South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-01
Gifts Children
Enjoy Making
Idle Hands Will Find Prof.
table Employment With
Simple Materials.

In making gifts, it is best to be-
stow something OF real use. Before me
On my desk as 1 write Is a blotter pad
My little boy made it. writes John I
Nicholson, principal OF New York
city's model public school. in the
WOmans' magazine. 1t holds several
strips of blotting paper, which may be
renewed as often as needed. 1t is al
ways handy, always ready; and
though Il is made of simple white
wood, IT has been stained an oak color
TO match my desk and chairs.
Couldn't you do something like this
for father? and something else for
mother?
First, you will need wood A
smooth-sided soap box will do. Verv
likely what you need is lying right
now in the woodpile. II it isn't your
grocer will probably give you an old
box. If you ask him. You will need
hammer, Of course, and preferably
small tack hammer If you cannot
get a screw driver. small nails and a
small hammer will do.
Then you will need a saw. We put
the hammer and the nails first be-
cause they would really be all We
need if we cannot get a saw. Instead
of the saw we could use a knife. But
try TO get saw. 1t may be a small
toOl-a straight cut or a back saw.
Then, last of all, If you can get it.
you Will need a small plane, TO take
off the rough edges. But if you can
not hpd one, use No. sandpaper.
a Very convenient thing to have
would be a workbench with a wise
Maybe there is a work shop in your
school Work slowly and cautiously
Do not finish the gift in day.
Your tools must be ready, your
work must be planned, and you
should have an apron or overalls so
that your clothes will not be soiled
For the boy whose stock of tools is
| limited, perhaps the best gift to try
| first will be a coat-hanger. 1t may
/ have only a curved top on which the
/ coat or cloak may rest, leaving a
straight edge at the bottom. A piece
! of box, 20 inches long. will do. The
wood must be thick enough to take
| the screw hook which is inserted at
\ the top.
Get some fve-inch screw hooks at
/ the hardware shop. They may be pur-
/ chased for cents each, or less, in
dozen lots. Before starting the
/ screw into the wood, rub it over q
/ piece Of common soap. Remember
! this when using screws.
The curved top on this coat-hanger
! is necessary as a precaution against
! wrinkling garments placed upon 1t.
/ The wood should be smOOthed
/ down after cutting with plane if
I one is handy, and if not, with No. ,
sandpaper.
Take your time about cutting the
| curved top, if you have no saw and
must do it with a knife. Always cut
with the grain of the wood, and not
against it. You viii know that you
are cutting against the grain, if your
knife catches in the wood. Then turn
I the piece the other way.
Now. YOU may think when your
| first cOat-hanger is complete, that al
| though it is serviceable it is not very
attractive in appearance. simple
! brown or oak stain may be applied.
| Buy a good 10 cent can Of stain, lay
it on lightly over the wood, working
again with the grain. Use a small
piece of old cloth. You need not buy
brush.
You may care to cover the wood
with denim. A yard of denim of a
pretty pattern may be bought at a
drygoOds store for 20 cents. Cut
piece to fit each side of the hanger,
leaving enough edge to lap over the
top and bottom.
You will need some white glue. Lay
the glue on smoothly over the side of
the hanger Lay the denim on the
glued sides bringing the short edges
up over the top and bottom. Rub il
smooth with a clean cloth. Then cut
a strip of the denim to run around the
edges Glue them, and lay the strip
on Put the screw hook in last when
you use the denim. Black or brown
cloth may be used. as well as denim.
Girls may do any of this work The
boy may do the carpentering and his
sister the covering. But there is
nothing in the making of any of these
gifts that a girl cannot do, for the
wood is light and the tools are light.
Every girl ought to learn TO handle
tools.