You can use this idea with another flower if you do not understand painting in water colors.
The Dainty Bloodroot
wildflower blossom is pure white and you can cut the petals of white paper, and fasten the flowers on gray-green cardboard. Paste the stem securely down and sew the petals in place in the same manner as those of the tulip. The bloodroot will look especially pretty when you move the petals and cause the snowy flowers to open.
One of the most beautiful of manufactured Easter eggs was the one presented to an Infanta of Spain some years ago. The Gospel of Easter day was inscribed on the inside of the white enamelled shell, and when a secret spring was touched a little bird would fly out and sing. It was said to have cost four thousand dollars. We can make an
Easter Egg Card
that will give almost, if not quite as much pleasure, for not more than four cents. This will be of pasteboard and will fold flat like the cross, but when opened a little chicken will sit up on the inside with its beak wide open and its wings lifted as if ready to sing its little chickie song. More than that, our egg will stand firmly on one end as Christopher Columbus made his famous egg stand.
Trace Figs. 502, 503 and 504. Slide the first egg (Fig. 502) in at right angles through the second (Fig. 503); fit the slits into each other. Paint the chicken (Fig. 504) a soft light yellow, and when dry make the markings with ink; then slide the slit at the feet of the chicken diagonally over the lower cross portion of the two eggs and you will have Fig. 505.
In Jerusalem the
Easter Bells
ring out at precisely nine o’clock in the morning, telling the people that the religious ceremony of the washing of the feet is about to take place in the large court just outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On Easter morning in our own land the church bells ring out joyously; and the gladdened note seems to be given unconsciously by the bell ringer, some of his Easter joy having entered into his work.
Our Easter card of bells is fashioned after the old Spanish style of architecture, in which the church bells are often seen suspended in open alcoves which are built up flat above the body of the church. Copy Fig. 506 on cardboard and cut it out. Make three bells like Fig. 507 and fasten one on each of the three round dots on the church belfry (Fig. 506). Sew the bells in place as you did the tulip petals, but in this case allow the thread to be a trifle looser that the bells may sway back and forth, as if ringing, when you move the card. Cut up the slit through the centre of the stand of the card and crease along the dotted line, bending half of the stand forward and the other half backward. This will give a good platform and the card will stand alone (Fig. 508). Make the belfry (Fig. 506) of a warm gray-colored cardboard and gild the cross and bells. When dry indicate a slight shading with pen and ink.
Here are some original Easter toys to be used as small gifts or novel dinner cards.
Let the Comical Little Turtle
be the first you make.
Draw on heavy writing paper Fig. 509. Cut it out, and from white tissue paper make two strips like Fig. 510. Paint eyes and mouth on the head and mark the feet; then with strong glue or sealing wax cover the edges of an egg-shell cut lengthwise and place it on Fig. 509; next fasten a strip of tissue paper (Fig. 510) along the side of the turtle between the fore and hind foot, making the strip reach partly on the egg-shell and partly underneath on the writing paper; this is to make the egg-shell and the heavy writing-paper adhere more firmly together. Fasten the remaining strip on the other side of the turtle in the same way, bend the head up a little and the tail down, also bend all the feet down and the result will be a queer little Easter turtle able to stand alone (Fig. 511).
Now for the Funny Little Pig
(Fig. 512). Select a good-sized white egg and blow out its contents in this way: carefully bore a hole at each end of the egg, enlarging them only sufficiently to enable you to send its contents out of one end by blowing in the hole at the other end of the egg; this done, cut from strong, stiff paper or cardboard diagram, Fig. 513, the tail; Fig. 514, the fore leg; Fig. 515, the hind leg; Fig. 516, the ear. Make two ears, two fore and two hind legs. Mark eyes, nose, and mouth on the small end of the shell; curl the tail with a penknife or scissors and glue it on the pig by spreading out the slits and fastening them on the back of the pig; then in turn glue in place the legs and ears and behold! the pig (Fig. 512).
