The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-23
OLD FURNITURE LIKE NEW.
Cleaned and Then skiIIfulIy Deco
rated with Spatter Work.

Spatter work is rather a trick than
an art but yet is artistic enough to
require the exercise of taste and judg-
ment.
If you have any old kitchen dresser
or table considered utterly worthless
and only fit for for firewood a skillful
hand ait spatter work can make it an
attractive piece of furniture which will
fill its place for fifty years longer and
be admired by all who behold it. An
old round walnut table, scratched, de-
faced and apparently ruined, was thor
oughly cleaned with sandpaper, and
then spattered with a wreath of ma
pie leaves. 1t had a branch in the CEN
ter and the claws were spattered to
match. 1t is now the most ornamen-
tai object in a handsome drawing room.
A smaller table is still more dilap-
idated condition was made so beauti-
full by spatter work that 1t sold for
thirteen dollars and was thought
cheap at the price.
The following are some simple direc-
tions for a beginner:
First, gather the loveliest ferns and
leaves you can get plentiful supply
if you are going to ornament large
piece of furniture. Take a big boook
with heavy covers and press your
specimens ait once, keeping them as
perfect in shape as possible. From old
magazines cut out with great precision
designs of birds, beasts and flowers.
Buy a. common kitchen nail brush, ike
a little scrubbing brush, two or three
hard tooth brushes, also few good
brushes such as painters use for put
ling on varnish; get a fine timothy
sieve, such as is used by farmers for
sitting timothy grass seed. If you can
not find this, piece of very fine wire
cloth will do, stretched on a frame. Get
a few pens, coarse and fine, both. DO
not omit any of these things if you
wish to have good work.
Buy five cents worth of burnt UNI
Der, in the powder, and quart of malt
vinegar. Secure some bits of new board
for the first trial and do not attempt
a piece of furniture till you have nau
some practice, for the hand being III
has much to do with success in thls
as in other handicrafts. Buy some
fine white varnish (Sometimes calleu
Demar), at least a quart, that you may
not run short at critical moment
Have all your materials at hand, lay
your picture design first of all race
down on the wood, then arrange your
ferns and leaves. and fasten this uh-
der layer very firmly with pins; the
upper ones may be thrown on mor
carelessly. Cover the wood well anu
thickly in the second layer. s,u
Now mix a large earthen saucer lui, M
of umber and vinegar; tin vessel VIII
not do. Stir till quite smooth, thIn
LIQUID. Select your brush, take your
seive be careful to put very httl0
LIQUID on the brush, and rub away IaP
idly on the seive above the design. & dne
color should fall through the seive I'M I'M
fine rain. When the ferns are qune
wet, carefully remove some OF the W. ~,
per ones. Spatter again, then gehuy
pull out some of the under FERNS, Ju9
over the ground design; this requires
light hand. Finally, after spattering q
little more. take off all but the grounu
design fastened on with the pins, VIM"
is left till quite dry. .,,oh
n you have never before seen SUI"
work you will be delighted with the
suit for IL is a. perfect reproductiV'
nature in ferns and leaves. ga
Suppose your picture design Is ,i me'u
mouse; of course II is only III ou'a,d
Dip your pen in brown India INK "a
mark I'm the eyes and whiskers, ,,se y,
word, complete the sketch. Your illou
will now appear as II peeplng IT,
under the ferns. When perfecug Ia
varnish with great care the WIZ
work. The varnish Will take nag ~
two to dry Any kind OF woon -
well spattered. but holley ana poA
the best for minute designs ..o,k
nursery paneled with spattei
would be charming for little On .'fa.
the story of RED Riding 1000, .,, on
bies In the Wood" or COCK honln
the walls among the ferns ana a., ,.et
IN my opinion spatter on WOO"
in ltH Infancy. and because y " As
beautiful. interesting and cheap h.
~ decoration. 1 think mnfh WIZ
done With n Vel Mary Leslie