Toy-Making at Home Part 2

Another excellent toy, constructed with match boxes--and one very much appreciated by little brothers and sisters--is the

_Model Stores._--Once again this will be best understood by reference to the ill.u.s.tration (Fig. 25). The stores consist of a counter and a back fitment--the two mounted on a base board. For the counter, five complete match boxes should be glued side by side and then mounted on six empty covers. The trays of the five complete boxes should then be given handles to make them into drawers. For these handles nothing can beat a boot b.u.t.ton. The small metal loop is pushed through a hole in the end of the tray, and then secured in position by means of a tiny wooden wedge pushed through the loop on the inside.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 25.]

The back fitment consists of a block of twenty covers, five in a row, and four rows deep. These are glued into position. The two lower rows are deprived of their trays to make storage part.i.tions, and the two upper are fitted with handles as above. Surmounting this block is an upper fitment consisting of five trays glued together so as to stand upright at the back of the block, leaving a free shelf in front (as in most grocers' shops). Finally there is a row of three trays placed endways on the top of the five just mentioned.

For "playing at shops" a little model like this is invaluable.

_A Red-Cross Cart._--For this a large empty match tray is required.

Across the under side a short length of match stale is glued, to act as an axle for the two wheels. These can be cut from either veneer or cardboard. A good plan is to cut out a circle in fairly stiff cardboard, and glue a covering of veneer on each side; this adds to the appearance of the wheel and makes it stiffer. If veneer alone is used, two circles must be cut out for each wheel, and glued together with the grain at right angles. The wheels should be fixed in position with doll pins.

For the tilt a piece of veneer bent over and glued to the inner sides of the match box will do quite well. The red cross may be painted on, but will look considerably better if cut from some light red paper and stuck on. All that remains is to supply the shafts. For this two pieces of stale of the requisite length should be glued to the under side of the body of the cart. Fig. 26 shows the completed model.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 26.]

Another military model, slightly more difficult to adjust, is

_A Maxim Gun._--For this two wheels, each about 2-1/2 in. across, must be constructed in the manner described above.

The body of the machine is easier to make than describe. Fig. 27 shows the under side. A small match box is taken and along one long edge of the top a piece of stale is glued, projecting 1/4 in. at each end. This stale is the axle. Two full-length stales are then glued so that they meet at the end furthest from the axle. To render these projecting pieces more stable, a triangular piece of veneer is glued across them at the place of meeting.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 27.]

The two wheels are then fixed in position by means of doll pins. For the front of the machine a screen is required, and a piece of veneer or card is cut as shown in Fig. 28, and glued to the front edge of the match box. Through the hole in this screen will project the actual gun itself.

For this a piece of wooden skewer or slender dowel will do. This can be attached to the top of the box by means of glue, and can be wedged up into a horizontal position if found to slant too much.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 28.]

A coat of dull grey paint will add greatly to the realistic appearance of this interesting little toy.

Many other things can be made, too, for use when playing with toy soldiers. One such model is

_A Step Bridge_, as shown in Fig. 29. This is a very pretty little model, and one quite delightful to make. For it we require four 1-3/4 in. or 2-1/4 in. match boxes, a piece of cardboard or veneer, and some match stales.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 29.]

The cardboard should be cut to the width of the match box that is, either 1-3/4 in. or 2-1/4 in., and to a length of 4-1/2 in. At each end of this should be glued the side of a match box. In this way the actual bridge itself is formed. The step is provided at each end by a match box, lying down, and glued to the standing box.

The remaining task is the cutting and fitting of the match stales to provide the railings--and this is the part requiring great care.

Reference to the sketch will give a much better idea of the design than any amount of explanation. The stales will be cut to the following lengths: two at 4-1/2 in., eight at 2-1/2 in., and four at 2 in. You can finish off your model by pointing some of the stales; but this is not at all necessary if you have used a sharp knife and made clean cuts. If in fitting up the stales you find the glue is not sufficient, you can strengthen the important joints by use of doll pins.

One other splendid use to which match boxes and stales can be put is the provision of the lighter sorts of furniture for the dolls' house. We give two examples typical of the extent to which these simple materials may be applied.

