Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-14
ATTRACTIVE HOMES.
How a Room May Be Prettily and
Cheaply Decorated.
LIGHT FABRICS FOR SUMMER.
They Come Within the Reach Of All and Look
~ Nice ~ Moro Expensive Materiai-wan
Paper 10 Also Reasonabls-some Novelties
In Pillows.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star
THERE Is NO DIFFICULTY IN FINDING
Il pretty things to buy at the places where
'Cresus and his family shop" and the array
set forth TO select from lie fairly overpowering
in its variety. Because, however, we do not
belong to the family of Cresus-are not even
distantly connected. indeed-there Is no reason
why we. too may not have pretty and dainty sur
roundings. A little taste and ingenuity in the
first place, and then the necessary care and
labor to keep things nice, are the requirements,
besides small sum of money to invest and
with this combination we may achieve results
that will be most satisfactory. / have been
asked lately to tell Of some pretty things that
very slim purses may compass. Certainly
wall paper at 6 cents o roll and attractively
pretty goods at cents q yard must be o
any one could ask for in that way, and intend
to describe furnishing a room this week with
these materials. A dear little boy has had scarlet
fever. and OF course great care has been taken
50 that the contagion would not spread, all
movables being taken from his room except
the absolutely necessary pieces of furniture.
The time having come for renovation the walls
were to be repapered and new hangings
put up, and the little fellows mother
went out 10 seek something pretty, and
at the same time Inexpensive, which would
be fresh and last for while-long
enough to make the trouble taken worth while.
Almost the first thing she saw was something
quite suitable for curtains and such things,
and, as l said before, at 5 cents yard While
the material was not Of the finest it COM
pared favorably with curtain muslins at five
times the price, while the tiny blue flower and
larger one of old pink with olive leaves made
design really tasteful. 1t was decided, there
fore, to get q quantity Of it and then she looked
at wall paper.
CHEAP BUT PRETTY WALL PAPER.
1t was astonishing to see the variety Of pretty
colors and patterns in prices ranging from to
Is cents a rob. A cream ground with small
bouquets in which pink and blue both were
combined made that the best to go with the hang
ings chosen, while a rather narrow frieze border
was the finish for the top OF the room, the cell
lag being of the same as the wall paper. The
price OF this pretty paper. and which was very
good on the walls, was cents a roll. as have
said. The bed already in the room was one of
the pretty white ones with brass rails and knobs,
and for this WAS made a cover of the cheese
cloth, will call it, though am not quite sure
that is the name. This was made of two widths
of the goods sewed together lengthwise. and
then a riounce put all around of the goods
split into lengthwise strips, the selvage used
for standing heading. while the lower edge
was nelnfneQ. his HOunce was n1teen inches
deep, and at the foot of the bed had to be cut
each side for the post. so that il would fall
evenly all around. just clearing the floor. The
little boy, who is only four years old, does
not sleep on pillow, so for day decora-
tive eject a round bolster was made
stuffed with curled hair and with a cover Of the
cheesecloth like the spread. This was put on
plainly and the fullness brought into the center
of each end and there made into a rosette.
Around the bolster near each end were tied
- IL L l. L
effect of this little bed when made, the size
being what is called three-quarters. was as
ntily pretty as If much more had been ex-
pended on its fittings.
THE WINDOW CURTAINS.
At the single window curtains were hung
and drawn off and tied at the side. The inner
edges had fve-inch frill, and they were
fastened at the top by a very simple arrange
ment which can be bought for the purpose
Into each end of a window frame q hook il
screwed. A small board or slat, like those run
in window shades, has screw eye in each end
at the back. When a curtain is 10 be used with
this fixture one Of the screw eyes is taken out,
the curtain, made with a shirr wide enough to
slip on this slat and with outstanding rufie
above, is run on, the screw eye replaced and the
whole simply hung into the two hooks which
have been hung at the right distance to accom-
modate the screw eyes. 1t is easily adjusted,
as one may see, and for bed room cur Gains q
good arrangement. have seen rods fastened
IN .ne same WaS 70 WINDOW frames anu tnen the
curtains pinned on as usuai-lnLs wnere the or
binary bracket fixture was disliked. In the
present case the standing ruffie and shirr at the
top corresponded 70 the ruined edges and was
very light and pretty looking, This curtain
was tied back high up with pink ribbons like
those on the poister. INTO the ADJOINING room
a ooor oPeheu, put .n1s MAO oesn removed some
.ims previously ana Portiere nung on the
artner soe. NOW LOT pretty euect from the
enho room doupie curtain was hung OF
cneeseciotn, JUST ike tne one Al the WINDOW,
aho iooPeo VIII lIooons nign enough so as not
W in'eriere WIN passing Dsck ana iortn freely.
DECORATING THE FURNITURE.
A small square table was hung with a drapery
Of the cbeesecloth reaching 10 the Aoor With
a.. . .s..s -.
d eo'el ose1 sno 'oP ousou WIN three-incn
rune OF the same. Inc little square mirror
hanging above it was taken from its frame and
a full puff of the cheesecloth put over the
frame, with white cloth underneath, as the
cheeseclo:h was too thin without it, and the
mirror replaced. The low white rocking chair
had q small head cushion adorned with q rufled
cover Of the cheesecloth, with pink ribbons
tying it on. A full piece of the cheesecloth
was above the low wicker washstand for a
splasher, with pink bows ut the corners. These
little washstands, by the way, are very pretty
and convenient, and the low toilet sets for chill
drens use look very suitable on them One in
wild rose design and old pink in color was on
the stand 1 speak of. The little boys own low
chairs stood about. and the small trunk or box
hoIl L; =.