Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-07-21
The Utility Box Deserves Its Name.

1t started out in a very modest way
rs 4 shirt waist box Now ii is known
as the utility box and incidentally it is
becoming more useful and more orna-
mental in proportion to the way that IFS
popularity increases. Just let Il woman
once realize the comfort of such Il box
and she will not be content to be long
without one. Several years ago some
body conceived the idea of shirt waist
hoyes, and the little boxes covered with
cretonne or burlap or denim were found
so exceedingly useful that the idea de-
yeoped and grew until now the original
ones really look quite commonplace and
insignificant beside the elaborate chests
for that is really what they are-that
are seen everywhere.
Both upstairs and down these utility
boxes are attractive and useful. Covered
with material to match the general color
scheme of the room they may be turned
into most delightful window seats for the
bedroom, and made of decorative wood
they may be made to serve the double
purpose of a hall bench and a place to
store hammocks, tennis racquets, balls
and other outdoor playtime articles.
Among the new boxes seen this season
are those of unvarnished red cedar. BY
means of some clever process the knots
are made absolutely smooth, while the
beautiful coloring of the wood makes it
adaptable to any surroundings. Some
thing new in the way of shape. too. is
the box with slightly raised ends that
form handles and that is particularly
suitable for the hall seat.
Some of the prettieSt boxes seen are
covered with Japanese mating and
mounted i'll bamboo. The mating is
dainty in both colOring and design and
the box makes a charming piece of fur
ftif for halpnnrl Tho cd
of some are finished with the bamboo.
while others are decorated with queerly-
shaped designs made of narrow strips OF
bamboo.
These matting-covered boxes may be
mad Tith a lining of red cedar and some
of them are so long that dress skirts may
be placed in them without the necessity
of folding. Some boxes, too, are lined
with light colored wood highly polished,
50 that they are quite as pretty inside rs
out.
The real utility box. the one that lives
up to the fullest meaning of its name, is
made like a trunk and has two trays
one for shirt waists and the other, the
top one, divided into ever so many lit
lie compartments to hold all sorts of odds
and ends of feminine belongings These
are SO light in weight that they are cas-
lily lifted out and the fact that the CON
tents may be kept separate makes the
utility box doubly useful.
Burlap is still much used as a covering
for these boxes, and a new idea that
makes them much handsomer is to have
trimmings of weathered oak, while fan
cy hinges of wrought iron add much to
Their appearance.
For the woman with more ingenuity
than money the making of a utility box
ought not to present serious difficulties
II nl1ID wooden hoy with
we'll made top is secured it may be COW
cred and the trays added without much
work. If it can be put on rollers SO
much the better.
The top should be padded slightly and
fastened on with substantial hinges. and
with not much extra trouble the entire
box may be nicely lined. If it is to be
used as window seat several small size
pillows covered with the same material
as that with which the box is uphol-
stored will add to both its looks and COM
fort
To fit the box with trays nail thin
strips of wood 1T either end for the
supports and for the trays themselves
tack stiff pieces Of canvas to Il frame
Work made of pieces of board one inch
WIDE and three inches high.
y very satisfactory hall settee was re
Gently made by a woman, one of those
"yiii'll VIM dlS d'iN AZ t''NN
hopeless old things and convert them
INTO useful new ones.
has particular woman had an old
I3Shioned, low, fiat ice chest that had
heen out of commission for many long
NaT She had rollers put on it in place
OF the legs, painted it dark green, put
wrought iron handles and hasp on it.
made an upholstered cushion for the top
10 help conceal traces of its humble orr
en- and when she had finished it was
i"f only extremely useful bnt quite an
attractive looking article of furniture
New York Evening Mail