The Washington herald., 1914-11-13
With a Paint Brush.

There are 50 many things you can dc
to freshen up your home II you can oield
a paint brush.
In the matter Of furniture. for example
a clever woman, who knows the art OF
applying paint and varnish to wood, will
be able to save many dollars when II
comes houseclea ming time.
II is not a difficult task to put paint
on furniture. or any kind of woodwork.
All one hss 20 > Is 10 be cure that the
wood Is clean. flee from grit or dust
then apply the paint with a sameis
hair or a good bristle brush, taking
care tnat IL is lad on evenly, smoothly
and With the grain OF the woy1. IL you
have furniture that shows th.. s.Ens OF
wear and tear, that has beeems shabby,
scratched or much marked with hard
usage. it can be revived and made to
look like new with just a little rouble
and can of paint and varnish.
First, remove all the old varnish with
ssndpaper, rubbing the wood smooth and
clean by contact with the gritty surface
Of the paper.
Now wash the wood thoroughly with
warm. soapy water, this to remove any
dust or grit; dry 1t with soft cloth
and prepare to paint
Be sure that you buy the best
quality Of paint that can be had Cheap
brands do more harm than good. A
good brush will also be necessary, one
that will not shed its bristles when the
work is being done.
After all the old paint is on the wood
you can apply any colored stain or paint
you desire. Walnut. oak, mahogany, are
the popular dark colors. and white and
gray the light eolors.
There is a big demand now for CO.
lon!al furniture painted white. This can
be done by giving successive coats OF
paint over the darkest colors, after rub
bling down with sandpaper
When buying paint for white furniture
be sure to get colonial white. This IL
really a deep cream color, and looks
much more attractive than pure white
or blue-white
When painting a table or chairs re-
member always to begin at the top and
work with the grain OF the wood toward
the base OF the article.
Always allow one coat OF paint or var
nish to become thoroughly dry before
putting on a second coat
II you have chosen a dark-colored stain
or paint be very careful that II Is put
on evenly, otherwise, there will be places
where the wood will look notified and
darker than they should where the paint
Is thickest.
II the paint is very thick. Il can be
thinned ont with turpentine, adding just
enough to make it run smoothly when
it is thoroughly stirred up from the bot
tom of the can.
The painting finished and dry, thin
coat Of varnish should be applied and
after that Is dry a good plan Is 10
polish the work with equal parts Of lin
seed oil and turpentine, applied with an
old soft cloth.
White spots can be removed from fur
niture with a little alcohol applied with
a sponge. II the woodwork is very dirty,
wash il with warm water to which has
been added a few drops Of ammonia.
Dry and polish with the above.
One energetic woman varnishcd all the
woodwork in the bedrooms and lower
floor Of her home. 1t took several days
to do the work, but her home looks as
fresh and clean as II it were new, and
she has saved about $50 that would have
been paid to a professional painter II
she had not done the work herself
Remember. "a penny saved is penny
earned" The saving Of n little here
and there is one of the surest methods
of becoming well on FreshCn up the
furniture yourself, and pHt the price Of
the work in the bank, as a start or an
addition to your ''nestegg-"