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l fiafiiiiet an3 3Pietorial BHEooie fiomjiaaion. 
and single, Bouvardias, Chinese Primroses, Heliotropes, 
and Boses. For the leaf or foliage plants, the Dra- 
casna, Pilea, Ferns, Palms, Camellias, Azaleas, Orange 
and Lemon trees, together with the various kinds of 
Begonias. In the center of the conservatory stands 
an aquarium and fountain. 
The hook-case filled with my favorite authors, the 
piano placed in its corner, the Swiss clock and vases 
arranged on the mantel, and my room was finished. 
Such a bright, pretty room, too! And the carpet was 
the only thing that cost much. 
For the dining-room I bought a black-walnut 
table, buffet, and leather - covered chairs. The 
walls for thirty inches above the base-board were 
papered with a “ grained ” black-walnut and oak 
paper. This whs beaded with a walnut molding. 
Above this I used a pale green satin paper; the 
border a dark green velvet. As I could not afford 
a carpet, the floor was painted in oak and walnut 
strips. A rug made of several widths of mottled 
oak carpet with a wide green border. The cur¬ 
tains were unbleached cotton flannel, the “fuzzy” 
side turned out, the top laid over in a deep valance. 
This was edged with a wide strip of figured green chintz. 
The sides had a narrow strip of the same. The lam¬ 
brequin for the mantel was of oak color, cut in deep 
scallops, each scallop pinked on the edge. I then made 
of braid, by taking green worsted, from the lightest to 
the darkest shade (five shades does very well), ar¬ 
ranging these according to the shades. Sew onto a 
flat braid, cut into strips, double, and make into 
leaves. A vine of these leaves, with chain-stitch 
stems, runs around the edge of the lambrequin. I 
now took the old lounge I had brought from the attic, 
covered it with unbleached muslin, and trimmed it 
with a strip of green chintz. A couple of easy-chairs 
were made to match, and really looked quite handsome. 
For a plant-stand I took an old music-stool, ripped 
off the plush cover, and screwed an old round chopping- 
bowl on the top. This was painted black and the 
edge concealed by a lambrequin to match the mantel. 
with moss, the edge covered with Smilax. A tiny mirror 
lay in front of the figure, wreathed with Smilax, and a 
Geranium flower or two. The dish above is filled with 
cut-flowers and vines droop over the edge. This is quite 
handsome for the center of a table. A couple of pot¬ 
tery vases, in the antique style, were bronzed and placed 
on the mantel; window-boxes fastened to the win- 
Wall Pocket, 
The bowl was filled with earth and planted with Hya¬ 
cinth and Crocus bulbs. The space between these was 
filled with moss. A grape-vine made a handle, which 
was wreathed with Ivy. In the center I hung a tiny 
globe of gold-fish. A pretty floral ornament of mine, 
which was much admired, was easily made. One of 
my marble (plaster) figures had its brains scooped out; 
a glass dish cemented to the head. The figure was 
then set in a tray, which was filled with sand and 
heaped up against the figure. The sand was covered 
Straw Picture Frame. 
dow-seat; pictures and brackets put in their places. 
I haven’t the space to tell you about the other rooms 
down-stairs; but will give you a description of how 
my spare bed-room was furnished. 
The walls here were papered with a pale pink; a 
gold border run around the room, 30 inches above the 
floor; the wall above this was divided into panels by 
bands of white satin paper; in the center of each 
panel was a decalcomanie wreath of roses and forget- 
me-nots; the panels to the door had sprays to match 
and were framed with a narrow gilt molding. The 
floor was covered with a matting; over this a rug of 
blue-and-white carpet, with a wide blue border. 
The furniture is painted pine; but is very pretty. 