The Spoon
(Fig. 517) requires a lengthwise half of an egg-shell, a piece of stiff cardboard and a bit of plain white tissue paper for its manufacture. Cut the edges of half a shell evenly all around with a pair of sharp scissors, being careful not to crack the shell during the operation; then cut the handle from cardboard (Fig. 518). Glue and attach the handle with sealing wax on the outside of the small end of the shell, bending the handle down a little where it joins the shell, secure the handle still more tightly in place by fastening a piece of tissue paper (Fig. 519) over that portion of the handle which is glued to the egg-shell, allowing the tissue paper to extend out a little beyond either side of the handle and fasten the extensions tight down on the shell. When finished the spoon can be gilded along its edges or otherwise ornamented (Fig. 517).
An Umbrella
made of half an egg-shell would protect us from the rain if only it were large enough, but such an umbrella is a good size for your purpose, because you desire an odd little toy and here it is (Fig. 520). To make the umbrella, cut from paper (Fig. 521), fold it together as in Fig. 522, turn down and outward the upper flaps; then glue the two sides of the folded handle tightly together; next fasten the spread-out flaps down on the inside centre of half an egg-shell with sealing wax; be sure to make the handle come in the middle of the shell, otherwise the umbrella will lop over a little to one side. The rim and handle may be painted brown or black, and lines to represent the seams of a real umbrella can be made on the outer surface of the shell.
The Doll’s Chair
is not difficult to make. Cut Fig. 523 from medium-weight paper, not too heavy, ornament it as in Fig. 524 or in any other way you may fancy, then take half an egg-shell and glue the chair seat over the open end with melted sealing wax, bend the back in an upright position and allow the slit edges of the seat to be bent down on the egg-shell and fasten in place. The bottom of the shell must be levelled off a little and the hole covered with a piece of paper, in order to make the chair stand up as it should. If tinted paper be used in making this toy it enhances the appearance, though the colored paper is not necessary, as white ornamented makes a very pretty little chair.
Strawberry
The strawberry is in reality a candy box. Take a fine-looking egg and blow out its contents, then dye or paint it red and with black ink mark the dots as in Fig. 525. Next fill the egg-shell with small candies and cover the opening at the top with a piece of green tissue paper cut like Fig. 526. Fasten the paper on the shell with paste used sparingly and only where it is necessary. On the top of the strawberry glue a bow of narrow green ribbon and the candy box will be finished and ready for a unique Easter gift.
A Little Hanging Basket
can be fashioned from half an egg-shell with narrow ribbon pasted over its edge, a bow of the ribbon on the bottom and two more at the sides covering the ends of a loop of the same narrow ribbon securely glued on the shell (Fig. 527).
The Doll’s Cradle
(Fig. 528) is made by breaking the egg in the desired shape, first drawing a line with pencil, so that it may be correct, then piercing the pencil line with a fine needle. The wee cradle thus formed is pasted on rockers made of stiff paper and bent down at each end (Fig. 529).
Bird’s Nest
The bird’s nest is simply half of an egg-shell, the outside covered first with a thin coat of glue and then with moss. This is to be filled with candy eggs (Fig. 530).
Sail Boat
The egg-shell boat will sail very prettily in a basin of water. It is half of a shell, with a tissue-paper sail (Fig. 531), the mast cut of stiff paper (Fig. 532), folded at the dotted line. Fig. 533 is the sail cut from colored or white tissue paper. The straight edge of the sail is placed in the fold of the mast and the two halves of the mast pasted together down to the cross line at the bottom. This lower part is slit up, as in diagram 532, and the flaps bent in opposite direction. These are used for braces in holding the mast upright and are glued to the bottom of the boat. The pennant (Fig. 534) is cut of bright-colored tissue paper, and fastened on the top of the sail (Fig. 531).
Fig. 535 represents the head of
The Mikado
fashioned from an egg. The egg must first be pierced at both ends, and the contents blown out, leaving the hollow shell; then a face, as nearly as possible resembling the Mikado, painted on the egg. A narrow strip of black paper (that encasing needles will answer the purpose) must be pasted on the back of the head, and made to stand erect with the top end curled forward as in Fig. 535; the egg should then be painted black, except the face, as seen in the picture. The head must be made to stand in the same manner that Columbus made his egg stand, by levelling off a portion of the end.
To Make the Pin-Cushion
(Fig. 536), cut two pieces of satin or silk of any desired color by pattern (Fig. 537); sew the two pieces together, leaving a small opening; fill the bag with bran, sew up the opening, and tie around the egg cushion a narrow ribbon matching the color of the cushion, making a fancy bow at one end, and a bow and loops at the other. Place in pins to form the word “Easter” (Fig. 536).
