Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-06
FOR STAY-AT-H0MES
Graceful Gifts to Bring Back
From Outing.
TAKES NIMBLE FINGERS
BIRCH BARK LENDS ITSELF no
MANY USES.
Sweet Dried Grasses and Glover Bloom
Are "Woodsie" and
WAlO

Written for The Evening Star.
| Nearly every summer girl tucks into cor
| ners of her trunk little mementos for the
friends at home: and if these carry recol-
! lectiOns of her stay at the mountain or
| shore they are all the more welcome to the
| stay-at-home. Many girls leave the gath
| ering of these little gifts until just before
| they return to town. when they pick them
up at the curio shops and bazars found at
| every resort This Is not only an expensive
way to remember the home folk, but, as a
| rule, the shop offerings are anything but
| artistic.
| On the other hand. If the summer girl
| will give little time each day or week
| to making gifts which are redolent of coun-
| try life she will secure better results at a
lower price. If she is in the mountain
where she can gather birch bark. she is.
| indeed, fortunate for this dainty woodland
fabric readily lends itself to pretty articles.
| Picture frames of various sizes can be
| made. and cords and tasSelS for hanging
them are evolved from braided or twisted
| sweet grass. If the summer girl is also a
| camera mend she can fill these frames with
small photographs. showing the attractive
| spots around her summer camp.
An odd little paperweight for fathers
! oesk mas for its foundation a circular, Hat
! poA, such as face powder comes in, filled
| with shot. Upon this foundation is built
hut or tepee of birch bark in exactly the
| cone-shaped design of the Indian wigwam
"A Few dry. brown twigs are run through
the TOP OF the tent. as though supporting
| IT'S sides. Indian characters or pictures
| may be burned or sketched on the outside
| OF the birch bark. and a tiny china doll,
| dressed in; Indian fashion. with a blanket
ana DIT OF black horsehair for wig.
| stands in the doorway of the wigwam.
Can Get Help.
| Waste-paper baskets and small jardinieres
can be made of the birch bark, either by
covering peach basket with the bark or
| building an entirely new basket with the
| bark, circular board foundation and some
| pllabie wood or pieces Of barrel hoops The
| wood or hoops should be stained a soft
! woody" brown. The girl who wants to
| make this sort of thing VII find the young
| men around the hotel only too glad to lend
hand and show their Skill at carpenter
| ing
heart-sfaped piece, of birch bark Is a
| good foundation for cllendar, and even
| II the year be six months spent. new cal
| endar is always welcome in the hous hold
| A small printed calendar is pasted on the
| bark in the center of the heart, and above 1t
| are tackled sprays of dr.ed grass, while
| cord for hanging it up is also made OF
grass.
| Napkin rings, hanging needle cases, filled
! with flannel, and match scratchars can be
| made from the bark combined with sweet
| grasses but gaudy ribbon should not be
| used in trimming them.
| If the summer girl does not mind carry
| ing basket on her return TO town she can
| make for her friends number of fern
| dishes that attractive anything
| that be bought in city store. The
| pot is made of tender twgs, which are
| woven into rustic bowl or holder that
| looks not unlike the japanese fern bowls
| displayed in shops. They are soaked in
water and filled with the richest of wood
| land earth. The c-ev;ces between the twigs
| may be filled with moss. which will quickly
1 oft oh itsa1f fn
/ the surface of the twgs. Into this the girl
plants a hardy fern, dug in the woods. with
| plenty of the soil from its woodland bed
After planting the ferns, she puts her gifts
| in a dark cool place such as the cellar OF
| the boarding house. watering them regular
| ly, and when she is ready to start to town
| the ferns will be growing finely.
A Sewing Set.
| Medium-sized brown cones from pine
| trees. bit of soft green silk-not the glar-
! ing emerald green so popular this summer
but a silvery woodland green-with baby
| ribbon to match. will work into a pretty
sewing set. One cone is cut across the top
and a green silk pin-cushion is sewed on to
it. This may be gathered around the top
of the cone with little rufffe. or the
cushion may be made separate and glued
on to the top of the cone.
Another cone is followed out slightly in
the center and lined with what looks like a
little padded pocket and this will hold the
thimble. A third cone may be followed
more deeply for spool of thread. but
prettier set consisted of a p1n-cushlon,
tbimble case and pair of embroidery Scis-
sors attached to ribbon which matched that
employed in trimming the cones.
For the girl who can do burnt leather
and woodwork there are two new designs
which will make excellent summer gifts
One is a papoose cradle of burnt leather
in imitation of the case in which the Indian
mother carries her baby on her back. From
the ton of the cradle sticks the head of an
Indian baby image, which can be bought
at any of the resort bazaars. bit of leather
is used to hang up this odd little ornament.
A Rising Bell.
more pretentious gift would come APP
propriately from the girl who is spending
her summer on farm or at a small coun-
ner bell seen on many farms. hooded
house not unlike a dove-cote. is reproduced
in miniature not more than a foot or fifteen
inches in height. This Is burned in some
fanciful design showing field flowers or
bell to which is attached a long leather
thong This can be hung up in the hall
at home and used as rising bell, and will
attract considerable attention.
The girl at the Seashore should not fail
to collect shells for friends who have aqua
RUINS These should not be the small,
dainty shells, but rather large ones which
water. If she finds the shells are losing
their color after being packed for few
days in her hotel room, she need not des-
pair Directly they are placed in the water
the delicate coloring will reappear.
If she is at resort where seaweed is TO