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Book
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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.

The

Child's Rainy

Day Book

Other Books by

Mary White

HOW TO MAKE POTTERY HOW TO DO BEADWORK HOW TO MAKE BASKETS MORE BASKETS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM

Building a piece of pottery with

coils of clay

as the Indians do

THE CHILD'S

RAINY DAY BOOK

BY

MARY WHITE
ILLUSTRATED BY

THE AUTHOR

NEW YORK
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
1905

uv :i r^y^

'-v.o

<:?_

^."'i

'T,|
I

/s^jrjT^
I.

.^{\SX

Copyright, 1905, by

Doubleday, Page

& Company

Published, October, 1905

j^II rights reserved^

including that of translation into foreign languaget including the Scandinavian.

5-3^0^^

To My Sister Stnna m^iit ^^ttman

AND HER CHILDREN
Eocer, I^etbert, Clijabetl), Eoijamonti
anli

anna

CONTENTS
I.

A Foreword to Mothers
Simple

II.

III.

Home-Made Toys and Games Basket Weaving

Knots with Raffia and Cord
.

35
53
73

IV.

V. VI. VII. VIII.

What a Child Can Do with Beads

Clay Working
Indoor Gardening
Gifts and

103

125

How

to

Make Them
.

143

IX.

Paper Flowers AND Toys

173

X.

Games for Two or Three to Play

201

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Building a Piece of Pottery with Coils of Clay
the

Indians do

Playing the Bean Bag

Planning a Book House

Basket Weaving

..... ...... .......

Game
of a ping pong net.
Raffia
rattan
2. 4.

....

as

Frontispiece

FACING PACK

8 12

42

Knots with Raffia and Cord:

I.

The beginning
head knot.
3.

Turk's-

work bag.
napkin
ring
.

mock.

5.

...
.
.

Doll's

ham68

Little

Garden
a

for a Little Girl

Making

Chrysanthemum

.....

.136
198

A Ball-and-Fan Race

208

LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE
I

PAGE
9 9 14
15
17

Rattan Rin^
2

4
5 6
7

19

20
21

8 9
10
II

22
23

24 26

12

29
29

I2B I2C
13

30 30
31

14
15 16 17 18 19

38 39 40
41

43

20
21

49
55 56

22

xu
FIGURE
23

List of Figures

24
25 26
27 28

29

30
31

32 33

34
35 36
37 38
38

39 40
41

42
43

44
45 46 47 48 49
50
51

52 53

List of Figures

Xlll

FIGURE
54
55

PAGE
97

56
57 58

99 100
107

108

59 60
61

109

no no
III

62 63

112

64
65 66 67 68 69
70
71

116
117 119 132

138

148 148 149

151

72 73

74
75 76 77 78 79 Leathe 80
81

151

156
158

160 162
163

Tag Case

166 169
171
171

82
83

175 176

84

XIV

List of Figures

FIGURE
86
87 88 89

PAGE
180
181

182 183

184
185
187 188 188 189
191

90
91

92
93

94
95

96
97 98

192 193
193

99 100
lOI

194
195

195 198

102 103

206 213

104

Foreword

to

Mothers

CHILD'S RAINY DAY BOOK

CHAPTER
I

A FOREWORD TO MOTHERS

How

shall

we answer

the ever recurring rainy

day question, "What

ever cause.
All

shall I

do?"

We

hear

it

wherever children are kept indoors

of

fnom
all

what-

us are

concerned with the

answer

and

sisters
is

mothers, even

fathers,

teachers, big brothers

maiden aunts.
listless face

We

know
rain-

what

coming when Jack turns from the

splashed

window with a
its

and Dorothy,
doll into

none too gently, thrusts her favourite

the corner with
face to the wall.

One might suppose

that, with the hosts of

me-

chanical toys, of costly French dolls, each with a

wardrobe as much in keeping with fashion as that

of a society

woman, the small sons and daughters

content
for

would

be

year

of

rainy

days.

But that proves how

it.

little

one knows about

too

Such

toys

are

too

perfect,

com-

4
plete,

Child's

Rainy Day Book

and very soon they are pushed into the

real treasures are the willow whistle

background.

The boy's
that Uncle

Tom

taught him to make

is

last

summer,

the boat that he

building and the

all

game he
doll

invented

a
is

favourite one with

the children.

Bedtime and getting-up time

for the

French

may come and

corner, for

go, while she lies forgotten in the

there not a dress to be

made

for the

clothespin doll?

We

need only to look back about twenty years

to realise

how

natural

all

this

is.

What do we
They
and

remember?

Not the toys that were brought us

and mother went on a journey.

when
lace,

father

are very hazy

these visions of a
real hair

doll in silk

and a donkey with

and a nodding

head.
forget.

What became
we

of

them afterward?

We
we

But the games we "made up," the paper

cut from fashion papers, the target

dolls

laboured to
fresh in our

make

of coiled straw
if

these

are as

memories as

we had played with them

by giving the
them-

yesterday.
Shall

we not answer

the question

children

something to do, not by entertaining

to entertain

them but by helping them

selves.

Simple

Home Made
Games

Toys and

CHAPTER

II

SIMPLE HOME MADE TOYS AND GAMES

A Bean Bag Game

Materials

Required

tapestry needle, 3 screw eyes, 2 J yards of strong twine, A spool of No. 40 white cotton,

A A A

yard each of blue, red, yellow and green gingham, quarts of small white beans, length of No. 6 rattan,

bunch

of red raffia,

needle,

Scissors.

Very many good games can be played with

bean bags.
prepare.

The

following

is

a simple

one to

Cut from blue gingham three

inches wide

pieces, each five

by twelve
of

long.

Other pieces of the

green
pieces
stitch-

same
are

size

are cut

from red, yellow and

each
colour.

gingham

three

These

made up

into bags

by doubling them and

Child's

Rainy Day Book

leaving one
girl

ing up the sides with strong thread;

end of each open.

This will give a small

some-

thing to do for more than one rainy day.

When
bag half

they have

all

been stitched,

fill

each

full of small, white beans, turn in the

it

edges of the open end and sew

over,

up, over and

with strong thread.

for
if

sew the seams securely,

Be very careful to you do you will have

a good, durable bag instead of one from which

the beans are always dropping.

The other part

Soak a piece
minutes.
pliable

of the

game

is is

a large ring of

rattan ten inches across, which

made
for

as follows:

of No. 6 rattan in water for a few

it

While you are waiting

thread
raffia.

to

get

tapestry

or

darning

needle

with red

Whittle an end of the rattan

into a long point.

Next
;

coil

the rattan into a

ring, ten inches across

lay the end of your raffia,

with

its tip

turned to the right, on the rattan ring

raffia,

and bring the needle, threaded with and over the

under the
to the
ring.

around

The

raffia

is

then brought
it

under the long end of rattan, around

ring,

and down
rattan

binding the second

is

coil of

first

with what

called a "Figure

Eight"
in

stitch (see Fig. i).

left

Hold the ring firmly

your
First

hand while you sew with the

right.

