When mother lets us make paper box furniture

TO GROWN-UPS.

You are interested in very little, middle-sized or big girls or boys, each child according to his years craving a medium for self expression and opportunity to create.

To each according to his interests and developing powers the suggestions in this little book are offered.

It is the author’s hope that the industry, perseverance and ingenuity needed to work out the suggestions may help in some small way to lay the foundation upon which big after things may be builded.

TO VERY LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS.

You can make the furniture easily if your big sister or brother will read the directions to you. You will have great fun looking at the pictures, listening to the rhymes and playing with the furniture.

TO MIDDLE-SIZED GIRLS.

You, also, will enjoy the pictures and rhymes. Of course you will take great pleasure playing with your doll furniture, but, best of all, you can make every bit of it yourself. Just think—you can make it just the size and just the color you wish it; and the rhymes will suggest many delightful little “extras” to make your doll home attractive just as mother makes hers.

TO BIG GIRLS AND MIDDLE-SIZED AND BIG BOYS.

Even though you may not wish to play with the furniture yourself you will thoroughly enjoy making and giving it to some dear little folks of your acquaintance. You will also be getting and giving a great deal of pleasure by helping other little friends make their own furniture.

You will enjoy changing the designs or making other pieces of furniture from your own original ideas. I suggest that you design and make a china closet, sideboard, combination desk and bookcase, four posted bed, wash stand with towel rack, music cabinet, business desk for “father,” rocking chair, circular top table, lamp or shirt-waist box. I’m sure you will think of many more.

TO MAKE OTHERS HAPPY.

You might make toy furniture for the children’s ward in a hospital.

You might make them for some little friend who is quarantined.

You might make them for some little “shut-in.”

You might teach some little “shut-in” how to make them, being sure to keep him supplied with boxes.

You might organize a toy-making club and make them as gifts for poor children.

Your Sunday school class might make them to be sold on a “Toy Table” at your church fair.

You might show them to your teacher at school. She might wish to form a club so that many children may have the pleasure of making them.

You might make them for Christmas or birthday presents for your little friends.

MATERIALS AND HOW TO USE THEM.

BOXES.

Boxes of all sorts, sizes and kinds are to be had by simply asking for them. Every store throws away dozens of them every day. They seldom keep any because they haven’t room for them. If you explain to a clerk in a store what you are doing with the boxes, I am sure that he will save them for you. You must be sure to go for them at the time he tells you because they will be in his way. You will find many fine, strong boxes at drygoods, stationery, drug and candy stores.

SIZE AND PROPORTIONS.

You must first decide about what size you wish your set of furniture to be and then make a collection of boxes of suitable sizes.

If you wish to make a tiny set to fit into a little play house to be used for small china dolls or paper dolls, then collect small peppermint, spool, jewelry, powder or pill boxes.

If you wish to make larger furniture to be used in a large play house or on the floor, for medium-sized dolls, make a collection of large candy, stocking, collar and corset boxes.

If you wish to make quite large furniture to be used on the floor, for good-sized dolls, collect still larger corset, envelope, shoe and wholesale candy boxes.

Try as far as possible to keep all the pieces of furniture planned for one room in good proportion to one another.

Try also to keep all the parts of each object in good proportion.

“SCORING.”

To bend a stiff piece of cardboard so that the edge will be nice and straight, it should be “scored.” Lay a ruler along the line where it is to be bent and make a light scratch with the knife. This is called “scoring.” The cardboard should then be bent with the “scoring” on the outside.

CUTTING.

To cut a box or cover into two pieces, draw around the sides and bottom, making it “square” by using a carpenter’s square, a draughtsman’s triangle or the corner of another box or cover. Use scissors to cut down the edges of the box; if the scissors will not cut quite to the bottom, finish with the knife. “Score” across the bottom and bend it. By bending back and forth, the two pieces will come apart.

To cut a piece out, as when shaping a leg like those of the dresser, use scissors to make two cuts in from the edge; use the knife to “score” across between the cuts, and bend back and forth until the piece comes out.

To cut a piece out to make slats like those in the headboard of the bed, use a ruler to draw the shape of the “hole”; stick the point of the knife through the cardboard at the corner of the “hole,” and, with a sawing motion, carefully follow the lines. To prevent the cardboard from tearing, put your hand underneath to support it, but be very careful to keep your fingers away from the knife.

FASTENING.

To fasten the parts of the furniture together use brass fasteners instead of glue. Fasteners cost about ten cents for a box containing one hundred. Glue is not satisfactory because it will not securely hold the heavy cardboard. These toys are to be played with by children and must be strong and securely fastened together.

Hold two parts together and stick the point of the knife through both pieces. Push the prongs of the fasteners through the slit and separate them on the under side; then flatten them in opposite directions.

The fasteners can be put in and bent to fasten and, at the same time, suggest knobs, hooks and piano pedals. The directions and pictures will show how.

It is possible to fasten parts together by punching two holes instead of one and using string. The string can be pulled through with a darning needle and must then be tightly knotted and cut off. This is strong enough but slower and more difficult.

PAINTING.

The little pieces of furniture are very cunning whether they are painted or not, but painting them adds greatly to their attractiveness.

When you have finished one piece you may be so anxious to see how it will look when painted that you will be tempted to paint it immediately. It will be wiser and more workmanlike to plan and make all the furniture for one room before you paint any of it.

Before you begin to paint, it is a good idea to examine the corners of the furniture; if any of them are split or weak, strengthen them with adhesive tape of some sort (passe-partout tape comes in convenient and inexpensive rolls). The paint will cover up the tape.

Since boxes usually have printed labels which may show on the furniture, it is best to use a thick paint. Enamel in small ten cent cans may be bought in a variety of colors suitable for the furniture, black, white, mahogany, antique oak, light oak and rosewood. If dull paints or stains are used, put on a coat of shellac to make it shine like varnish. White shellac can be bought in bottles for about twenty cents a pint.

One brush will do for all colors because with care it can be kept clean and soft. Clean shellac brushes with alcohol; clean paint brushes with turpentine. The turpentine will take paint off of fingers or remove any little spatters which may accidentally have gone on to other things.

THESE ARE SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS:

Choose a place to work—kitchen table, bench in woodshed, sewing table in nursery, workshop, barn, back porch, under a tree in the orchard or back yard.

Spread papers or oil cloth to protect mother’s furniture and carpets from paint.

Choose a place to put your furniture while it is drying, where no one is liable to put other things which might be damaged by the paint.

Use a screw driver to pry off the cover of the paint can; scissors or knife will break if used for this purpose.

Use a small stick like a meat skewer or old pen-holder to stir your paint from the bottom. It will need to be stirred thoroughly each time it is used.

Paint all the underneath and lower parts first, while you are still able to hold it in your hands; then set it down and hold an upper corner while you paint all the rest; then let go and paint that corner.

Put the cover on the can when you have finished. If the paint has thickened on the edge of the can it should be scraped off, because the paint will dry up if the cover is not tightly closed.

Thoroughly clean your brush.

Put your painting materials in some place where mother lets you keep such things.

Pick up and destroy all the soiled papers.

TO BOYS.

TO GIRLS.

MAKING THE BED.