Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-13
HAAGYOUR own HOME PAPER
Amy Handy Man or Woman Can
Decorate Walls and Save
Money and Time.
By BESSIE I. PUTNAM.

BIZ BESSIE L. PUTNAM.
Do no choose your paper solely be-
cause some friend has a room papered
with 1t, and this pleases you. Consider
the surrounding and furnishings. A
weH-iighted room will stand dark pa
per, but one dimly lighted must have
light walls as we'll as ceiling.
Pronounced figures are out Of taste
In bedroom. If one is sick they dance
about like little imps, compelling the
eyes. which should be resting, to count
them. Quiet tones and plain patterns
are preferable.
Avoid blues and grays in a sunless
room. Yellow and red are warmer
tones. Striped effects increase the APP
parent height of the room. Pictures
show to much better advantage on
plain walls, hence the popularity Of
the ingrains.
Yet the amateur may find them more
difficult to hang, as a wrinkle is more
apt to show; and If the paste happens
to be little thin they incline to spot,
especially if alum paste is used.
A simple rule for finding the amount
of paper required is to multiply the
entire distance around the room in
feet by its height. This gives the
number Of square feet in the side wall
Deduct twenty square feet for each
door and window.
A double roll of sixteen yards con-
tains seventy-two square feet, but by
dividing by sixty instead one is sure
of making good allowance for waste
IN cutting, matching, etc. This gives
the number of double rolls required.
To find the number of double rolls of
ceiling multiply the width of the room
in feet by the length and divide by
sixty.
Two boards about eight feet long
and a foot wide resting on boxes not
over three feet high serve for passing
table.
Have a plank reaching nearly across
the room and placed on chairs or tables,
so that when standing on it the top
Of the head will be about six inches
from the ceiling.
Any ordinary brush will serve for
spreading paste; whisk broom makes
a good smoothing brush, and bed
castor will serve as seam roller, but
it must not be used until the paste
is partly dry, else it will squeeze out
at the edges and mar the paper.
Do not be frightened if the paste
seems little lumpy. The professional
stirs up his flour with little water
and then pours in boiling water stir
ring all the while. If not thoroughly
scalded it may be set on the stove
and cooked until perfectly clear.
When it becomes cold tablespoonful
of powdered alum to room may be
stirred in
Have it as thick as will run well
from the brush. The beginner is apt
Z to make it too thick.
If the trimming is not done until
after pasting one will be sure that
the paste is applied on the edges. Cut
all the strips for the ceiling before
pasting any.
Cut them to lap over on the side wall
three or four inches; then if the walls
are not exactly true the border can be
put on straight and the ceiling paper
will cover any stray inequalities.
For the same reason lap the side of
the first breadth Of ceiling paper two
inches ON the side wall This will
leave the first strip of ceiling covered
only sixteen inches wide (the paper is
eighteen inches after trimming).
this first strip drive nail on each
side Of the room sixteen inches from
the edge and fasten chalked string
between. Snap this in the middle, as
our grandmothers used to do in mark
ing quilts, and you have straight
guiding line
After the first strip of paper is pasted
and trimmed fold it back and forth
loosely on a single, and you have
little pile of paper that can be held
in the left hand while the right is put
ting the edge along the guide line.
Or an assistant may hold the single
containing the surplus paper and the
other party have both hands to work
with. He works from right to left,
first placing the edge and then smooth
ing with whisk broom. The first strip
serves as a guide for the second. Let
the last strip come down over the
side wall a few inches, as in the be-
ginning.
To hang the side walls have your
platform about a foot from the wall.
Cut the paper long enough to come up
well under the border, and match the
figures perfectly.
Smooth down from the top to bot
tom, and at the Dashboard mark with
the back part of the shears where the
END should be, raise a little while the
paste is fresh and trim
Let each strip hang loosely from the
top and make sure that it will hang
straight and the figures will match be-
fore letting it touch the wall.
IL it inclines to wrinkle lift it up
carefully and try again, brushing into
place when all is right.
, The border is applied last, and if
| the walls are true it is the simplest
l process. If there are inequalities
stretch the chalk line along the lowest
point, and be thankful that the CELL
ing paper comes well down at the
sides.
There are many advantages in home
papering. Usually the paperhanger is
rushed and your rooms are torn up
days, and possibly weeks, waiting your
turn.