Playing the bean-bag game

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

coil,

under and around the lower

then up, under

work,

and around the upper one.

It is pretty

besides

making such
you
the

a firm, light ring.

When
bound
almost

have
second
first

coil to the
all

the

way
it

round the
Fig.

ring, cut

the rattan so that

I

-^ill

overlap
of

the bethe ring

ginning

about an inch, and whittle

point.

it

to

long,

flat

Continue the Figure Eight stitch as far as

you can, then bind

the raffia round and

round the

ring,

and

sew back and forth

through
covering
cure.

the
till

raffia
it is

se-

You can then

close to the ring.

cut

it

Fasten a screw eye

at

the

top
of
side

of

the

^^'^'^^^

^^^^
one
the

frame
each

the
of

playroom
the

door

and
on

on
edge

doorway,

lo
of

Child's

Rainy Day Book

feet

the

frame, four

and a half from

the

floor.

Tie a

piecfe of

strong twine, about a yard long,

at the top of the ring

of a yard,

and another, three-quarters

Fasten the upper string to

on each

side.

the screw eye above the doorway so that the ring

will

hang with
floor.

its

lower edge about four feet from

the

Tie the other strings through the screw

left of

eyes to right and

is

the doorway.

The game

now
it.

complete.

From two

to four children can

of one colour

play

Each has three bean bags

his

and takes
doorway.

turn at throwing them through

the ring, standing on a

mark

eight feet from the

score,

One player keeps the

and when-

ever a bean bag is sent through the ring the child who

threw

it is

credited with five points.

The one who

is

first succeeds in

making
House

fifty

points

the winner.

A Book
Materials

for

Paper Dolls

Required

A large

blank book with a stiff cover, and preferably with unruled pages,
size

number of old magazines. Some pieces of wall paper the

of the book's pages,

Several pieces of lace or other fancy paper,

tube of paste.

Scissors.

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

who
is

ii
for a

Any

little girl

looking for a

home

family of paper dolls will find a book the very

best kind of a house for them.

And then such

First

fun as

it

will

be to furnish

it!

comes the

house hunting.

A
if

large

new blank book with

all,

unruled pages would be best of

and that

is

what we want
doll families

we can

get

it,

but of course

all

cannot

live in

such luxury.
its
I

An

old

account book with most of

pages unused will

make an

excellent house.

have even known a

family of dolls to be cheerful and happy in an old

city directory.
It will

be easy to find furniture in the advertising

pages of magazines, rugs can be cut from pictures

in the

same magazines and

bits of wall

paper are

used for the walls of the book house.

of different colours

Tissue paper
lace edge

and papers with a

curtains,

make charming window

fancy papers

while thicker

may may

be used for portieres.

On

the

cover of the book a picture of the house, or just

the doorway,

be pasted.

The
this

first

two pages
need a
rugs,

are of course the hall.

For

you

will

broad staircase, hall

seat,

hardwood

floor

and

with perhaps an open fireplace or a cushioned

window

seat to

make

it

look hospitable.
size,

Try to
if

find furniture all

about the same

or

you

t2

Child's

Rainy Day Book

cannot do this put the smaller pieces at the back

of the

room and the

will

larger ones

toward the

front.

Next there
not

be the drawing room to furnish,

then the library, the dining room and pantry,

forgetting
for

the

kitchen

and

laundry.

Use

two pages
too
full at

each room, leaving several between

the different rooms, so that the book shall not be

the front and

does not close easily

pages.

empty at the back. If it remove some of the blank

them
in as neatly as

Cut out the

different pieces of furniture as

carefully as possible, paste

you
of.

can, and

you

will

have a book house to be proud

will

Flowered papers

be the best for the bed-

rooms, or plain wall papers in light colours; and

with brass bedsteads, pretty

little

dressing tables

and curtains made

(which looks so
as
like

of

thin

white tissue paper

white muslin), they will be

dainty as can be.

it
is

Now

and then through

have a page with
seat with

the book
just a

interesting to

bay window and a broad window

cushions and pillows

hall.

as

if it

were a part of a long

Hang

curtains of coloured or figured paper

it

in front of
if

so that they will

in.

have to be

lifted

anyone wants to peep

When you have

finished

the bathroom, playroom, maids' rooms

and

attic there will still

be the piazza, the garden,

Planning a book house

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

13

the stables and the golf course (covering several

pages), to arrange.
If

you have a paint box and

will

can colour tastefully you

be able to

make your
already.

book house even more attractive than

United States Mail
Materials Required
:

it is

pasteboard box, about 3 by 6

inches,

Some

old white pasteboard boxes with a glossy finish,

box of paints, unused postal cards, A tube of paste, Pen and ink.
3

Scissors.

This

is

a fine
it

game
and
if

for rainy days.

Any boy
use
pencil
interesting

can

make make
and
as

he

likes

to
as

and paint brush he

to

will

find

it

to play with.

Get a small pastelong

as

board wide
cotton
pasting

box

about

six

inches

by

three
of

an

inch
in.

deep

such
with
a

spools

come
it

Cover

it

white

paper,

neatly

and
lid
it

securely.

Then
bag,

draw
which
leather

and
sack

colour

on

the

mail
a

should

almost cover
or

either
one

brown
with

white
it

canvas

"United

States Mail" on

in large blue letters.

Do

not

14
forget
to

Child's

Rainy Day Book

draw the holes at the top of the rope which passes through the and bag You have now something it. close them to
to hold the counters
for the

game.
to

These
look

are

made

like letters

and postal

cards.

To make the
rule a set of

Pj^

letters,

lines

three-quarters
or

of

an

inch

apart, across

box

cover

of
set,

shiny
crossing

white
the

cardboard.
others
at

Then
right

another
angles.

These
postal

should be an inch and a quarter apart.

cards are ruled in the same
postal cards), so as to

The

way (on real, unused make oblong spaces. Cut

There

these out with a sharp pair of scissors.

should be thirty cardboard pieces and at least

twenty-five of the postal
cards.

Now draw
marks

on
like

the cards, with a fine pen and black ink,

those on a postal card

the

stamp

in the corner,
lines

the lettering and the address.

all

Make pen
2

on

of the pasteboard letters like Fig.

and paint

a tiny red dot on each to look like sealing-wax.

On
like

the reverse side of one write something to look

an address, and paint

in large letters "

D.L.O.,"

Simple
(to

Home Made Toys and Games

15

stand for Dead Letter Office) in the corner.

Six other letters are also addressed in the same

way,

but

have
a

instead

of

"D.L.O."
the
latter

red

stamp
than
it

and
is

blue

one,

wider

high, to represent

a Special Deliveryalso

stamp.

Nine pieces should

in

be

cut

from

brown cardboard
3

the

shape

shown

in Fig.

to

represent

packages.

Paint

three

red

stamps

in the corner of

each of these.

Rules for Playing United States Mail

Two

or

more persons can play

this

game.

When

the pieces are equally divided

among

the players,

the one on the right

of the dealer throws

a piece on the table,

saying
so,

as

he

does
letter

"I send a

to

,"

for

ex-

ample,
counts

and then
five,

not runFig. 3

ning the numbers in

together,

but

as

deliberately

as

a clock ticks.

