46 
i^4l0l3ies , Iffiorai Stiljuiet elh 3 Pictorial BHEome ^am|mnioii. 
INEXPENSIVE HOUSEHOLD ORNA¬ 
MENTS. 
“ How many pretty things we could have if we 
were only rich!” remarked a friend the other day. 
That is very true, hut how few there are who belong 
to that class; and must we who have little to spend 
for the bright, fancy articles that we love so well, 
and which go so far toward making home beautiful, 
do without them ? No indeed! We will set our 
brains and our hands to work to decorate our homes 
with our own handiwork, and we will be surprised at 
our success. Let me describe to you some of my 
fancy articles which are inexpensive and easily 
made. To make a button-hook holder cut two 
pieces of cardboard (mine is of fine silver cardboard) 
the shape of a lady’s button boot; on one piece 
work with any bright-colored worsted little scallops 
to represent button piece of the shoe ; work a dot in 
each scallop for the buttons, sew the two pieces 
neatly together with worsted, hang with a little 
worsted cord, at each end of which fasten a tiny ball 
of worsted, and it is complete ; the top of the boot 
holds the button-hook and must be cut about an inch 
shorter than the hook. Very pretty splint baskets 
for dried grasses, pressed ferns, and leaves are made 
in this way: Procure a bunch of splints from any 
fancy store (if you get the very long ones cut them in 
half). I prefer the brown or black-walnut ones for 
this purpose, though the white ones are very pretty; 
weave them in and out, not closely but leaving little 
open squares; make two square pieces the same 
size. For the front of the basket soak one of the 
pieces in water until it can be easily bent; then 
bend one corner down to the centre and tie with a 
how of blue ribbon; wherever the splints cross each 
other tie with blue single zephyr, crossing it on the 
top and fastening it underneath ; now tie the three 
unbent corners of the front to three corners of the 
back with bows of blue ribbon, and fasten splints to 
bang it by. For a larger and more durable one, for 
papers, weave the splints closely, make the two 
squares the same size, and fasten the two opposite 
corners of one square to the centre of the two oppo¬ 
site sides of the other; let each remaining opposite 
corner project beyond the centre of each remaining 
opposite side. Tack bright-colored autumn leaves, 
that have been pressed and varnished, on the centre 
of the front, and at each corner a little how of worsted 
cord with halls ; hang with cord and halls. Another 
pretty paper-holder is made like this: cut back, 
front, and pointed side pieces of black bristol board, 
and in any fanciful shape ; pink the edges and deco¬ 
rate with autumn leaves and pressed ferns; some 
prefer scrap pictures, but I think there is nothing so 
beautiful as the delicate ferns, and bright, lovely 
leaves of nature. 
To make a pretty hair-receiver cut a piece of card¬ 
board eight inches long by four inches wide, and an¬ 
other six inches long by four inches wide; in the 
centre of the smaller piecework (lengthwise) initials ; 
sew the ends of this piece to the sides of the other, at 
one end ; make a little silk bag, color to match the 
letters, line with tarlatan, and sew in at the bottom 
of the two pieces ; plait ribbon to match around the 
whole. I wonder if any of the readers of the Cabi¬ 
net have ever made crystallized baskets; the crystals 
are always liable to break otf, and require great care 
in their preservation, but it is well worth the atten¬ 
tion you give them, if you succeed in making a per¬ 
fect basket. First take copper wire and form the 
basket ; cover it by winding it with woollen yarn; 
take a pound of alum, if it is a small basket, or a 
quantity proportionate to the size of the article to be 
crystallized. Put the alum in sufficient water to 
cover the basket, boil it, and put it in some vessel 
large enough to hold the basket, hung by a string, so 
that the water will completely cover it; set it aside 
until the water is cold, and the alum will then be 
gathered upon the basket. Grasses, evergreens, 
mosses, or a crooked twig, wrapped with loose wool 
or cotton, and tied on with worsted, are very beauti¬ 
ful crystallized in the same manner. Bright yellow 
crystals may be produced by boiling gamboge or 
saffron in the solution, and purple ones by a similar 
use of logwood; the color, of course, being more or 
less deep according to the quantity used. Sulphate 
of copper will also produce beautiful blue crystals, 
but great care is necessary in using it. It is the best 
way to strain the solution through muslin before 
using it, to have the crystals very pure and clear. 
