HOME DECORATIONS. 
A Novel Use for Skeleton Leaves. 
EAVES are beautiful when wearing their coats of« 
gften, but divest them of this, as is the case when 
they are skeletonized, and they are still more beautiful, 
for all their delicate lace-like tracery can then be seen. 
Many understand the method of preparing them, but 
for those who do not possess this knowledge a few hints 
will, perhaps, not come amiss. 
Gather such leaves as are perfectly developed but have 
not become tough by the action of the sun and wind. 
boiling; but if it is removed with difficulty, boil them 
longer, or until they can be easily cleansed ; otherwise 
there is danger of breaking the fibres. When they have 
become sufficiently softened, pour off the water in which 
they have been boiled and put them in a bowl of clear 
cold water. Take one leaf at a time, lay it on a plate, 
and with a medium-sized bristle-brush, such as is used 
for painting, carefully brush off the coating, every now 
and then pouring a little water over the leaf to wash it. 
Then drop it again in cold water, letting it remain there 
until you have a number ready for bleaching at one time. 
Designs for Skeleton Leaves. 
Maple, pear, ivy and poplar leaves are easily prepared; 
the more delicate varieties of ferns are first pressed and 
then bleached ; but these are so frail that no other pro¬ 
cess is necessary. 
The leaves must be treated in the following manner: 
Put them in a saucepan and pour over them one quart 
of boiling water, then stir in one tablespoonful of bicar¬ 
bonate of soda and two tablespoonfuls of laundry soap 
which has been cut in small pieces. 
Place the saucepan on the fire and let the leaves boil 
in the water for twenty minutes or half an hour. Then 
take one from the water, place it on a plate and rub 
gently with the finger. If the green coating comes off 
readily, leaving the fibres clear, they require no more 
Should' it be necessary, however, to keep them for 
several hours or days, it is better to lay them on paper 
that they may dry. 
The best bleaching solution is Labarraque’s chloride of 
soda, using one-half water with which to dilute it, for if 
used full strength it destroys the leaves. 
Put the mixture in a bottle, glass with a wide mouth is 
best, and in it place a number of the leaves, but not 
enough to be crowded. Stand the jar in a sunny place 
for several hours, or longer if the leaves are not whitened. 
When perfectly bleached take them from the fluid and 
carefully rinse them in clear water, then very gently 
dry them between soft cloths to free them from mois¬ 
ture. They must then be pressed between sheets of 