Before he has stopped counting, the player on

his right

must name a

city

or

town beginning

i6

Child's

Rainy Day Book

succeeds
it

with

B.

If

he

in

doing

this

he

wins the piece, otherwise

goes

to the

player

who threw

it.

When
of

all

the

pieces have

been

played each player counts his score.

The value
postal

the pieces

is

as follows:
letter

Each
each
are

card
six.

counts one,

each

two,
letters

package

The Special Delivery

each,
as to

worth
is

ten

points

and the
have
ten the

person
letter

who
with
his

so

unfortunate

"D.L.O."
score.

upon

it

loses

points

from

Flying Rings
Materials Required

flour-barrel top,

f yard of yellow cheesecloth, 5 large wire nails,

A A A A

3 lengths of No. 4 rattan. bunch of red raffia,

of yellow tapestry needle. Some small tacks,

bunch bunch

of green raffia,
raffia,

A A A
Boys and
and

hammer,
tube of glue, sheet of note paper.

girls will
it.

enjoy this game, and both

can help in making

easily obtained,

The materials
is

are simple

which

also

an advantage.
This

First of all

we

shall

need a flour-barrel top.

Simple

Home Made Toys and GamS

17

should be covered with yellow cheesecloth drawn

smooth and
outer edge.
centre and

tight

and tacked

in place along the find the exact

Measure with a rule to

make

at that point. one, half

mark on the cheesecloth Another mark is made above this

a pencil
it

way between
the

and the edge.

third

mark
right

is

placed at the

of

middle

one

and
it

half

way

between

and the and one

edge, as well as one

to

the
it

left

below

at the

same

distance
centre.
is

from

the
the

large nail

driven

into

Fig. 4

barrel top at each of

the

five

marks
can

(see

Fig.

4).

Two

screw eyes

are then put in

at the top, about a foot apart,

so

that

it

be
is

easily

hung.
stiff

Next draw
5, 10,

on note paper that

15,

not too

the figures

Make them about an inch high and quite thick and go over them with ink. With a small pair of scissors cut out these numbers and paste each under a nail, as shown
25

and

50.

in Fig.

4.

Child's

Rainy Day Book

rings to be

Next there are the

low
7,

made.
6

Fol-

the

directions

given
rattan

on
only

pages
of

and
6,

using
these

No.

instead

No.

and
a

rings

should

be
three

two
ring5

and
of

half

inches

across.

Make
and

each

colour,
is

green,

red

yellow,

and the

game

complete.

To Play

It:

and

Hang the barrel top on the wall or against a screen see who can throw the most rings on the nails
Each player has three
and each
in turn

standing six feet away.

rings
of

a different

colour,

throws his rings at the mark.

When

he

suc-

ceeds in tossing a ring on one of the nails he

scores as

many

points as the

number under the

nail indicates.

How
Materials

to

Make a Cork

Castle

Required

A number

of old corks, the larger'

the better,

A A A A

tube of glue,
penknife,
piece of pasteboard a foot square,

sheet of dull green tissue paper.

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

castles

19

Such fascinating
corks

can be made from old

or

if

you

live

near a cork factory you can

of cork

get plenty of odds

and ends

bark that

will

be even better for the purpose.

With a penknife
If

cut small bricks, half an inch long by quarter of an

inch wide and an eighth of an inch thick.
are planning a round tower, such as
is

you
in

shown

Fig.

Fig.

5,

make
in
Fig.

the bricks
6.

in

the wedge
as

shape
alike
if

shown
as

Cut
it

them
will

nearly

possible,

but

do

no

harm
the

they

are

not

perfectly

regular;

castle
It

will only look

is

more ancient and

interesting.

wonderful

how much

the bits of cork look

like stone.

20

Child's

Rainy Day Book

When you have a good supply of bricks ready you may begin to build. Use glue to stick the blocks
together;
easiest

the kind that comes in a tube

is

the
for

and cleanest to handle.

doors

Leave spaces

and
for

windows,

and
a

the roof use

fiat

large

cork
jar.

from

preserve
it

Mark
Fig
6

off

into

battlements
are

such
in

as
5,

shown

Fig.

and cut

them

out

carefully.

Then

glue

the

roof securely on the walls of the castle.

Where shall we place made? A green mountain

cation
quite
for
easily.

it

now
is it

that

it

is

side

a good

lo-

castle,

and
(an

can
of

be

made
will

Bend a
square

piece old

pasteboard
cover
it,

about

foot

box

do) into dents that will almost break

these
crags,

look quite like

especially
tissue

hills

and valleys and sharp

when they have been covered with green paper. To do this spread a layer of paste
all

or glue

over the pasteboard and then press

it.

the paper upon

better, for
it

If it wrinkles, so

much

the

will look

more

like grass

and grow-

ing things.

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

Doll's Shaker

21

A
Materials Required

Bonnet

piece of fine straw about

inches.

4x6

Some
silk,

scraps of plain-coloured china

yard of straw-coloured ribbon, J of an inch wide> I yard of narrow ribbon the colour of the china silk, A spool of straw-coloured sewing

silk.

The

daintiest

little

Shaker bonnet
to
fit

may

be easily

made by

little girl

one of her

dolls.

From
and
8.

the brim of an old leghorn, or other fine straw hat,

cut two pieces, the shapes

shown

in Figs.

For a
will

doll six or eight inches long the front piece

five inches

need to be about

long by an inch

Fig.

and a half wide.

Bind the curved edge of the front

it

piece with the straw-coloured ribbon, sewing

through and through with small stitches, using

22

Child's

Rainy Day Book

silk.

straw-coloured sewing

Sew one edge

of a

piece of the straw-coloured ribbon close to the

curved edge of the back piece from

Fig.
8).

to

AA
at

(see

Mark,
a
dot

with

pencil,

the

middle of the curved edge

of

the

back portion and

one at the middle of the

straight edge of the front

-^Y_
Pj(,

/a
8

part.

Pin the two parts

at

together

these

dots
to-

and sew the

gether.

edges

In

doing

this

you

will

have to turn

back the ribbon which edges the back portion.

Next bring the ribbon forward

sew
loose edge along
silk

to cover the rough

edges of the straw where the two parts join and

its

on the front portion.

Cut

a piece of China

seven and three-quarters inches

long by an inch and three-quarters wide.

a narrow

then

hem made on

all

around

it.

tiny pencil

Make mark is

the lower edge of the back piece and

silk strip.

another at the middle of the

silk just

Gather the

below the

hem on the upper edge and sew it

Stitch

to the lower edge of the bonnet at the back.

a piece of narrow ribbon eight inches long at each

side of the front, for strings,

and the bonnet

is

done.