The bedstead, dressing-case, and washstand cost me 
$35. The chairs were made of two old rockers, which 
were covered with an old quilt, put on loosely, then 
stuffed with Excelsior. The outside covering is pale- 
blue satin. Down the center and cushion is an em¬ 
broidered strip of dark-blue velvet, with applique 
figures of gold-colored satin. Ottomans, made of 
starch-boxes, match the chairs. The curtains are dotted 
Swiss, a fluted ruffle on the edges, and lambrequins of 
blue rep. The cornice is of silver. This, though hand_ 
some, illustrates that its not all silver that glitters. A 
strip of pine covered with tin foil makes the cornice. 
In the center is a spray of flowers and leaves, made of 
foil, pressed on wax-leaf molds. An old stand made 
my toilet-table. The covering is dotted Swiss over 
blue cambric, and trimmed with fluted ruffles, rucliing, 
and bows of blue satin ribbon. The looking-glass, 
over the table, has a silver frame, to match the cornice. 
Full draperies of the Swiss fall over each side of the 
table. At the top they are caught into a carved 
half-round bracket, on which stands a bust of Clytie. 
My pillow and sheet-shams are made of strips of pale 
blue satin and coarse lace insertion, edged with wide 
lace. As hair mattresses are expensive, I made mine my¬ 
self. The mattress-needle costs 20 or 25 cents. Nine 
yards of yard-wide ticking is sufficient for one mattress. 
My mantel is a piece of pine board; the lambrequins 
white net, darned in deep scallops and lined with blue. 
The toilet-covers and splash-mat are to match. For my 
brackets I had Frank saw me out a pine board. This 
was covered with several thicknesses of fine white 
muslin, stretched tightly. Several layers of cloth were 
pasted together and made into leaves and flowers, by 
pressing on wax-flower molds. These, when stiff, were 
put into place on the bracket. I like a rose and bunch 
of leaves best. Fasten your spray, one above and one 
below the shelf, then cover the whole bracket with a 
wash of plaster-of-Paris and water. 
My crockery was plain stone-ware; but was made 
beautiful by medallions of transfer pictures and em¬ 
bossed gilt bands. My pincushion is blue velvet, em¬ 
broidered with pearl beads, with a lace cover. A 
watch-case to match. A catch-all hangs in one comer. 
Cut a piece of silver board, 5 inches wide and 18 long. 
Sew the ends together. For the bag part take blue 
silk, 6 inches wide and 25 inches long. Sew one end 
quite full on the edge of the cardboard and gather 
the lower edge tightly together. This makes a bag. 
On this hang a silk tassel. Trim the edges with plait¬ 
ed satin ribbon and white lace, transfer a spray of 
moss roses in the center, and hang up with satin ribbon. 
The hair and hairpin-receivers, match-holder, and shav¬ 
ing-paper case were all to match. 
A sachet and handkerchief - holder was a square 
of blue satin, wadded with perfumed cotton (quilt¬ 
ed), and the corners folded over and trimmed with 
plaited ribbon and lace, and a tiny rose laid in the 
center, where they meet. For my bracket I made 
silver vases by painting pottery urns of antique shape 
a pale gray and covering with tin foil. For my man¬ 
tel I bought lamp-chimneys with scalloped tops. Some 
were painted blue some white, with transfer medal¬ 
lion on the sides and gilt-embossed bands on the edge. 
When filled with crystallized grasses and put on blue 
mats, no one would guess they only cost 10 cents apiece. 
Grasses put into water and sprinkled with flour are 
very snowy and pretty for vases. My pictures were 
Saucer Gardes'. 
engravings and photographs. I could not afford to 
buy frames; so I made them of pasteboard, covered 
with blue velvet, and pinked bands of gilt paper on 
each edge. This makes a frame you need not be 
ashamed of. 
I haven’t told you of half the ways I made some¬ 
thing out of nothing, for I know the editor is frown¬ 
ing, and saying I have run over my 6 pages; but I 
hope some of the hints I have given may be of use to 
some one whose purse, as well as mine, resembles 
Anne Boleyn’s neck, in being very small. 
Grace Harris, 
Hares’ Corner, Delaware. 
