August, 1 9 10 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



AMMfM 



IH 



Conducted by A. Russell Bond 



Methods of Beautifying the Common Gas Light 



By Catherine A. Jensen 





|HE handicraftsman may find of practical 

 value the following suggestions on one of 

 the most important elements in home 

 decorating, that of lighting. Just as the 

 theater relies immeasurably, through its 

 lighting, for its effects, so we in a smaller 

 way, should be careful in choosing the 



mode of illuminating our homes. 



The accompanying illustrations show how an ordinary 



gas chandelier (usually a very unbeautiful affair) can be 



made to add a touch of distinction to any room. Very sim- 

 ple and few tools are required — an awl, a medium-sized 



wooden mallet, and a medium-sized metal file. A board 



of soft wood, some 



sheet brass, beads 



and a few dozen 



brass shanks com- 

 plete the necessary 



outfit. A piece of 



sheet brass, 17 by 



654 inches, gauge 



No. 26, is required 



for one lamp. Un- 

 roll and flatten on 



both sides till per- 

 fectly flat; mark off 



the measurements 



as described, with a 



pencil. The cutting 



of the brass can be 



done with ordinary 



scissors. Mark off 



the inside line of 



the panel, also draw 



the outline of the 



design to be used in 



the panel. Antique 



letters are used in 



this illustration, but 



any other motive 



may be employed, 



such as flowers, 



dragons, conven- 

 tionalized designs. 



etc.. also instead of 



dividing panels, the 



entire space can be 



decorated. With 



awl and mallet per- 



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Shade made of shells 



forate on the outlines of the decorative panel and on all for a medium light room, heat the 



lines of the design, then perforate the remaining space in slightly polish the raised surfaces. 



the panel closely, but be careful not to overlap the holes; effect; yellow beads look well with this lamp. For a room 



also let them be somewhat irregular in placing, to prevent furnished in craftsman style, these lamps made of sheet 



a mechanical appearance of the work. See to it that the 

 holes are not too large (a little over 1-16 inch is a good 

 size) ; the awl can be filed down to any required size. 



When the perforating is completed, turn the brass right 

 side down and flatten the perforated parts with the mallet 

 till well straightened out. With the awl, mark off and 

 make holes for joining and for attaching the beads, as 

 indicated in the drawing. Now bend the brass over the 

 sharp edge of a ruler, held directly under the broken or 

 dash lines, then pass the flap under the opposite end and 

 join with large shanks through the holes, as indicated. The 

 arched points on each panel should be slightly bent out- 

 ward, to give a more graceful contour to the lamp. 



An ordinary 4- 

 inch gas-globe ring 

 is used to support 

 the lamp. In the 

 ring are three 

 screws. Hold the 

 ring inside the bot- 

 tom of the lamp 

 and mark off on the 

 lamp where the 

 three screws come. 

 When this is deter- 

 mined, make holes 

 for the screws. The 

 beads are now at- 

 tached, placing the 

 tape inside, and 

 using small brass 

 shanks for fasten- 

 ing. Lastly the 

 ring is screwed in 

 place, passing 

 screws from the 

 outside of the lamp 

 and securing the 

 ring inside. Un- 

 screw the gas-tip, 

 slip on the lamp 

 and again screw the 

 tip in place. 



For a room deco- 

 rated in light colors 

 I would suggest 

 leaving the brass 

 natural color, using 

 gold filled beads; 

 amp in a flame and 

 This gives an antique 



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Layout of the brass gashght shade 



Shade of pierced brass 