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

23

Leather and String Puzzle

Materials

Required

strip

of thick leather,
2

inches

long by

wide,
string a foot

A A
With a sharp
puzzle.

piece of
long,
knife.

heavy linen

knife, a small strip of leather

and a

bit of strong string

any boy can make

friends will
is

this simple
it is

It is easier to

make, however, than

discover.
strip

to do, as the boy's

will

Fig. 9

show how

it

made.

of leather five

and a half inches

long,

an inch and a quarter wide at one

end and five-eighths

other, at
is

of

an inch at the
Then,
of

first

cut.

starting

about
the

five-eighths

an inch
a

from

narrow end, cut with

slits

sharp knife two

down

the middle
of

of the piece three-eighths

an inch

apart

and

three
of

inches

long.

At
the

three-eighths

an inch

from

wide end a small piece, one-quarter

of

an inch square,
of

is

cut out of the

.

middle

Fig. 9
9).

the

strip

(see

Fig.

From the scraps

of leather

remaining cut two pieces,

each one inch long by five-eighths of an inch wide.

24

Child's

Rainy Day Book

Make a

hole in the middle of each.

Then pass a
open
strip

piece of stout linen cord eleven inches long back of

the
in

long,

the large piece of

leaving the

leather,

ends of equal length.

Pass both ends down

through
hole and

the
tie

square

each of

them securely through

the hole in the middle
of

one of the

small

pieces of leather.

This

completes
Fig.

it.

io

The object

is

to try

to get the string, with

the small piece of leather

large

at either end, off the

piece
it.

of

leather

without cutting or unto

tying
in
Fig.

The only way

Holding both
it

do

this

is

shown
string,

10.

ends

of

the

close to

where

passes back of the narrow strip

in

the

middle of the large piece of leather, pull

the strip out through the small square hole.

One
the

of the small pieces of leather can then be slipped

through
string.

the

loop

thus

formed, releasing

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

25

A
Materials Required

Bed
:

for a Little Doll

An

or

oblong pasteboard box an inch more longer than the doll it is

to hold,
yard of flowered or striped muslin, I yard of blue and white seersucker

or other cotton,

Some cotton

or wool wadding,

yard of thin white cotton cloth, J yard of outing flannel,

\

yard of white piqu6.

Almost any

little girl

who

chooses to do so can
dolls.

make
She

this dainty

bed

for

one of her small

will

only need an oblong pasteboard box with

doll

a cover, and large enough to hold the

fortably.
If

com-

mamma

will let her

have some pieces

little

of cotton, flowered, striped

and plain and a

all

cotton or wool wadding, she will have

rials

the mate-

she needs.

First cut

from blue and white striped cotton a

Stitch
it it

bag the length and width of the box.

neatly together around three sides, turn
side out

right

and

fill

it

with cotton or wool wadding.

Turn

in the edges

on the fourth side and sew them

together over and over.

With a darning needle

silk

threaded with blue cotton or

the mattress can

is first

be tufted here and there.

through to the under
side,

The needle
then one

run

little stitch is

26

Child's

Rainy Day Book

taken, bringing the thread back again to the right

side,

where the two ends are tied tightly together

close to the knot.
If these tufts are

and cut

made

Fig. II

at equal distances, say one inch apart,

all

over the

mattress

it

will
is

The pillow
tress,

make made

it

look very "real."

in the

same way

as the

mat-

except that

it is

not tufted.

Cut the sheets

and pillowcase from thin white cotton, allowing

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

Make

27

enough

for

hems.

the pillowcase a quarter

of an inch wider

and about an inch and a quarter

Stitch
it

longer than the pillow.

around both sides

and on one end and hem the other end.

blankets

Tiny

may

be cut from outing flannel, and a

a piece of white pique or other
material.
will look

spread

made from
wash
it

thick white

The bed can now be

very plain.

made

up, but

fluffy

canopy and valance

(or flounce)

of flowered or
it

striped white muslin will improve

wonderfully.

The cover
stead
is

is

set

on end and the head of the bedit

pressed into

(see Fig.

11),

making a

frame for the canopy.

Measure from the front

corner of this frame to the middle of the front and

cut a piece of muslin half again as wide as this

measurement and long enough

piece the
in

to reach

from the

top of the frame to the bottom of the bed.

Another
the other

same

size is cut,

and then both are turned

and gathered

at the top,

hemmed on
will

edges and sewed into place on the top edge of the

canopy frame, so that the two

middle.
the

meet

in the

They

are

both

looped

back against
11,

front edge of the frame, see Fig.

and

sewed there securely.

The valance
is

or

flounce

around the lower part of the bed

to allow for

cut wide enough

hemming

at the

bottom and to turn

28

Child's
It

Rainy Day Book

in at the top.

should be long enough to reach

once and a half around the bed.

Turn
fit

in the

upper

edge of the valance, gather

it

it

to

the bed and pin

in position.

Then sew

it

with a strong needle

and coarse thread on to the box through and

through.

This makes as comfortable and pretty a

bed as dolly could wish.

Floor Baseball
Materials

Required

piece of white chalk,

A A A
This
is

piece of sheet lead,

by

inches,

and as thick

as a fifty-cent piece,
rafiia,

3 or 4 strands of scarlet tapestry needle,

gimlet.

a delightful
it

game

for a rainy day,

and the

preparations for

are very simple.

In

fact,

when

you have fashioned the disk

covering, there
chalk.
is

of lead with a rafiia

nothing to provide but a piece of

almost any plumber or

You can buy, from

tinsmith, for a few cents, a scrap of sheet lead

two or

three inches square and about as thick as a half

dollar.

Upon
it

this piece of lead lay a half dollar,

draw around

with a pencil and cut out the

scissors.

circle

with a sharp, strong pair of

easily as cardboard of the

It cuts as

same thickness.

Bore a

Simple

Home Made Toys and

Gam,es

29

hole one-quarter of an inch across through the centre of the disk It

is

with a gimlet or sharp-pointed awl.

to
just
it

possible

use
as

the
it

disk
is,

but

makes
if it is

less

noise

covered with

raffia.

To do
a

this,

thread

worsted

(or tapestry) needle

with

raffia

the
Fig. 12

grass-like

material

that you have seen

used

for

making
Tie
the other end of the raffia through

baskets.

the disk, as shown in Fig. 12 A, put the needle

down through
the
hole
in

the centre,

up
the

through
loop
in

the

raffia (see Fig,

12 B)

and pull

your

strand
This

up
Fig. 12

close to the

edge.


30
will

Child's

Rainy Day Book

make

a stitch like that shown in Fig. 12 C

call

what

sailors

a half hitch

and

mothers

buttonhole
Make more
stitches
disk,
i

stitch.

of

these

around
finally

the
it

until
entirely

covered
If

(see Fig.

13).

the

strand

of

rafha gives
is

out before the disk

covered sew the short

end through the

last

two
Fig.

or

three stitches

on

the

edge
start

of

the

disk and

new

piece

by bringing the end through the

last stitch

on the edge.

The

short

ends of both strands

should
the
hole
as

be

covered with buttonstitches

you go

on.

Now mark
the

diagram
in Fig.
Fig. 13

shown
14

on the

Simple

Home Made Toys and Games

31

playroom

floor

with chalk, making the diamond

foot

two

feet long
it is

by a
a

and a

half wide.

