prosaic use and embroidery and ribbon
work with lace on the edge are quite in keep
ing with the white silk for its covering.
PRETTY LITTLE BOOK CASE.
have lately made-or combined would be
perhaps better word-such a pretty little
book case that for the benefit Of other self
helpers" will describe it, for it is easily
achieved. Made ambitious by the wonderful
accounts one hears Of the successful cabinets
| and book cases made OF boxes, determined to
try and see how practicable such a scheme
might be. / wanted a small, low book case for
a bed room and had to look about little In
order to get suitable box for the size wished.
BY inquiries at my grocer's found just the
thing IN a breakfast hominy" box, which sell
for ten cents apiece after the contents
are disposed of. Four Of these
turned on the side give me
the book case forty-sx inches high. twenty
three wide, ten deep, with the shelves eleven
inches apart. The proportions are very good
and it is quite commodous. A small nail put
through each end OF each shelf holds the boxes
together and makes it firm, SO it can be lifted
and moved anywhere. The outside of the
boxes Is finished, so it is quite smooth, while the
inside Is rougher, but as did not wish to paint
1t that made little difference. As mating is so
popular just now / decided to try and get that
effect If possible, though mating itself l was
afraid might prove q little stiff and unmanage-
able for a novice. The grocery again was able
to furnish me with what wished for my cover
ing, in a coffee SACK which l saw as
was peerlng about for the right kind of
boxes. This particular style Of sack Is very
pliable, ecru in tint and of pretty weave. /
found on inspection that it is made up double
for strength, sewed together over and over
with grass, so it is easily ripped apart, when 1t
stretches out IN a long piece about twenty-five
inches wide and more than three yards long.
The selvage is strong, but il once cut it ravels
easily and is 80 loosely woven 1t will scarcely
be held by nails. Taking one of the long
strips-erstwhile the bag-I laid the book
case-now firmly nailed together-on its
back on the floor, and proceeded to
tack the mating so it would cover
the inside neatly. began by lacking it quite
firmly to the top of the case; then drawing it
tightly over the edge and mailing 1t at the inner
angle; then drawing it down and lacking again
to the back Of the first shelf from the top;
then over the edge of that shelf and on down
to the next, and so on to the bottom, where
drew it under and fastened 1t we'll 1t draws
very smoothly and will bear much strain If the
| Gf do AIt-arT bon m HOY Inat fnr Md
under each side in covering the shelves. and
when there was raw edge at the ends of the
strip / turned it under twice and nailed it
| closely to have it strong. There is gen.
orally some black lettering on the
outside of these bags, but by turning them in
| side out all is clean and fresh. After giving
this neat-looking finish to each shelf i took
| the other long strIp-for had two bags-and
doubled 1t to cover the outside. To avoid cut
ting turned the book case over on its side and
fastened my double strip on the bottom; then
brought it up on one side and tackled it closely,
bringing the double edge over onto the front.
For this | used the iat-headed gimp tacks, put
ting them about two inches apart After tack
ing it up the front edge drew the selvages
over onto the back and tackled them,
smooth everywhere as l went along.
When l reached the top, l set my book
case upright again, drew the mating up
over the corner and fastened it as had on the
sue tntn put the DOCK case down on the M
lshed side and covered the second side. bring
ing the mating well under at the bottom and
fastening. The mating was long enough to
go over the two sides and top without any
seams and was as smooth as if glued on. The
only misunderstanding thing was on the front,
where brought the mating over and tacked 1t,
and an ecru furniture gimp put on with tacks
soon made that az neat the rest A little
brass curtain rod was put across the top and
then it was ready for the ornamental part-the
curtains. l was undecided whether to have
one drawn off each side, of India
silk with tassel fringe down the
front edges, or to have one wider curtain
drawn at one side of heavier material. For the
room where l wanted it l decided the latter
treatment would be best and, as olive and pink
were the best tones, made curtain OF green
ish olive plush with frieze band turned over
OF pink velours embroidered with gold thread
and finished below with short tufted silk
fringe of pink and olive mixed. This looks
very pretty i'll this particular room, though in
a general way, should prefer the silk curtains.
When the case was filed with books, pretty
growing fern in pink jar set on top with
double photograph frame covered with pink
silk beside it, felt that the result moro than
repaid me for my work in getting 1t up. L
am going to see if l canno. have brass
rail put around the top. such as is on writing
desks for it would add much to its looks. The
soft neutral tint of the mating with the greater
color effect of the curtaining is very pleasing
to the eve. The expense Is a mere trlIe and
the work, though rather troublesome. is not
difficult. l did not attempt to do 1t ali at once,
but did the inside one day and the outside the
next, thus dividing the unaccustomed labor of
carpenters work. The curtains of course. are
only pleasant work, whichever style might be
chosen. think this mating Is susceptible of
being used in various decorative ways, though
as yet have only experimental with 1t in this
one, where II quite comes up to my expecta-
lions.
UTILIZING A sKETCHING STOOL.
All kinds of ottomans and foot stools being
so much used now novelties in that line are in
order, and an attractive little seat might be
made out OF the ordinary canvas-topped fold
ing stool which artists use for sketching ex-
petitions. The wood work should first be
painted white, then over the canvas put a
slight padding and over that stretch a cover Of
any material in suitable coloring for the room
| for which it is intended. Furniture corduroy
in old pink. velours in soft reed green or the
| charming brocades in stripes or bouquet de-
| signs would all be pretty for such stool II
one wished the cover could be of satin
sheeting with some good pattern Of
embroidery, a scroll or other conventional
forms being best, but should prefer the mate
rial whatever might be chosen, without hand
work Of any kind. remember in fashion,
able drawing room. years ago, OF seeing a SINH
| lar stool gilded, with elaborate Berlin wool
worked top, so this would be like many other
| things, only revival, after all II one likes
| them, ribbons may be tied IN big bows at the
corners of this foot rest-for that is what it
would probably be mostly used for-but to me
1