Year: 1878

Christmas Gifts for Small Hands.
RUSTIC EASEL.


This pretty, simple little..ornament fol
a bracket or mantel is made of sever
twigs or branches about the same size
and covered with gray bark and moss
The two uprights should be about eight
inches in length, and the two cross
pieces for top and bottom six. The rest
for the picture should only extend as ia,
as the frame crosses-not project like
the cross pieces. Another twig makes
support, and is tackled to strip about
two.thirds of the way up on the back.
Glue upon them, when fastened together
firmly with beads, bits OF moss, tiny
cones, shells, beeohnuts and the seed
vessels OF the maple that look, after
being exposed to the sun and rain all
summer, like some kind OF daintily
winged insect.


Supporting picture-one OF Prang's
exquisite bits of forest or meadow-a
clump of woodland violets, or bunch
of bright-faced o1-eye daisies-this sim.
pie, easily made ornament might be used
to carry sunshine to many a chamber Of
sickness. or home Of poverty and dis
couragement.


Of the same material is easily arranged
by using three twigs Of the same size
and length, fastened near the top by a
bit of wire, and ornamented in the same
manner as the easel. From the center
of this is suspended, by a silver wire. a
tiny basket Of moss, or small glass
dish for cut flowers. Sprays Of the deli
cate smilax or poets ivy will keep fresh
in the water for weeks, and may be
trained about the mossy twigs with
graceful effect.


CORNER BRACKETS


Of this same rustic work are very pretty
and easy to make, as you have only to
make triangular frame of the twigs to
fit the corner of your room. Then tack
q few pieces across to make the shelf,
and exercise your own taste and ingenu-
ity in making fanciful top and bottom
of the same. Drape it with the long,
gray moss with which our pine forests
are filled, and you have, if tastefully
arranged, one Of the prettiest brackets
to be found.


For the special benefit of the girls, We
will try to describe one Of the daintiest


HANDKERCHIEF GASES


that we have ever seen, as simple as it is
pretty.


Cover piece of stiff pasteboard, about
six inches square, with common white
cloth, wadded upon the upper side to
form the bottom OF the case. Then cut
four pieces of white or silver perforated
cardboard, each in the form of half cir
Gle, five inches long on the straight edge
and two and half at the center. Line
these with bright.colored silk, and
bind with narrow ribbon Of the same
shade-this is for the cover. For the
sides, yard of ribbon five inches wide
should be gathered at both edges. One
edge is sewed to the bottom of the case,
and the other to the straight edges OF
the four pieces designed for the cover.
Each of the cardboard flaps must have a
piece of ribbon sewed to the center to
tie them together in pairs, aud if you
wish it more elaborate quilting of rib
bon may be sewed about the flaps over
the binding.


A TABLE. LINEN BASKET


is something that any girl with common
ingenuity and taste can make, and which
cannot fail to be m acceptable present
to her mother or the young married
friend who has "just gone to house
keeping"


Secure large box for basket, two and
a half feet long, twenty inches wide and
foot deep, made OF bookbinders' board.
Line this with pink cambria over wad-
ded bottom scented with sachet-powder.
Then cover the outside with bands divide
dress braid-green and white-woven
in and out like basket-work. The green
squares should be crossed with white
embroidery cotton; and butterfly bows
OF green ribbon are used to hide the
fastenings of the cover, as well as the
button and elastic with which it is secur-
ed. For the top, crochet a cover OF
white tidy cotton, which, after being
stretched and tackled over the top, should
be stiffened with thick boiled starch rub.
bed over the surface. When dry it
should have several coatings Of shellac,
which will make it look like bamboo. It
can be washed as easily as cane when
soiled or dusty. This basket should be
placed on the sideboard or dining table,
for the accommodation of the table.cloth
and napkins in use each day.


CLOTH CLEANER.


Here is something for the very little
ones to make, which, if not particularly
pretty or fanciful, is so useful that papa
and the big brothers will be sure to ap-
preciate it, even more, perhaps, than
they do the embroidered slippers and
smoking caps that the grown.up girls
have taken so much pains to make.


Roll a straight strip of black cloth
four inches wide, over and over, very
tightly, till you have a roll about as
thick as your wrist. Then sew the edge
over and over very firmly, and with a
pair of sharp scissors trim the ends on
perfectly smooth. Sew loop or large
ring at one end to hang it up by, and
YOU have one of the incest things to
Clean gentlemen's clothes with that can
be found. Dip the end in a little am.
monia and water, and you will find that
it removes spots as 4 by magic, leaving
no lint or specks hA,nd.


For the little knitters there are


KNITTED NAPKIN HOLDERS
to keep the baby napkin in place, about
her chubby neck.


CAST on ten stitches in blue worsted
knit six times across in garter stitch,
then knit four in blue, two in white and
the remaining four in blue. Next time
across on the right side, knit four in
white, and 80 on, increasing two each
time. until the whole ten are white, then
decrease in the same ratio, thus making
a white diamond on blue ground. Knit
four times across between, of the blue,
and then another diamond, and 30 on
until the band is as long as you wish it.