Home Occupations for Boys and Girls Part 20

Purchase at the grocer's cakes of paraffine such as is used for preserving purposes. Heat a cake in a dish so that it is soft enough to model into b.a.l.l.s the size of a cherry. While still pliable make a slight depression in its surface. Having previously rolled the wire in the green tissue paper, and cut into inch strips for stems, insert this into the cherry at the depressed part of its surface. Cut out cherry leaves of paper, or better dark green cloth, place a little paste on these leaves at the back and arrange a stem on each one. When the stem of the cherry is firmly fastened in the fruit, paint the surface with carmine oil paint. This gives a polished appearance to the surface like the natural cherry.

The stems of the green leaves may be trimmed about the stems of the cherries in twos or threes or more, according to the number of cherries used.

=Paper Chains= (_Colored paper in sheets or cut into strips_, _paste_, _small brushes or sticks_)

The making of paper chains, in contrasting or uniform colors, is a delightful pastime for children of all ages. Very little children may easily learn to make one loop at a time, and, with a.s.sistance, are soon able to fasten several loops together.

Kindergarten Supply Stores furnish strips of colored paper already cut, and put up in packages. These strips measure 36 inches in length. It is very easy, however, to cut strips from large sheets of paper, and it is an excellent lesson in accurate cutting for children over ten years of age.

These paper strips may measure one or two inches in width and the entire length of the sheet. Cut the long strips into short strips measuring four inches in length. Holding the four inch strip in the left hand, put a very little paste on the under surface of one end of the strip.

Overlap the pasted end of the strip to its unpasted end, and hold firmly until fastened. You now have one paper loop. Through this loop is placed another four inch strip--the paste is added in the same manner. Now you have two loops. Continue doing this until you have the chain the required length. These chains are very effective when used in decorating.

For Washington's Birthday, red, white and blue paper would be used for the chains.

=Bonbonnieres= (_White tissue paper_, _red and blue aniline dyes_)

Very attractive bonbonnieres may be made by cutting oblong shaped sheets of white tissue paper, measuring 6 inches in length and 5 inches in width. Fringe the shorter edges of the paper, making fringe 1 inch deep.

Dissolve any good red and blue dyes in boiling water, and place in separate dishes. Dip one fringed end of tissue paper into the red dye for one second, and dip the other fringed end into the blue dye. Shake these ends gently in order to let the water drip from them. When they are dry, place a large sized candy in the centre of the paper, and gathering up the fringed ends, twist them close to the candy, thus forming a feathery effect in two colors. These are very pretty when arranged on the table either in quant.i.ty or singly.

=Tents= (_White shelf paper_, _paste_, _match stick_, _red, white and blue paper_)

Groups of white tents, made of white shelf paper, capped at the top with tiny American flags, may be placed at short distances from the centre piece of a luncheon or supper table with good effect.

The large sheets of shelf paper may be bought at any grocer's. Cut them into four-inch squares. Place the paper before you on a flat surface, an edge nearest you. Fold the front edge to the back edge of square; crease the paper at the fold, open the paper and fold the right edge to left edge of square; crease the fold again. Open the paper and turn the square so that a corner points towards you. Fold this front corner to the back corner, so that the two points exactly meet.

Crease on the fold, open the paper, and fold the left corner to the right corner of the square. Crease on the fold. Open the paper; before you you have a square of paper, with eight folds across its surface, a fold running front edge to back edge, from right edge to left edge, from right corner to left corner, from left corner to right corner. Turn the square of paper over so that all the folds on the surface of the paper are on the upper side of the square. Place the square with a corner toward you.

You will now see eight folds running from the four edges and four corners to the centre of the square. Crease with thumb and forefinger of right hand the fold running from lower right edge to centre of square.

Place this right hand fold of square forward so that it lies along the fold which extends from the corner directly in front of you to the centre of the square. Follow the same directions in folding the crease that runs from the lower left edge to centre of square. These two folds touch now on the fold that runs from front corner to centre of square.

You will see a small triangle extending below the two folds which thus meet in front of you. Fold this small triangle back toward the centre, and underneath the two folds that meet in front of you. One half of your tent is folded. The same directions must be followed in folding the other side of the square.