In the
is

centre of

circle,

four inches across, which

his turn at

home.

Each player takes

throwing
If

the disk, standing on a line eight feet away.

he throws the disk into the

space marked
that he has a
i

he

counts
first

man on
if

base;

if

on

2,

that he has

one on second; and

a

on H,
If

home run

is

counted.
his first

by chance with
disk into

and

second throws he puts the

2

and

and with
it

the third throw sends

into
Fig. 14

he will have three runs to

his credit.

Should he throw

the disk into

F he

loses

one point from his score,

and when he has thrown the disk outside the

diamond three times he

is

out.

Rug
J

for the

DolVs House

Materials Required

A A A A A

small wooden frame,

piece of cream-coloured canvas,
ball of dull green worsted, ball of

cream white worsted,

No.
2.

steel crochet needle,

32

Child's

Rainy Day Book

Hooked rugs such as our grandmothers used to make are great fun to do. Why should not a Httle girl make one of finer materials for the floor of her doll's house? Either an empty slate frame or a wooden frame such as is sold by dealers in kindergarten supplies for chair caning will do very well
to hold the canvas of which the rug
is

made.

Instead of strips of woolen

we

shall use

worsted of

various colours, and a strong steel crochet needle

will

be needed for "hooking."

When you
you wish
to

have decided upon the

size of the

rug

make

cut a piece of canvas an inch

it is

wider and longer than

to be,
all

and make a hem

it.

a quarter of an inch wide

around

With a

needleful of white linen thread sew the rug into the

frame, taking the stitches through the edge of the

canvas and around the frame until

fastened
in.

it is

securely

Suppose a green rug

is

planned, with
It will

a group of white stripes at each end.

well to

be

mark on

the canvas where the stripes are

to run before beginning the work.

The worsted

should be

wound

into balls.

Starting with an end of the green worsted, at the

lower right side of the frame, hold

it

under the rug

and hook
needle.

it

up through the canvas with the crochet

a long enough end so that
it

Draw up

can

Simple
be cut
off

Home Made Toys and GamS

finished
all

33

texture.

when the rug is Do not make

if

and leave a thick

the loops the same

height, for

with the

now and then one is left too low to cut others it will make the rug wear better.
is

One

after another of these loops

drawn through

the canvas, leaving two threads of canvas between

every two loops, in a straight

line across the rug.

is

When
from

the edge of the rug

is

reached a row

made
is

above the one just

left

finished, bringing the

worsted

to right.

So

it

goes on

till

the rug

finished, only

changing the ball of green worsted

it is

for a white

one when
is

time to

make

the stripes.

After the hooking

done, the tops of the longer

loops are cut off with a sharp pair of scissors, so as

to
it

make
is

a smooth, soft rug.

It will

wear better
rug you

if

lined.

When you
want
them.
to

have completed

this

may

make others with patterns woven into Draw the pattern on the canvas with a
and
it

soft lead pencil

will

be quite easy to work.

Basket Weaving

CHAPTER

III

BASKET WEAVING

The
away

rattan of which the baby's go-cart and

mother's

armchair are woven

India.

came from a

far-

forest in

Troops of monkeys

may

have swung upon the very pieces on which your

baby brother
from
tree

is

bouncing, for the rattan hung

in

to

tree

long
it

festoons.

One day
stripped
it

some brown natives cut

of its leaves.
It

down and

was then packed

in bundles

and

sent to this country.

into
strips

The hard, shiny bark cut

has been woven into cane seats for

chairs,

and the inner part or core of the rattan

was cut by a machine into the round strands that

you

see in wicker furniture.

It takes

a man's strong hands to weave great

girls

armchairs and baby carriages, but boys and

can make charming

as tiny chairs

little

mats and baskets

as well

and tables

for the doll's house,

and

other interesting things.

supplies
sell

Dealers in kindergarten

the rattan in different sizes, from

37

3S

Child's

Rainy Day Book

7

No. oo, which

is

as fine as cord, to No.

or No.

8,

which

is

almost as thick as rope.

sizes,

You
and
soft

will only-

need the medium

Nos.

2,

4, for

your

weaving, with some

fibre that the

rafiia

the

but strong

gardener uses for tying up his plants.

This you will also find at the kindergarten-supply

store.

pair of shears, a yardstick

and an awl

are the only tools

you
in

will need.

Rattan comes
Fig. 15).

long
it

skeins

or

twists

(see

Always draw

out from the loop end,

Fig.

iv

Twist of R.\tt.\n

so that
sizes

it

will

not get tangled and break.

are

Two

of rattan

generally used in

making a
in

basket, the thicker for the spokes or ribs and the

fine

for

the weavers.

Both must be soaked

pliable.
first

warm water to make them soft and As many spokes as are needed are
raffia.

cut the

required length and tied together with a piece of

The weavers

are

thexi

coiled into

rings,

so that they also can be soaked.

This

is

done as

follows:

Starting near one end of a length of

Basket Weaving
rattan, coil
it

39

into a ring.

Twist the short end

it

around
Fig.

this

ring once or twice to hold

(see

16).

Coil the rest

of the strand into rings,

one above the other, and

twist the other

end

of

the rattan around

all

them
^ Fig.

until they are held

securely. '

Have ready ' a

16

basin

or pail of

warm
let

water

not
it

hot

and

the spokes and weaver

soak in

for ten or fifteen minutes.

is

Suppose we begin with a mat, which

just as the baskets are, at the centre.

started,

A Mat
Materials Required
:

or Stand for a Teapot

4 12-inch spokes of No. 4 rattan, I 7 -inch spoke of No. 4 rattan,

I

weaver

of No. 2 rattan.

Feel the ends of your weavers and you will find

that some are

stiff

while others are almost as soft

and

pliable as cord.

Choose a soft one to start

in pairs are

the mat.

The four spokes arranged

or nearer to

crossed in the centre, the vertical ones being above

the

others,

you.

Place the short

40

Child's

Rainy Day Book

spoke, seven inches long, between the upper parts

of these vertical spokes.

tion

They are held in posiby the left hand,

is,

which
one
the ing

as always, the

that
right

holds,
is

while

the weavof

hand.

An end

the weaver
first

(which has
is

been unwound)
along

placed
zontal

the hori-

spokes, back of

the vertical ones, with

its tip

toward the

right.

Fig. 17

The
right

forefinger

of

the

hand now presses

the weaver across the vertical spokes and

down
(thus

behind the horizontal ones on the right

binding the end of the weaver securely), next

over the lower vertical spokes and behind the

horizontal ones on the left (see Fig. 17).

This

is

repeated, and
tical

then, starting with the upper ver-

spokes,

the spokes are

(see Fig.
18).

separated and the

If

weaving begins
close,

you want

to do

even work, do not pull the rattan as you

it

weave, but press

with the forefinger, under and

over the spokes as close to the work as possible.

Basket Weaving

41

The spokes should be very evenly separated, for upon this much of the beauty and strength of
your baskets
will

depend.

