The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-08
VENETIAN IRON WORKS.
IL Is Becoming Popular for Country
House Decorations
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.

From the Plttsburg Dispatch.
Venetian iron work is becoming popular
again for the decoration of the country
house. and many beautiful designs. with
and without the colored glass. are made
In the way Of brackets. stands. lamps.
match holders and flower holders.
The latest in this line. however, is the
homemade article. A kit Of tools. nicely
put up in box, and stripes Of the thin
iron used for the work, come already
prepared for the amateur, and many wom-
en- make their own brackets and bric-a-
brac.
The strips Of fat iron come in somewhat
convenient sizes. and it is easily bent
into the curves and angles necessary for
making lamps and brackets. The tools
consist chiefly of a small riveting hammer,
a steel-pointed bOrer or drill, a package
OF copper tacks, strong nippers, a steel
file and pair of ordinary pinchers.
With these tools and material the work
er selects a model. The simplest thing is
an ordinary fancy bracket to be attached
to the wall for hanging a lamp or any
article on. Strips Of the strong fiat iron
are fastened together as the skeleton
work, and then the fancy work is filled
in with the wire and thin strips Of iron.
The three corners of the bracket are
fastened together by the copper tacks.
A hole is punched through the two pieces
of iron, and the copper tack driven through
them. Then with the nippers the point
of the tack is cut off, and, by placing
At on a hard substance, a few sharp
blows with the hammer on the head
of the tack VIII rivet the iron securely to-
gether.
The fancy wire can be passed through
holes made in the strips of iron or riv-
az on he coz nrf1a saH Fa- ha.
frame work.
Another simple article Is a plant stand.
Four legs twisted into the form of scrolls
should be made separately, laying one
upon the other until they are exactly
alike Then form two strong bands of the
iron work just large enough to hold the
vase, tub or other flower receptacle. Riv-
ct them to the top of the scroll-lilxe legs,
and fasten the legs together at the widest
end of the curve.
For a hanging basket for running plants
the main thing is to form the stout frame
work, just large enough to hold the glass
or china tub or basket. Then the decor
alton can be made to suit, simple or elab-
crate.
The method of making the decorations
for a round article is to spread them out
in straight line at first, and the gently
bend them into position. The whole piece
can be riveted together in one straight
figure before 1t is necessary to curve them
and then two or three rivets will COM
plete the article A fancy Venetian iron
holder can be fastened into the piazza
ceiling, and the hanging basket attached
to it by three pieces of fine wire.
Glass and metal holders can be sup
ported by the iron work as well as china
and wood. Colored glass lamps are east
ly made for gas or oil. Stands and center
pieces for the piazza are made in elaborate
styles out of the iron work, and they APP
pear more ornamental than the wooden
or bamboo ones. Their cost, if made at
home, is only a tritie more than the SIM
pie stands bought at the furniture stores.
1t requires no particular skill to work
the Venetian ironware into handsome or
naments. All that one has to do is to fol-
low the designs, and become accustomed
to the work of riveting the pieces togeth-
er. This is the hardest part of the work,
but considerable skill is soon acquired by
an amateur.