HOME DECORATIONS. 
Gilded Ornaments. 
Rough branches or twigs, when neatly gilded, can be 
used in a variety of ways for decorative purposes, and 
are very ornamental. The illustration of the “Flower 
Basket ” shows one of the uses to which some were put 
in a gift to me, and they certainly made one of the 
prettiest little arrangements for holding cut flowers 
that I have seen. Three rough sticks, twelve inches 
long and about as thick as a lead pencil, were selected, 
and joined together two inches from the top with a 
piece of fine wire. A little basket, six inches in diam¬ 
eter, was then fastened securely with wire four inches 
and one-half from the bottom of each stick. To give 
it a more rustic appearance, little gravel stones were 
glued in places on the sticks and basket. The whole 
thing was then given a coat of green paint, and when 
thoroughly dried gilded nearly all over, so as to show 
the green only in small screaks and patches. When de¬ 
sired for fresh flowers, a small bowl was slipped into 
the basket, but without this it was intended for pressed 
ferns and autumn leaves. 
Small branches, gilded in the same manner, with a 
few bright leaves interspersed or wax ones twined 
around them, are very pretty to decorate with, and if 
you are fortunate enough to find a branch with a bird’s 
nest in it will be better still. 
Gilded twigs also form attractive little easels for 
holding small pictures. Care should be taken in select¬ 
ing twigs on which the bark seems firm, so there will 
be no danger of its flaking off after gilding. Those re¬ 
cently cut from growing trees should not be used, as 
they will bend out of shape unless entirely dry; but the 
rougher and more rustic looking the better. A few 
acorns and empty cups, also gilded, should be arranged 
at the top where the sticks cross or meet together, and 
two tacks with brass heads, pressed in the stick which 
holds the easel-frame together, serve to keep the picture 
in place-. E. s. w. 
Tidy in Outline Work and Painting, and a 
Swinging Door. 
A very odd and pretty tidy is made of pongee, the 
size about a yard long. 
Fringe the ends, and make a knotted heading. On 
one end sketch or have stamped a pretty design of 
flowers, for instance Wild Roses; these are embroidered 
in outline-stitch with pink silk, the leaves and stems 
with green. The stamens are worked with yellow silk, 
using knot stitch. Filoselle is the best for embroidering 
the whole pattern. The petals of the Roses within the 
outlining are painted with water-colors, and the pink 
should be a shade or two lighter than the outline. Lay 
the color on with a large brush, and in one solid tint. 