Fig. 538 shows the head of
Napoleon,
and that you may not be behind the times in your hero worship, I am going to tell how you may make a little Napoleon for yourself. At least you may make a Napoleon head, and Napoleon’s head was really the greatest part of him; his heart, I fear, was not so great, and his body, we know, was insignificant.
Use a goose egg for the head; the dimensions given for the hat are intended for a large egg. Blow the egg from the shell in the manner described. Make the largest hole in the small end of the shell and enlarge this hole to the size of a silver dime.
Now, Napoleon had what is called a well-balanced head. That was one cause of his greatness; it could not be upset by anything that went on around him. So, to make a head that will bear the stamp of Napoleon’s character, we must contrive to have it keep its position, or balance; to stand erect, unaided and alone, and it can be done in this way:
When the egg has been blown from the shell place the shell in a perfectly upright position, large end down, in an egg-cup, or anything that will hold it steady. Into the large hole pour a little melted sealing wax, and on top of that pour a little melted lead, or some pieces of shot, taking care to have the weight fall directly in the centre to make a perfect balance.
Fig. 539 is Napoleon’s face, which you must draw on one side of the egg with black ink. Ink the hair black. Blacken the shell on the other side, too, for the hair on the back of the head. In drawing the face on the shell remember that the largest end of the shell is the chin, the smallest end the top of the head. To be sure, the real Napoleon never had a hole in the top of his head that we ever heard of, but the hole in the top of our Napoleon’s head will not show when his hat is on, and as the hat is to be glued in place no one will ever be any the wiser.
To make the hat, or
“Chapeau Bras,”
as Napoleon would have called it, and which means a military cocked hat, you must have some black paper. For the brim a piece five inches square will be needed, as it measures just that many inches from front to back and from side to side. Cut out the brim from pattern (Fig. 540). Cut the hole near the centre and cut the slits around it as shown by the heavy lines. Bend up the little strips or laps, as denoted by the dotted line around the hole. The other dotted lines show where the brim is to be turned up front and back, but the crown must be glued on first.
Fig. 541 is the pattern of the crown. From front to back it measures three inches; from side to side, at its widest part, three and a quarter inches; at the narrowest part the measure is two inches. The heavy line shows where it is to be cut, the dotted line where it is to be folded. Turn in the laps at the sides, bring them together and paste neatly. Fit the crown on the brim, over the laps of the brim, and paste the laps of the brim to the inside of the crown. Turn up the brim according to the dotted lines on Fig. 540. At the points shown by the crosses on the front of the brim put a drop of paste and bring them up to meet the crosses on the crown of the chapeau. Place Napoleon’s chapeau on Napoleon’s head as in Fig. 538, and glue it to the shell. Now set the little hero before you on the table, touch him with your finger, and, if the weight has been well placed, he will nod and bow, but his head will always regain its level position.
Hero though he is, Napoleon is the better for a companion, and we will give him his first wife, Josephine, whom he crowned Empress of France on December 2, 1805, the day of his own coronation.
To express in a measure the regal dignity of
Josephine
on that occasion, her head must also be held erect; prepare the shell, therefore, as you did the one for Napoleon’s head, with this difference—place the weight in the small end of the egg-shell, instead of the large end.
Draw Josephine’s queenly countenance (Fig. 542) on the egg-shell, placing her chin at the small end. Make her tiara of gold paper, which you can spangle, if you like, to represent the diamonds of which it was composed. Fig. 543 shows how to cut it. Fig. 544 is the pattern for her crown and should also be made of gold paper. Paste the two ends of the band of the crown together to form a circle, then draw the ends of the arches together to meet in the middle, over the top. Fasten these together with needle and thread on which a small glass bead has been strung. The bead will hide the stitches and also take the place of the small cross which occupies that position on the crown of the real Empress. With your finger curve the arches out as shown in the sketch of the finished head (Fig. 545).
The crown and tiara are not fastened together, but are placed on separately, for Josephine wore the diamond tiara when she was crowned. Glue the tiara to the head first, bringing the ends around to meet rather low down at the back; then set the crown back of the tiara and glue in place.
From a piece of white tissue paper cut a ruff, after pattern (Fig. 546); crimp the ruff with the blade of a knife or scissors and glue to the back and sides of Josephine’s head.