Think

of the regular

spaces between the spokes of a wheel and

how

much

trouble one badly placed spoke

there
is

wo aid make.
go around
very

When

just
is

enough weaver

left to
is

once, the edge

bound

off.

This

much

like overcasting.

After going under one spoke and over another,

the weaver
just before
is

passed under the last row of weaving

reaches the next spoke.
It

it

then

goes

behind
in

that
of

spoke,

front

the next and under the last row of weaving before the next
spoke.

When a row

of this binding has

been made around

the edge the

mat

is

finished with the fol-

lowing border:
the

Cut
the

Fig. 18

spokes

all

same
to

length, not straight across but slanting, so as

make

a point that can easily be pushed

down
in

be-

tween the weaving.

Then hold them

water

42
for a

Child's

Rainy Day Book

few minutes.

When

they are quite pliable

the
is

first

spoke (any one you choose to begin with)

pushed down between the rows of weaving

left

beside the one to the

of

it

or spoke No.

2,

No.
left,

2 is

pushed down beside the next one to the

3,

No.

and

so

on

all

the

way around

the mat.
is

Take care that

at least

an inch of each spoke

pressed below the edge of the mat..

Small Candy Basket

Materials Required
:

4 14-inch spokes of No. 4 rattan, 1 8 inch spoke of No. 4 rattan,

2

weavers

of No. 2 rattan.

This

little

basket

may

be woven of rattan in

the natural colour and afterward dyed or gilded,

or one can

buy the rattan already coloured. Weave a bottom like the beginning of the mat,
it

and when
(that
is,

measures two inches in diameter

side to side, across the centre),

from

wet

the spokes and turn

them

up.

The spokes should

be turned up away from you, for the side toward

the person weaving
is

always the outside of the

left

basket and the weaving should go from

right

to

as

you

read.

Bend them over the middle

finger so that the sides of the basket will be curved.

Place the bottom of the basket on vour knee,

Basket weaving

Basket Weaving

43

with the side which in starting was toward you

turned

down and
a
it

the spokes bent upward, and do

sides
in

the weaving of the

that position.

In

joining
weaver lay

new
across

the end of the old

one,

back

of

spoke (see Fig.

19).

The
first

weaver
too

at
Fig. 19.

should not be
tight,

Joining Weavers

drawn
but

allowed

to

go

easily,

though

it

must be
it.

pressed closely

down upon

the row beneath

When

about three-quarters of an inch has been

the sides, the spokes are

woven up

drawn grad-

ually closer together

by a

slight tightening of the

weaver, and this should be continued until an

inch more has been woven.

Bind

off

and
the

finish

with

this

border.

The spokes

for

border

should measure at least four inches from the last

row
mat.
left,

of

weaving

to the

end of the spoke.

Cut and

soak as described in the directions for making a

Spoke No.
or No.
2,

crosses the next

one on the

and
No.

is

pushed down beside the next

crosses No. 3
so

spoke, No.

3.

and

is

pushed

down

beside No.

4,

and

on around the basket.

44

Child's

Rainy Day Book

Doll's Table of Rattan

Materials Required
:

6 2 2 -inch spokes of No. 3 rattan, 12-inch spoke of No. 3 rattan, I

I

weaver of No.

rattan,

piece of fine wire, 4 or 5 inches long,

raffia,

Several strands of

An

awl.

Perhaps you did not think

to

it

was

as interesting

mat as to weave baskets, but you will be glad you know how to do it when you see some of the things that can be made with mats.
a

make

For example,

this

dear

little

wicker table, just

the size for a doll's house and the shape for an

afternoon tea.

Two

groups of spokes, one of three and the

other of three and a half, are crossed in the centre.

The short spoke should be put between two

never on the outside of a group.

others,
is

The mat
until
it

woven
edge
is

like the other

mat and basket

is

three and a half inches in diameter,

when

the

bound

off.

Bring each spoke across the

it

next one and press

down

beside the next, as

in the border of the basket, except that the long

end

is

not cut
fifth

off,

but brought out between the

fourth and

rows of weaving on the under side

of the border are

of the mat.

The loops

drawn

Basket Weaving
in so that they will not be

45

more than a quarter

of an inch

beyond the weaving.

The long ends

legs of the

of the spokes (which are to

table)

form the

are

brought together and bound with a

Separate

piece of fine wire just under the centre.

them

into three groups of four spokes each.

is

The

odd spoke
and bound
strand of

either cut off or whittled very thin

in with
raffia
is

one of the three groups.

three spokes,
tightly

now doubled around two or above the wire binding, and wound
it

around one of the groups until

has cov-

ered two inches, from the binding down.

At the
made,

end a half hitch or one buttonhole

to keep the raffia from slipping.

stitch is

It is

up again
here

to the top.

The

raffia is
first

wound brought down

then

the second leg as far as the

it
is

one was wound;

turned with a half hitch and brought

in the

up again

same way.

The

third leg

is

also

wound down and up

the bottom to hold

again, with a half hitch at

it.

After this third leg has

is

been covered the

raffia

brought in and out

in order to

between the

legs,

where they separate,

It is

spread them more.

are cut close.

then tied and the ends

Finally the spokes at the end of

each leg are cut slanting so that the table will

stand firmly.

46

Child's

Rainy Day Book

Doll's Chair of Rattan

Materials Required
:

6 20-inch
I
1 1

spokes of No.

3 rattan,

-inch spoke of No. 3 rattan, 4 lo-inch spokes of No. 3 rattan, 1 piece of No. 3 rattan about 9

inches long,

weavers of No. Several strands of

2

rattan,

raffia,

An

awl.

Would you
It is

like

to

make a

tiny high-backed

chair to use with the tea table in the doll's house?

only a

trifle

more

difficult to

make than

the

table.

Two

groups of twenty-inch spokes of No.

rattan, one having three

and the other three and

a half spokes in

it,

are crossed at the centre,

of No.
2

bound
After

around twice with a weaver

rattan and

woven

into a

mat

three inches in diameter.

is

binding

off the
is

edge the following border

made:

Each spoke
end

brought down beside the next one,

as in the border of the mat, except that the long

is

drawn out between the second and

all

third

rows of weaving on the under side of the mat.

When
this

the spokes have been brought out in

the mat, or seat, the four

way underneath

groups of three spokes each which are to form the

legs are so divided that the vertical spokes in the

Basket Weaving

47

centre of the chair seat shall run toward the front

and back

of the seat.

whittled to a thin point and

The thirteenth spoke is bound in with one

of the other groups, which are

wound with

raffia

down
is

to the end, turned with a half hitch

and

brought up again.
to thread
it

neat

way

to start the raffia

across a

row

of

weaving

in the

chair seat, just above the group

it is

to bind.

A
is

piece of No. 3 rattan about nine inches long

coiled into

a ring and held within the space

legs,

enclosed
it is

by the

about half

way down, where

wound around with a

to each leg.
is

strand of raffia and

bound securely

The back
four

of the chair

formed by inserting
ten
inches
long,

spokes of

No.

rattan,

beside those in the seat, at that part of the seat

which has been chosen

for the back.