CORAL FRAME. 
Very pretty imitations of coral can lie made by 
using the little gnarled twigs of old apple-trees. 
We have for a small chromo of a boating scene with a 
black mat a frame about two inches wide; upon this 
we arranged the twigs nearest resembling branching 
coral, from two to three inches long; then glued them 
fast, and with a tiny, soft brush painted the frame 
black. When dry we gave the twigs a coat of Ver¬ 
million mixed with varnish and turpentine. After 
this became dry, varnished the whole. The frame is 
nearly covered, the twigs branching and interlacing 
in every direction. I have seen brackets made in 
the same way and painted black. They were very 
handsome. 
THE CHIEF IDOL. 
The idol in the market stands, 
Wrought deftly by the graver’s hands, 
And visible to every eye. 
Yet doth a truer idol lie 
That monarch’s cruel heart within, 
And fashioned out of his great sin. 
Self is the name by which they call 
That idol—type of idols all .—From the Arabic. 
Five of the sweetest words in the English lan¬ 
guage begin with H, which is only a breath : Heart, 
Hope, Home, Happiness, and Heaven. Heart is a 
hope place, and home is a heart place, and that man 
sadly mistaketh who would exchange the happiness 
of home for anything short of heaven. 
CORNER WHATNOT. 
My sister has just completed a whatnot of cone- 
work; she has four shelves, ranging in size from 
thirteen to sixteen inches on the straight edges, 
rounding out in the centre several inches; around 
this front edge is securely nailed a heavy piece of 
cardboard, five inches deep at the centre, narrow¬ 
ing towards the ends, where they slightly round 
(the shelves being first painted some dark color) 
these form the ground for the raised work. Two or 
three rows of pine cones, pulled apart and cut of 
equal length, are glued evenly all around, the first 
row extending a little beyond the edge ; then in the 
centre and widest part of each is placed a group of 
cones cut in half, and from these, in each direction 
toward the ends, is filled with acorns, black walnuts, 
butternuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, and horse-chestnuts, 
peach, plum, tamarand pits, and all kinds of seeds 
and nuts; a great many acorns can be used with 
good effect, also beechnuts, and the burrs of sweet- 
gum ; in fact, on four shelves there will be room for 
quite a display of ingenuity and good taste. My 
sister has made of hers quite a cabinet of curiosities, 
having grouped there the collections of many years, 
it is hung with heavy scarlet cord from the three 
corners, the lowest shelf coming to within two feet 
of the floor. At the centre of each ornamental piece 
liapgs a nicely-shaped cone, giving it a ta ssel-like 
finish. Give all a good coat of varnish, and you have 
a u thing of beauty.” The same, shape can be used 
for leather-work or shells. 
JAPANESE VASE. 
Black Ants on Peonies. —Sprinkle guano on 
them or about their haunts 
Wishing something to hold our dried grasses, we 
looked the premises over and came across an old 
urn-shaped teapot that had been off duty for years 
and consigned to the stone heap. This we rescued, 
and by well-directed blows soon relieved it of its 
nose; then filled the holes all smoothly with putty, 
and left to dry. Then, with a piece of pine board, 
bracket-saw, and knife, fashioned a mate to the 
handle. This when finished was also puttied where 
the spout had been. When sufficiently hard it re¬ 
ceived a coat of paint—the upper and lower part and 
handles black—coach-black mixed with varnish, and 
turpentine to dry quickly. Then, after drying, the 
centre was painted ultramarine blue; also quickly 
drying. To preserve a nice shape, where the colors 
joined we cut a paper the desired shape and laid over 
the dry paint and touched carefully with the other 
color. After all was thoroughly dry it was varnish¬ 
ed, and when that became tacky, ornamented with 
embossed pictures, butterflies, miffs, and small pic¬ 
tures until pretty well covered; then received an¬ 
other coat of varnish and was ready for use. It will 
be very pretty for cut flowers when summer 
comes. 
Worms in Pots. —The French Journal (VAgri¬ 
culture Pratique states that worms can always be 
got rid of by using for the plants water to which a tenth 
part of grated horse-chestnut has been added. Un¬ 
der this treatment it is said the worms must either 
fly or die. 
