Evening star., 1926-10-15
For Comfort and Beauty
Suggestions for Furnishing and Decorating the
Small Apartment or House Most
Effectively.

Another use for crepe paper is as a
lining for a screen. 1t is quite as ef-
fective as silk for the purpose. The
use of crepe paper for fancy dress cos
tunes Is we'll known and this month
is especially timely for the making Of
such costumes.
Novel Plant Holders.
An artistic flower holder for the
Fall and Winter window is made of
gourds Select a number Of the small
and large common garden variety,
and dig out the top and inside. Fill
with spaghum moss and soil. Any of
the ordinary air plants and ferns will
grow in this. The moss will hold the
moisture for the plants, and the roots
will derive some nourishment from the
meat of the gourds. The crooked
neck gourds can be hung up with
brightly colored ribbons or by fine
chains, or some of the silver and gold
cord that comes around candy boxes.
Several of these odd-shaped gourds
filled with ferns or air plants suspend
ed by ribbons chains or colOred string
make a very pretty decoration Tor the
window with a sOutherly exposure.
The gourds will last long time With
out decaying if care is taken to avoid
too much watering.
Another novelty is a piece Of cedar
log, two feet long and ten inches in
diameter. The bark should be left
on and the knots cut SO that they
form a rustic appearance. Suspend
this log by a fine silver chain. Cut
the ton side of the log out with a
chisel so that there will be ample
space for rich soil. Place in the soil
soft ferns and their feathery fronds
and leaves will add an artistic effect
to the novelty. Such a fern holder
will last for q long time, and the de-
caying wood inside will in time add
nourishment to the roots or the
plants. The important thing in car
ing for such novelties is to water
them often and not too freely at one
time If the water is allowed to drip
over too much. it will diScolor the
holders and cause them to rot out
side. On the other hand, if insufficient
moisture Is supplied, the ferns or
plants will dry up and die.
Fireplace Bricks.
The fireplace in some homes gives
the decorative note in the living or
dining rooms, but it sometimes hap.
pens that the fireplace, instead OF
being the chief point of interest. be-
comes a discordant feature. This Is
liable to occur after room has been
done over unless special care is tax
en-. If walls, woodworkS and mantel
are painted in color with which
the color of the bricks of the fire
place does not harmoniZe, the new
decoration will not be satisfactory in
it's effect. The color of the bricks may
have blended nicely with the old dec
oration, but not with the new.
Fireplace bricks can be painted to
harmonize. that is the important fact.
BY simply changing the color of the
bricks, the entire appearance or a
room may be improved. For instance
in a room where the predominatlne
color is green. dull red brick would
be cutie suitable. but the same bricks
in room done in one of the Shades
Of blue might look a great deal bet
ter were they painted gray. Bricks
NAV be outlined with white or a color
or they may be given a solid tone.
The painting of bricks requires no
snccial technique, but 1t Is we'll 10 re-
member that brick is more absorbing
than wood so that paint for the hrst
and second coats need more Oil than
does paint to be used on wood. -Four
coats will ordinarily be required IN
stead of three coats, which are pre-.
scrihed for wood Paint that is gooo
for wood is usually good for brlck
and in the selection of colors ano
tints the range is as wide. Paint Will
not adhere to bricks exposed to the
d;ract be1t of a fire.