Home Occupations for Boys and Girls Part 8

=Frieze of Leaves= (_Leaves_, _cartridge or other strong paper of good tone_, _glue_)

A pretty frieze for a room can be made by pasting leaves on a long, foot-high strip of paper which forms a background. The effect will depend largely upon the harmony between the color of the leaves and the background, as well as upon the arrangement of the leaves. They may be arranged in an irregular line, or may be placed so as to form artistic groups of twos and threes or fours.

=Collections of Leaves=

When the collecting instinct is upon him, let the child collect and cla.s.sify leaves according to shape. See if he can tell by the leaf what tree it came from, and if he recognizes the different varieties of leaves.

=Four-Leaved Clovers=

Look for four-leaved clovers when on your country walks, and save to press and afterwards use in writing letters of good-will as decoration for paper, pasting on at upper left hand corner; or use to decorate place cards for dinners. It will hardly be necessary to state that the four-leaved clover has for long years been the symbol of good-luck.

=Shadow Game= (_See under Sun and Shadow_)

FEATHERS

=Feather Flowers= (_A large goose with many white feathers_, _beeswax_, _spools of wire of different sizes_, _aniline dyes, though vegetable dyes are preferable if obtainable_, _strong scissors suitable for cutting wire_, _spools of strong white cotton thread_, _spool of milliner's green-covered wire_)

Pluck the breast of the goose. (Feathers come out very easily.) The feathers, being very light, fly about and therefore it is best to do the plucking in an uncarpeted room or one in which the floor has been covered with a large sheet.

Cla.s.sify the feathers according to size, and arrange in bundles of about thirty by winding a stout thread around the quills. Thus they are ready for the dyeing process.

Dye according to directions on packages. For deep green of leaves and for calyx immerse for several minutes; for more delicate tints immersion for a second is sufficient.

Suppose we select for our first effort a carnation. Choose a real one for a model. Having selected about twenty feathers of the required sizes and colors, cut the ends to resemble the form of the petal and then pink the edge as in the real flower. The actual number of petals required will depend upon the size of the flower copied and must be left to the judgment of the maker.

Take the measure of the length of stem required on the wire and double it (wire must be twice as long as stem). Wind tightly and evenly around it the green milliner's wire to make the stem.

Soften the beeswax by heating slightly in a pan till soft enough to mold between the fingers. Shape it into the form of the calyx, inserting the stem at the lower end, and pus.h.i.+ng it far enough to insure firmness.

Wrap this soft calyx form round with green feathers to represent the flower copied. Upon accuracy at the beginning depends the success of the flower, therefore it is necessary to observe the natural one closely.

The green feathers must entirely cover the calyx mold, the upper ones curving back a little as in the genuine calyx.

Take some colored petals and insert between the calyx and the wax mold, pus.h.i.+ng the quill end of the feather firmly into the wax. Arrange the petals spirally, beginning at the bottom and building gradually up to the top. The larger feathers are used first, growing smaller toward the top. Complete the flower by inserting the stamens and pistil, which are made by tearing one small feather into narrow strips and curling these by drawing once over a scissors blade.

The simplest flowers to make are: Carnation pinks, violets, sweet peas, fuchsias, roses and Easter lilies. With the proper amount of time, patience and perseverance, any flower can be successfully made.

If leaves are desired, cut green feathers into the required shape and attach.

=Indian Headdress= (_Large turkey feathers_, _glue_, _cardboard_, _paint_)

Save large feathers from turkey or rooster and make Indian headdress by glueing upon cardboard cut to proper shape. For model look at copper cent.

FLOWERS

=Pressed Morning-Glories= (_The flowers_, _white tissue-paper_, _scissors_, _book or pressing boards_)

Press the flowers between a fold of thin tissue-paper. The delicate flowers will adhere to the paper, which is sufficiently transparent however for the morning-glory to be visible through it. When dry, cut the paper from around the flower and pin to curtains, lambrequin, etc., as desired, or attach to letter paper.

=Soldier-Flowers= (_Milkweed blossoms_)

The small blossoms of the milkweed may be made to stand in rows and columns like soldiers, two by two, four by four, etc., giving practice in counting.

ROSE-HAWS

=Rosaries= (_Haws_, _stout thread_, _needle_)

When the beautiful red rose-haws ripen let the children string them, making rosaries to send to city friends.

STRAWS

=Stringing= (_Scissors_, _needle_, _thread_, _cranberries_, _nuts_, _etc._)

Save the straw from rye and let the children cut it into one-inch lengths for stringing alternately with cranberries, nuts, beads, etc.

Use to decorate the room, to make portieres, and to decorate the child himself when dressing up.

=Blowing Bubbles= (_Straw_, _soapy water_)

Hollow straws several inches long may be used to blow tiny bubbles of soapy water in the absence of a clay pipe.

SUN AND SHADOW

=Blue-Prints= (_Leaf_, _blue-print paper_, _running water_, _small oblong of gla.s.s_)

A package of blue-print paper can be bought at any photographic supply place for from 15 cents up, or can be had in the sheet from an architect's supply store. It must be carefully protected from the light till ready for use.

Take a square of the paper and place upon it a leaf or flower or inconspicuous weed that makes a good shadow on the sidewalk or window sill. Place this in pleasing position upon the paper and put quickly in the bright suns.h.i.+ne, holding it in place with the small pane of gla.s.s (common picture gla.s.s will do). Leave exposed to the sun for about ten minutes, then pour cold water over it for a moment or so, and the "shadow" will be seen to be permanently "fixed" in light blue against a darker blue background.

An artist acquaintance has a hundred or more such prints of leaves, plants and flowers beautifully mounted in a j.a.panese blank-book, the paper of which makes an exquisite background. She finds these shadows of the flowers and commonest weeds suggestive in her designing.

=Shadow Game= (_Smooth fence in suns.h.i.+ne_; _branch with leaves_.)

1. Several children sit in row, facing smooth board fence. Another group of children form their opponents. Of these one walks behind seated row in such a way that his profile is visible on fence. Seated children guess opponent from shadow cast.