EASTER CROSS AND BASKET OF 
FLOWERS. 
BY MRS. 
JONES. 
Re Si oral sBmfeiei unil JHcioiml Some sBomjiiartioR 
m 
In answer to Mrs. James A. Morgan’s request to 
give instructions in making Easter Cross and Basket 
of Flowers, I am somewhat at a loss to know whether 
she means with wax or natural flowers. To make a 
basket of natural materials entirely, first obtain one 
of the tiny willow baskets sold at the floral stores, or 
construct one of pasteboard or wire (in the latter case' 
make only half a basket, as if it were cut longitu¬ 
dinally). By cutting four pieces of card, wider at top 
than bottom, and sloping in the sides, a recurved form 
will be given as in the imported baskets ; sew the 
edges together, with a slender wire along them, fasten 
in a little semi-circular (rather half oval) bottom, put 
a wire handle across, and you have a pretty skeleton 
which may be covered with scales of cones, small 
lichens, colored straw, or moss; fasten this half 
basket against a piece of white card and fill with tiny 
leaves in autumn shades (that have been duly pressed 
and fastened to thread wire), feathery and downy 
grasses (a few crystallized), small Immortelles or 
Everlasting Flowers, and sprays of Ferns and Moss. 
A few very small shells fastened on here and there add 
to the effect. Make a log of a mossy little tree 
branch, and place beneath the basket, dusting it with 
frosting around the edge of the card; make a border 
of Fern fronds both brown, and pressed green ones, 
and a motto in fancy letters by fastening the leaves 
and tips of Fern fronds on the traced pattern. This 
will, of course, require a recess-frame. 
EASTER CROSS. 
Take the stiff, white-tufted moss found on rocks 
and crystallize sufficient to cover a cross (of any 
dimensions required), which should be made of thin 
strips of wood. Cover sides and back of a recess with 
black velveteen, and fasten one-fourth the distance 
from the bottom a piece of cardboard (or section of a 
box) so that it will extend out like a shelf. It should 
be not quite as deep as the depth ot the recess, and 
extend only across one-half the frame (in the centre). 
In this shelf, and about in the centre of depth and 
width, cut a slit sufficiently large to accommodate the 
body of the cross, fastening it in at the bottom and 
placing a piece of wood behind the arms to keep it in 
position, and slightly projecting from the back. The 
cross must be made of size suited to capacity of the 
recess, as if too large it gives a crowded appearance, 
and in a small one looks lost in the centre of a capa¬ 
cious frame; to have one two-thirds the size of the 
recess will be a good size. Next cover the shelf with 
moss, allowing it to hang down in graceful sprays 
over the edge, and on it arrange clusters of grasses, 
groups of flowers, and directly against the back a 
little range, as of mountains in the distance, made of 
shaded bark. Around the base of the cross group 
flowers and grasses, with a delicate vine climbing up 
the body and falling over the arms. This may be 
made by fastening small leaves and moss on wire with 
scarlet berries and scarlet sealing-wax, or white wax 
painted purple or yellow; these must be adapted to 
the size of the leaves, &c., and all embellishments 
should be made to correspond with the cross and 
recess. 
When finished touch parts with fine gum-arabic 
mucilage and dust with diamond frosting powder, 
such as is used in waxwork (or varnish with demar 
and then frost). Make a tiny crown of briar rose 
and three nails, which cover with calcined plaster until 
perfectly white (or if preferred leave of natural color); 
place these on the green moss beside the cross. The 
crown must be only half the width of the cross, and 
the nails in proportion and heavily frosted. 
Another beautiful cross is made of branches of 
Sweetbriar twined together, and trimmed entirely with 
Violets and other spring flowers in wax. A pure 
white one is made by covering with horn scrapings, 
then ornamenting with Ivy leaves and purple 
berries, with clusters of scarlet Geranium at the base, 
and trailing sprays of the Partridge-vine falling from 
the lower part, the scarlet berries lying on the moss 
covering the shelf. This will be found exceedingly 
beautiful'and chaste. 
A very artistic and lovely cross is made thus: Pre¬ 
pare the cross and base as previously described, cover 
the cross with white muslin and make a number of 
Rose and Convolvulus leaves by cutting from the 
muslin, with gilt molds or natural leaves as patterns. 
Paste three of these together, using fine flour paste. 
Make also some small Roses and buds by cutting 
scalloped circles of several sizes, gathering the small¬ 
est around wire stems and adding the others (as in 
paper flowers), curling and moulding the petals while 
damp with the paste. The buds make of the smaller 
circles and a few single petals surrounded by a calyx 
cut as in nature. It is a good plan to paste the mus¬ 
lin together in large pieces, and then to cut out leaves 
and flowers while partially damp, pressing smooth 
with a warm iron. Mold all the leaves in order to 
vein them, and curl each petal of the Roses. Make 
tiny Convolvulus flowers by cutting three-fourths of a 
circle, fastening the edges and making stamens of 
thread. Arrange a vine of this and clusters of the 
Roses, buds and leaves ; finish the cross by sewing or 
pasting folded strips down the edges, as if carved in 
moldings or panels, and if liked make three steps or 
a deep base, and cutting I. FI. S., of muslin in several 
diminishing sizes ; paste one on another, and fasten 
this monogram on the base. When the preliminaries 
are finished, make a wash of finest French plaster, 
mixed in thin gum-tragacanth water, and either by 
quickly painting with a brush or dipping each piece 
in, cover the whole with a uniform, smooth coat. Mix 
but little plaster at a time and work with rapidity lest 
the plaster set or harden before it is applied. 