_A Doll's Umbrella Stand_ is a very happy little idea--very simple but extremely effective. At the two ends of a small match-box tray, long stales are glued, projecting underneath to act as short legs to keep the tray from the ground. Near the top of these upright stales, four others are fixed to act as a strengthening frame. These last should be secured in place with doll pins in addition to the ordinary dab of tube glue.

Then across the frame so made should be fixed one or two short lengths of stale in order to divide the stand into two or three compartments.

Fig. 30 shows the completed stand.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 30.]

_A Doll's Fender_ is another article of similar type. For this we require a cardboard or veneer base and a number of stales. The base is cut out so as to measure at the most 5 in. in length; 5 in. by 1-1/4 in.

is a very suitable size. Now on three sides this will have a rail, constructed with stales alone. A pillar is required about 1/8 in. from each corner: this pillar should be about 3/4 in. high. Stretching from pillar to pillar and glued to the base will be three pieces--one a long one, approximately 4-1/2 in. long, and the other two short ones, about 3/4 in. in length. Above these, and not far below the tops of the pillars, will be fixed a parallel series of long and short rails, fixed into position with doll pins and glue. Very short pieces glued into an upright position between the two long parallel rails add to the stability of the structure and improve the appearance (Fig. 31). If you can stain the different pieces with black and brown to represent iron and copper, then a very effective representation of a fender will be obtained.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 31.]

With a little ingenuity a set of fireirons--poker, tongs, and shovel--can be devised and constructed from match stales.

In similar fashion countless other objects can be copied in miniature with most pleasing results. We have not s.p.a.ce here to detail the construction of any more; but we would suggest that some of the following might be attempted: bedstead, table, chair, deck chair (folding), camp bed (folding).

The construction of one or two of these will doubtless suggest many more, and reveal to the reader the boundless possibilities of this peculiarly fascinating pastime.

There is another broken household article on which the young toy-maker may not cast eyes of scorn, and that is the broken clothes peg. In skilful hands, this is capable of reconstruction to very useful ends.

In the first place, if you can use a pocket-knife with some degree of skill, you will be able to chip out of a few broken pegs quite a respectable set of

_Chess Men._--The pegs must be sawn across cleanly just through the centre of the k.n.o.b end: they will then stand upright. A few clean cuts with a pocket-knife will quite easily suggest a king or a castle or a bishop. The knight will, of course, provide most in the way of difficulty--as he is generally shown with a horse's head. A few painstaking attempts, however, should result in the obtaining of a credible likeness. Fig. 32 shows the construction of a "p.a.w.n."

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 32.]

_Skittle Men._--Another piece of work for the pocket-knife expert is the provision of a set of funny skittle men for use in the game of catapult skittles (see below). These can be cut out to any quaint shape, and may be caricatures of well-known people, or of trades, &c. Much amus.e.m.e.nt can be got out of the cutting and painting of these grotesque little figures. Hats can be provided for them by glueing on little rings of cardboard (Fig. 33).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 33.]

_A Catapult Game._--Probably every boy knows what a catapult is--and what fun there is in the using of it. Happy young fingers pull back the powerful elastic, and bright eyes watch the stone go whizzing away.

There is a fluttering of white wings: something falls; and there, lying in the road, is a motionless lump of flesh and feathers--all that remains of what was a beautiful little bird, pouring out its heart in joyful song.

Boys who think for a minute will not want to use the catapult in that cruel fashion: they will prefer a game in which no harm is done, in which no innocent creature is harmed, but which provides just as much fun. "Catapult skittles" is such a game.

It consists simply of a board with a catapult at one end, and a set of skittles at the other. The broken peg skittles dealt with above will do admirably for this (Fig. 34).

The catapult itself can also be made with two pegs. These should be cut off cleanly at the forks. Two holes, about 3 in. apart, should then be bored in the base board (for this, a piece of plank about 3 ft. or 4 ft.

long will do quite well), and the pegs screwed on (see Fig. 39 on page 34).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 34.]

For ammunition all you need is an unlimited number of little pieces of cardboard, folded in two. These carry well, are quite heavy enough to upset the skittles, and, above all, are not likely to hurt, even if they do strike a player.

If you wish to vary the game slightly, you can rig up a "c.o.kernut shy"

in place of the skittles. This you will find very popular at Christmas time, particularly if you play for the nuts.