Mantle Shelf. — A piece of board rounded at the ends and
fastened to the wall with iron brackets makes a pretty-
mantle shelf. A piece of box can be used. Either paint,
varnish, or cover with some pretty, cheap material.
Bookshelves. — Some pupil whose father has a grocery-
store might be induced to bring some small boxes of uni-
form size for a bookcase. Perhaps another pupil could get
her father to plane the sides. Or the student could rub
them smooth with coarse sandpaper, using what is called
No. li. If a smooth surface is desired, rub the last time
with finer sandpaper. Oil with the crude oil and turpentine
mixed according to the recipe for the floor. If three or
four coats of oil are put on before the varnish, it will give a
soft velvety finish. Of course each coat must be dry before
another is put on. Use either a brush or piece of soft cloth.
It is well to mix a little starch or white filling in the oil for
the first coat, especially if the wood is soft pine. In adding
the coloring or burnt umber to the oil, it must not be for-
gotten that pine turns dark with age,' and therefore should
be quite light when finished. This work seems hard, but
the writer has always found the pupils not only willing, but
anxious, to help in making such things. It is a good lesson
because they use both their brains and hands. If whoever
superintends this work can use simple tools, or if not, can
take a few lessons in the use of such tools as are needed, the
students can make nearly all the furniture. All that would
be needed are : hand-saw, hammer, hatchet, rule, pencil, nails,
tacks, sandpaper, brass-headed tacks, boxes, iron brackets, a
piece of soft thin leather, thread, scissors, needles, cloth, and
thimble. Certainly these are not very costly articles, con-
sidering the lessons taught.
TaWe, — A small round table can be made with the lids
TO TURN A SCH00LR001\r INTO A WORKSHOP 399
of a butter firkin, using broom handles for the legs, and
covering the top with felt and fringe. A small square box
covered with a piece of carpet or cretonne makes a pretty
stool.
Dining-room Rugs. — Cover the dining-room floor with a
crumb cloth, either bought ready-made, or made of striped
furniture linen or plain dark blue denim. The latter makes
a pretty covering for the centre of the floor, also as a border
with a centrepiece of either matting or carpeting, as a rug.
Sideboard. — Make a small closet or sideboard by placing
a small long box endwise upon the end of a larger box. If
these cannot be planed, oiled, and varnished, they should be
sandpapered and painted both inside and outside. A dark
red is pretty, though white enamel paint could be used. At
least two coats of paint should be put on to hide the natural
roughness of the wood. Shelves should be put into each
box, and curtains hung in front of the larger box, on a brass
rod.
Bedroom
Bed. — For the bedroom get a narrow white iron bedstead.
This would be light and easy to move by the girls in such a
small room.
Dressing-table. — The dressing-table may be made by
covering a large drygoods box with white dotted Swiss
muslin over a bright covering of cambric ruttled on. Green
is pretty and clean looking. Some pretty toilet articles
arranged on the top would serve as an object-lesson.
Page 192
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Mantle Shelf. — A piece of board rounded at the ends and fastened to the wall with iron brackets makes a pretty mantle shelf. A piece of box can be used. Either paint, varnish, or cover with some pretty, cheap material.
Bookshelves. — Some pupil whose father has a grocerystore might be induced to bring some small boxes of uniform size for a bookcase. Perhaps another pupil could get her father to plane the sides. Or the student could rub them smooth with coarse sandpaper, using what is called No. li. If a smooth surface is desired, rub the last time with finer sandpaper. Oil with the crude oil and turpentine mixed according to the recipe for the floor. If three or four coats of oil are put on before the varnish, it will give a soft velvety finish. Of course each coat must be dry before another is put on. Use either a brush or piece of soft cloth. It is well to mix a little starch or white filling in the oil for the first coat, especially if the wood is soft pine. In adding the coloring or burnt umber to the oil, it must not be forgotten that pine turns dark with age,' and therefore should be quite light when finished. This work seems hard, but the writer has always found the pupils not only willing, but anxious, to help in making such things. It is a good lesson because they use both their brains and hands. If whoever superintends this work can use simple tools, or if not, can take a few lessons in the use of such tools as are needed, the students can make nearly all the furniture. All that would be needed are : hand-saw, hammer, hatchet, rule, pencil, nails, tacks, sandpaper, brass-headed tacks, boxes, iron brackets, a piece of soft thin leather, thread, scissors, needles, cloth, and thimble. Certainly these are not very costly articles, considering the lessons taught.
Table. — A small round table can be made with the lids
TTO TURN A SCHOOLROOM INTO A WORKSHOP 3999
of a butter firkin, using broom handles for the legs, and covering the top with felt and fringe. A small square box covered with a piece of carpet or cretonne makes a pretty stool.
Dining-room Rugs. — Cover the dining-room floor with a crumb cloth, either bought ready-made, or made of striped furniture linen or plain dark blue denim. The latter makes a pretty covering for the centre of the floor, also as a border with a centrepiece of either matting or carpeting, as a rug.
Sideboard. — Make a small closet or sideboard by placing a small long box endwise upon the end of a larger box. If these cannot be planed, oiled, and varnished, they should be sandpapered and painted both inside and outside. A dark red is pretty, though white enamel paint could be used. At least two coats of paint should be put on to hide the natural roughness of the wood. Shelves should be put into each box, and curtains hung in front of the larger box, on a brass rod.
Bedroom
Bed. — For the bedroom get a narrow white iron bedstead. This would be light and easy to move by the girls in such a small room.
Dressing-table. — The dressing-table may be made by covering a large drygoods box with white dotted Swiss muslin over a bright covering of cambric ruttled on. Green is pretty and clean looking. Some pretty toilet articles arranged on the top would serve as an object-lesson.