The two small triangles must be carefully folded so that the tent will stand evenly when finished. You will see when the front and back part of the tent is finished that you have the right and left corners to dispose of. Fold these corners underneath the tent, so that when it is placed in an upright position it will stand firmly. To make the tent stand well, crease the edges that run from the four corners to top of tent, thus making an exact pyramid. The use of a little paste in securing the folds is of great a.s.sistance.

To represent the tent pole, a wooden match, gilded, may be used. To this attach a tiny American flag made of pliable red, white and blue paper.

=Paper Lanterns= (_Scissors_, _red, white and blue paper_, _liquid gold paint_, _box of small candles_, _circular box covers_, _baby ribbon--red, white and blue_)

Lanterns made of red, white and blue paper, each of one color only, ornamented with gold paint and tied with the red, white and blue baby ribbon, are extremely pretty for supper decorations. When suspended from the chandelier above the centre of a supper table, a lighted candle in each little lantern, the effect is charming.

In view of entertainments where decorations are called for, it would be well to lay aside all small circular box covers that find their way into the household. The small box covers that measure 2-1/2 inches in diameter may be taken as a standard size. These box covers form the bottom of the lanterns.

Cut from the colored paper an oblong piece measuring 8 inches in length and 5 inches in width. Lay the oblong piece of paper before you with its long edges running right and left. Draw a pencil line the length of the paper 3/4 of an inch from the upper edge; 3/4 of an inch from its lower edge draw another line which will be parallel to the first.

From the upper pencil line to the lower pencil line draw 15 lines 1/2 inch apart. These upright lines will form 14 narrow oblongs. Use very sharp pointed scissors, and cut away each alternate oblong. Paste the two short edges of the oblong paper together, one end overlapping the other. The body of the lantern is now finished.

Let a little wax drip from a candle on the inside of the circular box cover at its centre. When a little bed of soft wax is formed, place an unlighted candle on it in an upright position. Place a thick coating of Spaulding's glue on the inner surface of circular rim of the box cover, and carefully fit the body of the lantern into it.

When the paper lantern is securely fastened, gild heavily the outside rim of the box cover and the upper and lower circular bands which form top and bottom borders of the lanterns. In the top circular band punch four holes equal distances apart, through which the ribbons are run.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY--MARCH 17TH

=Place Cards= (_White cards_, _water-color or oil paints_, _brush_)

Paint a picture of shamrock upon the card. It may be copied from some picture, if not from the real plant. If not possible to find a picture, our wild-wood-sorrel (_Oxalis acetosella_) is supposed to be the same as the shamrock and may be used for model. Some authorities believe the white clover to be the original shamrock.

=Flags= (_Irish flag_, _green paint_, _gold paint_, _brush_, _scissors_, _slender sticks_)

If one Irish flag is bought the children may copy it, painting a number, one for each guest, or for decorating table. Glue flags to sticks.

=Ribbon Flags= (_Green satin ribbon, one inch wide_, _wooden toothpick_)

Cut the ribbon into oblongs to make wee flags. Glue to tiny flagsticks and put at places at dinner table.

=Shamrock Plants=

The real shamrock is now brought over and may be purchased in March. A little plant makes an appropriate souvenir. Or several weeks before the day, children may plant shamrock seed in tiny pots for use on the 17th.

=Potato Race=

A potato race is an appropriate game for St. Patrick's Day. (See page 94.) Give cork doll for prize to winner of race (page 81), as souvenir from Cork.

=St. Patrick's Dinner=

Have as many green vegetables and side dishes as possible. Spinach will color the soup. Green vegetables and salads are easy to obtain and ice cream may be colored with pistache. Irish flags may be suspended over the table.

=Dinner Souvenir= (_Blotting paper_, _souvenir postcards_, _green ribbon 1/2 inch wide_)

Give each guest a blotter made thus: Buy souvenir postcards with pictures of Killarney and other Irish views. Cut the blotting paper into sheets of same size as cards. Place together. Punch hole at one end and tie together with ribbon.

EASTER

=Egg Sh.e.l.l Garden= (See page 25)