Home Occupations for Boys and Girls Part 19

Take the calendar pad apart and paste the leaf for each month upon one of the blotters. Then tie the blotters together with the ribbon. This makes suitable New Year's gift. (See also page 74.)

=New Year's Bells= (_Red cardboard_, _scissors_, _paste_, _ribbon_)

Cut out a bell and paste a calendar pad on it. Or cut 12 small bells and paste one leaf of calendar pad on each, stringing all together with ribbon.

=Good-Luck Pigs=

With our German population the pig signifies "good-luck," and at New Year's pigs, big and little, made of various materials, are quite in order. A favorite candy, made of sugar and bitter-almond, is in the shape of a pig, and is used to present to friends at this holiday time.

Many suggestions already given may be carried out with the pig idea in mind.

=Midnight Watching=

If friends stay up to watch the Old Year out, any of the above-named articles may be made by the children for souvenirs. A poem which may suitably be read at this time is Tennyson's "Ring Out, Wild Bells;"

also, Longfellow's "The Poet's Calendar." A timely topic for discussion is the never-answered question: When does the new century begin--with January 1, 1900, or 1901? Timothy Dwight, President of Yale College, 1795-1817, wrote some clever verses apropos of the subject when he helped usher in the 19th Century.

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

Save lace papers from candy and soap boxes and they will prove useful when St. Valentine's Day comes in making Valentines. With these papers and scissors, paste, sc.r.a.p pictures of flowers, doves, etc., the children will spend happy hours in making these dainty souvenirs. We give a few directions for making some such.

=Single Hearts= (_Red cardboard_, _lace paper_, _sc.r.a.p pictures_, _scissors_, _paste_)

Cut a heart out of the cardboard and around the edge paste a border of lace paper, fulling slightly and attaching it to the under side of the heart. In the centre of the upper side of the heart paste a pretty sc.r.a.p picture. This makes a simple but effective Valentine.

=Chain of Hearts= (_Red cardboard_, _scissors_, _sc.r.a.p pictures_, _paste_, _red ribbon_)

Cut several hearts out of the cardboard, and, after punching holes in the top and bottom of each one, string them together, pasting a sc.r.a.p picture on each one if that added touch is desired.

=Double Hearts= (_Red cardboard_, _scissors_, _paste_, _strip of red paper_)

Cut two hearts of different sizes. Then take a narrow strip of red paper measuring 1/4 1 inch and fold it into thirds. While still folded attach one end of this paper to the _centre_ of the _upper side_ of the large heart and the other end to the _centre_ of the _lower side_ of the smaller heart. This unites the two, one resting on top of the other, the paper acting as a kind of spring to raise one above the other. Instead of a small heart a sc.r.a.p picture may be thus attached on the larger heart.

In cutting out these hearts it may be necessary first to cut a pattern out of newspaper, making several trials before a satisfactory model is secured.

=Lacy Valentine= (_Gold or silver paper_, _white tissue paper_, _sc.r.a.p pictures_, _paste_)

Cut from a sheet of gold or silver paper a piece measuring 5 7 inches.

Fold this once through the middle so as to make a book of 3-1/2 5 inches. Cut a piece from the tissue paper of 3-1/2 5 inches. Fold this two or three times and cut into it tiny perforations--oblongs, diamonds, circles, hearts, etc. Then open out and observe the lacey effect.

Practice this until something pretty and dainty is secured. Then upon the centre of the book paste a sc.r.a.p picture and attach the tissue paper by its edges to the Valentine in such a way that the picture shows a little between the perforations. A narrow strip of stiff paper folded in three, to give the effect of a spring as described above, may be used at each corner. Inside of the booklet paste other pictures as fancy dictates. Also write therein some appropriate lines.

=Spider-Web Design= (_Gold or silver paper_, _Bristol board_, _sc.r.a.p picture_, _paste_, _scissors_)

Cut a circle of gold or silver paper, three or four inches in diameter.

Fold once, making a semi-circle; fold once more making a quarter-circle.

Beginning at the point of the folded paper, make a tiny cut from one edge _towards_ the other, but do not cut the point entirely off. Turn the paper and make a second cut parallel to the first about 1/8 inch away, the cut being from the other edge of the paper. Turn again and make a third cut. Each time the cuts grow in length owing to the increasing width of the triangle or quarter-circle. Continue thus until the circ.u.mference of the folded circle is reached. Then open out and you have a silver spider-web effect. Take a square or circle somewhat larger than the web, and in its centre paste a pretty bird, flower, or maiden.

Then paste the web upon this background, putting the paste along the edges of the web, but leaving the centre free, so that the child can raise it and peer through the slits at the picture beneath.

Let city children send to country cousins sc.r.a.p pictures, colored papers, etc., and sample Valentines, so that their friends may have the pleasure of making and giving.

Valentine Dinner

SOUP: Put into the clear soup the noodle hearts, which may be purchased at a grocery store, or have a vegetable soup, slicing the vegetables and cutting them into little hearts with a knife.

MEAT: Make chicken or beef croquettes, molding them like hearts.

VEGETABLES: Slice the boiled carrots and potatoes and cut into heart shapes.

BREAD: Cut into hearts.

SALAD: Upon green lettuce leaves place hearts cut from beets.

DESSERT: Ice cream may be obtained in the form of a Cupid or something similar, and cake may be decorated with white icing having pink hearts outlined upon it. The peppermint candies in the shape of hearts, which have sentiments printed upon them, may be pa.s.sed either at the beginning or the end of the meal. Cut in half, placing the halves in separate dishes; then pa.s.s one dish to the girls and the other to the boys, and by matching halves partners may be found. Let the children, however, remain unconscious of the distinction of s.e.x as many years as possible.

In making preparations for the dinner let the children help.

=Place Cards for Dinner= (_Red paper_, _white cardboard_, _scissors_, _pencil_)

Cut a heart from the _red_ paper. From the _white_, cut an arrow, drawing it after a pattern found in some book. Making two slits in the heart, run the arrow through it. On the reverse side of the heart write the name of the guest.

=Decorations for Valentine Dinner= (_Red cardboard_, _red ribbon_)

Cut about two dozen hearts all of same size, or graduated in size.

String these upon the red ribbon and suspend over the table.

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY

=Luncheon Card= (_1._ _Picture hatchet_, _cardboard_, _scissors_, _paints_; _2._ _Same_--_also white or reddish brown paper_)

1. Find a picture of a hatchet and use it as a model from which to cut one about two inches long. Paint this in colors resembling the real hatchet, and upon the reverse side write the name of the guest.

2. From a piece of white or reddish-brown paper cut a one-inch square.

Paint so as to resemble cherry wood. Roll so that one edge overlaps the other a trifle, simulating the trunk of a tree. As they overlap cut a tiny slit through the two. Cut out a tiny cardboard hatchet, paint as above, and insert in this slit so that it holds the two edges together.

Before fastening in this way, an appropriate quotation may be written inside, and the name of the guest on the outside. It should stand up if rightly made.

=Decorative Cherries= (_Paraffine_, _spool of wire, not too fine_, _green cloth or paper_, _carmine oil paint_, _brush_, _paste_)