These little heads will be very amusing if you place them opposite each other and set them nodding and bowing, Josephine to Napoleon and Napoleon to Josephine.
The materials used for the
Good-morning Chick
are simply an egg-shell, a piece of wire, some light-yellow worsted, two black beads and a small piece of writing paper.
Select a nice large egg, and with a sharp knife cut off the small end, as evenly as possible, Fig. 547. After emptying the shell rinse it carefully, and while it is drying make the chicken’s head (Fig. 548); cut from a light quality of cardboard two rings like Fig. 549, place them together, and with the worsted wrap the rings over and over, as shown in Fig. 549, until the hole in the centre is nearly filled up; then, holding it firmly between the forefinger and thumb, insert the point of a pair of sharp scissors in the outer edge, slipping it between the two rings; cut the worsted all the way around, and, still holding it firmly, slide a piece of strong thread between the rings, and, drawing it around once, tie tightly. Take the rings from the ball thus made, and clip and trim it perfectly round. Sew the two round black beads on the head for eyes; make the beak of writing paper after Figs. 550 and 551. Fig. 550 is the upper, Fig. 551 the lower part of beak. Pinch into shape as shown by dotted lines; and with a little mucilage stick the upper end of Fig. 551 to the underside of Fig. 550, as in Fig. 552. Paint the beak a light yellow, and gum to the head. Fig. 548 shows the head complete.
Holes must now be made in the shell for the legs to come through, as shown in Fig. 547. This is done by boring carefully with a large, sharp-pointed needle (being cautious not to crack the shell in the process), until the holes are large enough to admit the wire. Use a piece of ordinary black hat-wire, four inches long, for the legs, bend in the shape of Fig. 553 and slip through the holes in the shell. Cut a piece of wire two inches long, and another one inch in length, for the foot; bend in the shape of Fig. 554 and fasten to the leg by wrapping tightly with black linen thread.
Fit the head in the hole left in the small end of the shell, and if the work has been well done the chicken will look very natural indeed. The small piece of shell taken from the end will give it a still more cunning appearance if fastened on the chicken’s head (Fig. 555). This little trifle makes a very pretty bonbonnière, as the shell is quite strong enough to hold candy, and the head may be removed to allow of its being filled or emptied.
To make the
Good-night Chick
first blow the egg, then, boring with a needle in the manner previously described, run a line of perforations lengthwise around the shell, as seen in Fig. 556. This will allow of the shells being opened quite evenly. Cover the edges neatly with lutestring ribbon pasted down on both sides like a binding. Paste a piece of the same ribbon, twelve inches long, across the two halves of the shell, to connect them, as in Fig. 557. Make the little chicken, which should nestle coseyly within the shell, of two worsted balls, using rings two inches in diameter for the body. Trim the body into a slightly oval shape. The chicken’s head is made in the same way as described for “Good Morning.” Glue it to the body. In the illustration (Fig. 558) the egg is shown both closed and open, which will give some idea of what a pretty little gift it really makes. The entire chicken must be glued in the shell as it is not intended to come out.
CHAPTER XXXI
HOME-MADE CANDLESTICKS
Candlesticks are always decorative; even the old tin candlestick with its half burnt tallow candle has a certain picturesqueness that the artist recognizes when he chooses that as an accessory to his picture instead of the prosaic oil lamp. Then again, candlesticks give a wide scope to individuality in design, and that it gives expression to one’s originality is one of the greatest charms of pottery making.
A potter’s wheel is not at all necessary. The primitive method of coiling the clay and gradually, without hurry, building it up into the form desired is far the better way for home workers.
Get Your Clay
at the nearest pottery where anything finer than flower pots is made, and if it is a place where they turn out only earthenware ask for their finest clay. Very frequently they make a quantity of extra pieces for holiday trade and for these prepare a finer clay than they ordinarily use. Fifty pounds of clay will keep you busy a long while and twenty-five pounds will be sufficient for a number of small pieces. It sells at about one and a half cents per pound at most of the potteries.
Break your dry clay into small pieces with a hammer and then pound to a powder. Put it into an earthen crock that has a cover of its own, and mix with water until it is of the consistency of dough. If you are not to use it immediately, and it is rather stiff, make several holes in the clay with your finger, fill each hole with water, cover the crock closely with its lid and set away until wanted.