To do

this

push a sharp pointed awl

beside a spoke,

in

between the weaving,

draw

it

out and you will have

to run in.

made room

for the

new spoke

Bend

the spokes up and

weave back and forth upon

say,
in

them with a No.

spokes.

weaver, turning on the outside

to

Needless

the

weaver must be

very soft

and

pliable

order to

make

these

sharp turns.

You

will find that

you can make

almost any kind of a back you choose.

48
If

Child's

Rainy Day Book

you decide

to

make an oval-shaped
it

back,

then when you have woven

high enough, bring

each of the outside spokes over and down beside

the other one, running
it

in

between the weaving.

The inner spokes

are crossed at the centre

and

run down beside the outer spokes.

To make an
in

armchair insert six spokes instead of four at the

back of the seat and weave the outer spokes

with the others for a few rows.

They

are then

bent over and forward to form the arms.

is

Each

cut to the desired length and run in beside one

of the side spokes in the seat.

A
Materials Required
:

Bird's Nest
1

8
I

8-inch spokes of No. 3 rattan,

lo-inch spoke of No. 3 rattan, I J weavers of No. 2 rattan,

A A

bunch

of raffia,
18.

tapestry needle, No.

At the Bird Market

nests are sold,

in

Paris charming

little

woven

of rushes

on spokes of brown

twigs, in the shape of

an Indian tepee.

They

are

intended for caged birds,

who cannot

build their

own
too

nests of sticks

and grass and horsehair from

the fields and wayside.

Some

free birds like

them,

wrens,

for example.

Basket Weaving

49

A
and

boy or

girl

who has made

the

mat and basket

doll's furniture will have no difficulty in weav-

ing one of these nests.

delight of

Then

there will be the

hanging

it

in

a tree (not too near the

house) and watching to
see
it

what bird

will

choose
time-

when

nesting

comes. Let us weave a nest

that shall be light and
Fig.

yet

firm.

Spokes of
it

rattan will give

will

strength and weavers of raffia

make
spokes,

it

soft

and comfortable.
crossed

Two

groups

of

one of four and the other of four

are
at

and

half,

the

centre,

bound
into

three times with a strand of raffia and

woven
is

a bottom an inch and a half across.

Another

weaver

is

then added and an inch of pairing

made.
a sim-

Pairing, or
ple stitch.

bam

tush, as the

Indians

call it, is

Two

weavers are started, each one

behind a spoke
is

(see Fig. 20).

first

The one on the

left

brought over the

in front.

spoke, under the next and the turn of the second

first

down

It is

now

weaver, which also passes over the

its right,

spoke on
it is

under the next and outside, where

50

Child's

Rainy Day Book

weaver repeats

hold

down

ill

front while the other

the process.

So

it

goes on around the nest.

The
be

spokes are then wet so that the bottom

may

formed into a bowl shape, with sides rounding up

from the very eentre.
rattan
place.
is

row

of jKiiring in No. 2

next woven to hokl the slippery ratBa in

is

This

followed by live-eighths of an inch

in

of rafiia
flared.

woven

pairing,

the sides
2

still

being

Two

r(.)ws

of pairing in No.
ill

rattan are

then woven, drawing the spokes

very slightly.

At

this point,

which

is

the widest, the nest should

measure eleven inches around the top.

under and over weaving
is

row

of

started,

and

at the place

which has been chosen

is

for the

doorway the weaver

doubled back on a spoke and woven from right

it

to left vmtil

comes to the second spoke to the

it

right of the one

first

doubled around.

It

is

brought around

this spoke, thus

making the beginto the

ning of a doorway, which has an unused spoke in

the centre of
it.

The weaver then returns

it

spoke

it

first

doubled around, where

This
is

doubles
is

back again.

repeated until the doorway

an inch and a quarter high.

in No. 2 rattan are then

Two rows
all

of pairing

woven
drawn

the

way around,
and
closer

forming a firm top for the doorway, where they

cross
it.

The spokes

are

in closer

Basket Weaving

51

with rows of pairing in

raffia, until,

when an inch
top.

and a

half has been woven, they

left

meet at the

The

ends of the spokes are

uneven lengths and

of raffia threaded

bound around with a strand

through a tapestry needle.

loop to hang

it

by

is

made

of

two strands of
in the centre

raffia, five

and a

half inches long, covered close with

raffia.

buttonhole stitch in
of the

The spoke

doorway should be cut

at the lower part of

it

the opening, just above the weaving, and after

has been wet until quite pliable

it

is

bent and

pressed up between the weaving beside the upper

part of the same spoke.

Knots with Raffia and Cord

CHAPTER

IV

KNOTS WITH RAFFIA AND CORD

Sailors' knots are of course fascinating to boys,

but

why

should not
the

girls

enjoy making them, too?

Think
bags
nets

of

dolls'

hammocks, the work

and twine
one
think
to
tie

ball

can
of

make,
being
good,
that
of

and
able

square knot
will

one

hold

instead

the

"granny

knots"

that brothers and boy

cousins laugh at!

Of course you know

how

to tie the simplest

all

knot of

the

one
Fig. 21

shown
us call

in Fig. 21.
it

Let

the loop knot, for

ends of a strand together to

made by tying the form a loop. You have

it is

56

Child's

Rainy Day Book

I

used

it

often for that purpose,

tie

am sure, and someYou can

raflfia

times to

two pieces

of string together.

make
sponge

pretty and useful sponge bag of

in the natural colour with this knot.

will

The wet
in

not

hurt
air

the

raffia,
it.

and

such

an open bag the

soon dries

Knotted Sponge Bag

Materials Required
:

25

A A

strands of raffia, length of No. 5 rattan, tapestry needle.

Roll a length of No. 5 rattan into a ring, as described on page 38, so that
it

can be soaked in

warm
pliable.

water

till

it

is

Cut

it

into

three pieces, each forty-

seven inches long.

Tie

an end of one of these

pieces into a ring seven

inches in diameter and

twist

the

long end in

and 'out
this
Fig. 22 (see

once
Fig.

around
22).

At row

the

end

of

this

the ends, where they meet, should overlap an inch.

If

they are longer, cut them

off

with a slanting cut

Knots with Raffia and Cord

57

and

tie

them

tightly together with a piece of raffia.

Two more
made with

rings, the

same

size as the first one, are

the other pieces of rattan.

Hang one
on a low
of raffia
21,

of the rings

where you can reach

it

easily,

bedpost, for example.

Double a strand

and

tie it

through the ring as shown in Fig.

close.

drawing the knot up quite

Twenty-two
Space them

strands are knotted on in this way.

along the ring about an inch apart, and, beginning

with any pair of strands,

tie

the right-hand one

with the nearest strand of the next pair on the

right,
first

making an even mesh

of knots.
will

at an inch
all

from the

row

Continue this

around the

ring,

when you

have made one row.

way.

Ten more

rows are knotted

of
all

in this

the strands straight

Then bring the ends down together and tie

them below the centre of the ring with a piece of The ends are cut off evenly at about two raffia.
inches and a half from where they were tied, to

form a

tassel.