When all the pieces are finished fasten the cross in 
position, as before described, and group the Roses and 
buds around the base, not over-crowding; make 
Convolvulus leaves and flowers to twine around the 
body and cluster thickly on and over the arms and top 
and fall in graceful sprays here and there, using very 
small ones for thin parts. Varnish with fine demar, 
and dust with finest diamond powder. This cross 
is exquisitely beautiful. 
WHITE WAX FOR FLOWERS, ETC. 
I would say to Mrs. Morgan, in answer to her next 
question regarding the coloring of wax, that I never 
use colored wax excepting in some cases of mottled 
autumn leaves, bright scarlet or yellow ditto, or the 
shades of green ; these I purchase in sheets colored, 
but for flowers I use white wax colored in imitation of 
nature with the regular wax colors put up in the 
“ Homo vials.” In some cases I moisten with thin 
gum-arabic water (the least drop) where glossy tex¬ 
tures are required, but in soft velvety surfaces I en¬ 
deavor to produce the bloom of nature, which is best 
imitated by using powder with the tip of the finger, or 
with a “ stumper,” which is merely a camel’s hair 
brush cut off almost to the end of the hair. As Mr. 
Williams applied to me, I have given my experience, 
but perhaps some of the other sisters will know of 
some method of using oil paints on wax. 
VASES FOR WINTER GRASSES, ETC. 
As elegant vases are costly affairs, I will tell our 
friends a method of making little “ beauties ” at small 
cost. Obtain some pretty pictures (the “ scraps” sold 
at fancy stores answer finely), either paper or muslin, 
gilt paper, some colored paint mixed with turpentine, 
and lamp chimnies of the kind that turn over at the 
top like a lamp shade. Clean the chimnies and fasten 
on round boxes as bottoms, paste rims or bands of 
gold paper around the top, and gum the pictures on 
(from within); then, when every edge is tight, give 
the whole a coat of demar varnish (inside); then a 
coat of paint, also within; fill with sand, and “ there 
you are.' 
Mrs. C. S. Jones. 
Easter Cross.— Will Aunt Carry please give the 
dimensions of the Easter Cross, the directions for 
making which were given in the February number ? 
Will she also tell us if by “ white frosting ” she means 
diamond dust % She says, “ when dry dust the frost¬ 
ing over it ”—does she mean over the whole surface of 
the cardboard, or only the cross A Subscriber. 
Ansioer . — I gave the size of the recess, and the 
cross was four inches smaller from top, bottom and 
end of arms ; hut the cross may be of any size desired, 
from four inches to as many feet, hut the ornamenta¬ 
tion must correspond with the size, using tiny leaves, 
berries, &c., for a diminutive cross, and entire clusters 
of Fern fronds, large flowers, &c., for one of large 
size. Diamond dust will, perhaps, answer better even 
than the ordinary frosting, of which the former is made. 
I use the mica, silex, or “ frosting,” because I can 
purchase as much or as little of it from the druggists 
or art stores as I please. I said “when dry touch 
lightly with mucilage,” &c., meaning, of course, 
when the work just done was dry, the glue with which 
the mosses, &c., were fastened. You only frost and 
whiten the cross, using care not to let any adhere to 
the card-board. Shall be glad to answer any questions 
and make this work as clear as possible. C. S. J. 
Bible Autograph Albums.— Every one has in 
store some sort of pictures, if only those which maybe 
found in the illustrated papers, now so common; and 
many of you are probably the happy owners of nice 
steel engravings. Procure a pretty scrap-book, paste 
your pictures nicely in it, and get your friends to ex¬ 
ercise their scriptural knowledge by writing an appro¬ 
priate verse under each, accompanied by their auto¬ 
graphs. Rave and expensive pictures may he used by 
those who have them; but, even with cheap and plain 
ones, a pretty album may he made, which will give 
you. a pleasant and profitable Bible reading, and be a 
pleasant reminder of loved-friends. 
Rustic Frames, skillfully designed, made of all 
the different varieties ol burrs; of all varieties of 
mosses; of nutshells, every kind; of stones, all the 
prettiest pebbles that can be found, look much 
better, than to have a mixture of every thing that can 
be available for fancy work frames. 
Worsted Tidy for Hair-Cloth Rocking-Chair._ 
Crochetd of black worsted, netted, for groundwork; a 
vine of roses and rosebuds, running over the network, 
for the figure. The vine, etc., of variegated green 
worsted; the roses crocheted of red variegated worsted. 
A handsome tidy for a parlor. 
