Among trees that have just been felled some may be found with slen-
der trunks. Cut a piece from one of these about a foot long, more or
less, as you choose, remove the bark, saw off the top flat on the lengthy-
side and scoop out the interior,, leaving about one inch or less of thick-
ness on the sides and bottom ; paint of a brown color and varnish, tack
6 BASKETS.
on the sides either a chain, ribbon or card to hang it by ; fill the trunk
with artificial moss and flowers, and you have a hanging basket unique
in its way.
BIRCH BARK AND STRAW.
A pretty basket for shopping purposes can be made of birch bark, by
cutting it in the shape of the flat straw baskets that close at the top,
lined with silk, shirred at the top and drawn up with a draw-string.
Where the edges are joined cover with ribbon and stitch with machine.
You can stitch birch bark the same as a piece of cloth.
The pretty straw baskets that flowers are offered in can, when the
flowers are withered, be used for Lake Superior mosses, grasses, autumn
leaves or ferns. Then the money spent for them does not seem wasted,
for they can be converted into pretty objects for the center-table. The
smaller ones can be left filled with sand, and if dampened occasionally
flowers may be kept for a long time in them.
RUSTIC ONES FOR FLOWERS
One of the prettiest is made by taking a common horse muzzle, made
of wire, and have it painted, with oil colors, green. Then, when dry,
take large pieces or sheets of the bright green moss which abounds in
the woods and by the roadsides in the spring and line the inside with it,
letting the green side be turned outward. Then fill up the center with
earth and plant your vines and flowers, three cords being fastened to
the top wire at regular distances, by which it is to be hung up. It can
be watered occasionally and the moss freshened by dipping it into a
bucket of water.
Another variety is the rustic style, so popular and beautiful. In order
to make one of these procure from the woods a number of crooked
branches and rough, knotty twigs. Put them to soak in hot water, or
steam them, so as to render them perfectly pliable. Get one of the
turned wooden bowls, such as are to be found in house furnishing
stores; stain it with some of the brown staining materials or black var-
nish, and then bore holes or insert screw rings on the outside for the
cords or chains to pass through. Now bend around the outside of the
bowl one of the branches and nail it securely at the top edges on either
side. Several pieces can be twined around in this way, according to
one's taste, until the whole surface is covered ; then finish off with one
around the edge for a border. When this is varnished it is very pretty,
and the vines will, of course, be trained to hang over the edge.
CORAL, ALUM AND ALLSPICE.
To make coral baskets — take flowers and sprays of all shapes and
kinds of bonnet or hoop-skirt wire, wound with fine thin cloth ; take one
CORAL, ALUM AND ALLSPICE. %
ounce of resin and dissolve it in a brass pan with two drachms of the
finest vermillion and thoroughly mix them ; then take your basket twigs✪ Coral Baskets
and dip them into the solution till they are well dyed. Pretty brackets
can be made in the same way. Some persons dissolve red sealing-wax
in alcohol to form coral ; powder the wax, and fill in as much as the
alcohol will dissolve.
Page 11 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1886. 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
Among trees that have just been felled some may be found with slender trunks. Cut a piece from one of these about a foot long, more or less, as you choose, remove the bark, saw off the top flat on the lengthyside and scoop out the interior, leaving about one inch or less of thickness on the sides and bottom ; paint of a brown color and varnish, tack
6 BASKETS.
on the sides either a chain, ribbon or card to hang it by ; fill the trunk with artificial moss and flowers, and you have a hanging basket unique in its way.
BIRCH BARK AND STRAW.
A pretty basket for shopping purposes can be made of birch bark, by cutting it in the shape of the flat straw baskets that close at the top, lined with silk, shirred at the top and drawn up with a draw-string. Where the edges are joined cover with ribbon and stitch with machine. You can stitch birch bark the same as a piece of cloth.
The pretty straw baskets that flowers are offered in can, when the flowers are withered, be used for Lake Superior mosses, grasses, autumn leaves or ferns. Then the money spent for them does not seem wasted, for they can be converted into pretty objects for the center-table. The smaller ones can be left filled with sand, and if dampened occasionally flowers may be kept for a long time in them.
RUSTIC ONES FOR FLOWERS
One of the prettiest is made by taking a common horse muzzle, made of wire, and have it painted, with oil colors, green. Then, when dry, take large pieces or sheets of the bright green moss which abounds in the woods and by the roadsides in the spring and line the inside with it, letting the green side be turned outward. Then fill up the center with earth and plant your vines and flowers, three cords being fastened to the top wire at regular distances, by which it is to be hung up. It can be watered occasionally and the moss freshened by dipping it into a bucket of water.
Another variety is the rustic style, so popular and beautiful. In order to make one of these procure from the woods a number of crooked branches and rough, knotty twigs. Put them to soak in hot water, or steam them, so as to render them perfectly pliable. Get one of the turned wooden bowls, such as are to be found in house furnishing stores; stain it with some of the brown staining materials or black varnish, and then bore holes or insert screw rings on the outside for the cords or chains to pass through. Now bend around the outside of the bowl one of the branches and nail it securely at the top edges on either side. Several pieces can be twined around in this way, according to one's taste, until the whole surface is covered ; then finish off with one around the edge for a border. When this is varnished it is very pretty, and the vines will, of course, be trained to hang over the edge.
CORAL, ALUM AND ALLSPICE.
To make coral baskets — take flowers and sprays of all shapes and kinds of bonnet or hoop-skirt wire, wound with fine thin cloth ; take one
CORAL, ALUM AND ALLSPICE. %
ounce of resin and dissolve it in a brass pan with two drachms of the finest vermillion and thoroughly mix them ; then take your basket twigs and dip them into the solution till they are well dyed. Pretty brackets can be made in the same way. Some persons dissolve red sealing-wax in alcohol to form coral ; powder the wax, and fill in as much as the alcohol will dissolve.
Records on this page
Coral Baskets