The two other

the bag.

rings are used for the handles of

of

Lay one
come

them against the

ring at the

top of the bag so that the places where the rings

are tied will
together.

Thread a tapestry

needle with raffia and bind the rings together with

buttonhole stitch for an inch.

Then sew through

58

Child's

Rainy Day Book

binding
close
is

and

through
cut
ring

the

to
to

make
the
to

it

secure

and
other

the

end

ring.

The

handle

bound

the

opposite

side of the top ring in the

same way.

Doll's

Hammock
14 strands of raffia,

Materials Required:

A
Even simpler
doll's

tapestry needle.

to

make than
It is

the sponge bag

is

hammock

of raffia.

knotted in just the

same way.

Lay twelve strands of raffia evenly together. Bend them to find the middle, or "middle them,"
as

the

sailors

say.

Lay the
piece of

short
raffia

end of

another

on the middle of the twelve

with
its

strands,

tip

turning

toward the

left,

and wind the

long end round and round from

right
to
left,

binding

them
two

to-

gether for two and three-quarter

Fig.

inches.

Bring

the

ends

of this binding together to form

a loop, wind a strand of raffia tightly around

(see Fig. 23),

them
will

and

tie

the ends securely.

You

Knots with Raffia and Cord

59

then have twenty-four ends to knot together, two

and two, as the knots

in the

bag were made.

tie it to

Pin
a low

the loop on the cushion of a chair or

hook or

to the doorknob, so that

you can
is

pull the

strands taut.

The

first

row

of knots

tied

about
rows

two inches from the loop and

are only an inch apart.
of the

after that the

The

finishing of the edge

hammock is
done

of course different

from the bag.

It is

in this
left

way:

In starting the second

first

row of knots the

strand in the

pair

is

of

course left untied, and, after knotting the

across, the right strand of the last pair
free.
is

row

also left

When

the third row

left side of

is

started

the loose
is

strand on the

the

hammock

knotted

in with the left

first

one in the

pair of strands in this

(see

row

Fig.

24).

In

other words, the strands

which are

left

untied at

each side of the

hammock
the even
Fig. 24

when
sixth

the second, fourth,

and

all

numbered rows have been

knotted, are tied in with

the outside strands in the next uneven

numbered

row.

To make a hammock

for a little doll thirteen

6o

Child^s

Rainy Day Book

be enough.

rows of knotting

will

When

the last

row has been

last

tied bring the ends of the strands

together, start a

new

strand at two inches from the

row

of

knots,

and bind the ends together

tightly for

two

and. three-quarter inches to

make

loop like the one at the other end.

is

After the loop

finished cut the ends close to the binding,

and

with a tapestry needle threaded in the end of the

binding strand sew
secure
it,

it

through and through, to

close to the binding.

and cut

its

end

How

to

Tie a Square or Reef Knot

little

Once upon a time a

bundle of cookies by the

girl

was carrying a
the

string,

when suddenly
in

knot slipped and the cookies rolled

every direc-

FlG. 25

tion,

over the sidewalk and into the street.

If

the

baker's wife had instead

of that

known how
useless

to tie a square knot

"granny," the accident

Knots with Raffia and Cord

6i
if

would never have happened.

sure you will like to learn

wonder

you have

ever had an experience of this kind.

If so, I

am

how

to tie the ends of a

slip.

piece of string together so that they cannot

Take the ends

hand.
Cross

of a piece of string, one in each

them and bring the upper end down

Fig. 26

under the long end of the other piece

(see Fig. 25).

Now
the

turn

it

back

in the opposite direction

above

first

part of the knot, to

the other end

this
its

make a loop, and pass down through it (see Fig. 26). In

the string will

way each end of own beginning.

come out beside

Two
There
is

Hitches
will find

no simple knot that you

more
the

useful than the half hitch.

directions for
in Chapter II.

It is described in

making the game

of Floor Baseball

Two

of these half hitches, side

by

62
side,

Child's

Rainy Day Book

sailors

are

called

by

a "clove hitch."

In

making nets

this clove hitch is

used to attach the

Fig. 27

first

row

of

meshes to the top

line or

head rope, as

it is called.

Another use

for the half hitch is in the process

that sailors call "kackling" (see Fig. 27).

This

is

used to prevent two ropes from rubbing against

one another, or chafing.

basket or bag

beautiful handle for a

this knot.

may

be

made with

Knots with Raffia and Cord

63

Take two
if it is

pieces of rope

and some

light cord, or,

to be the handle of a basket, two pieces of

5,

heavy rattan, No.

be sure to soak

and some No. 00 rattan with

If

which to do the knotting.

it

you use the rattan

for ten

minutes in

warm water
by
side, lay

and choose a soft piece of the fine rattan for knotting.

Hold the heavy pieces

an end of the
fine

of rattan side

rattan upon them

at the middle

Fig. 29

Fig. 30

(see Fig. 28),

with

its tip

turning toward the

left,

and hold
right

it

there with the left hand, while with the

of

you bring the long end up and around both

then brought

the large pieces of rattan up and under the short

end

of the fine piece.

It is

down and

around the two large pieces of rattan and the end

is

passed

down through

the loop

made

in starting

the hitch (see Fig. 29).

tight

Draw

the tying strand up

and bring the long end up and around the and up under the loop
it left

large pieces of rattan

64

Child's

Rainy Day Book

in starting (see Fig. 30).

fine

Take care
will

to keep the
;

rattan wet so that

it will

it

be very pliable
tie it.

if it

dries

surely crack as

you

Net Making

If

you would
or

like

to

make
you

ping-pong
find
it

net

net
to

for

crabbing,

will

quite

easy

do

and very

interesting.

After

Fig. 31

you have made these small nets you may

like

feel

trying a tennis net

if

you have plenty

of

time and patience.

At a hardware
It
is

store

you can buy

If

tightly twisted

cord of the size you wish to use in making your net.

generally sold by weight.

you

are planning

to

make a ping-pong

or tennis net you will also

for the

need a heavy piece of cord

head rope.

crab net would of course be netted on to an iron

Knots with Raffia and Cord

ring attached to a long

65

wooden handle.

needle

such as
easily

is

shown

in Fig. 31

may

be made quite

by any boy who can whittle

have wound your cord on the needle,
the

When you
stretch

head rope taut between two con-

venient points, the backs of two chairs, for example,

and begin at the

it.

left

by tying one end

of the

cord to

Make a
to

loop the size you wish the

mesh
the

to

be and fasten
the

cord

head

rope with a clove hitch,

or
(see

two half
Fig.
32).

hitches

When
as

you
far

have
as

worked
side

you wish, get on

of

the

other

the

net

and and

work
all

back
of

Fig. 32

again.
meshes
fastening

This row
that

follow after are

made by
a
sheet
is

them
Fig.

to the
32).

upper row with

After
to

bend

(see

the

second row
side

finished

come around
the
third
it

the

other

again

and

knot

row.
to

When
a piece a

the
of

net

is

wide enough knot

size

rope
of

the
clove

of

the

head rope with

row

hitches.

66

Child's

Rainy Day Book

The Weaver's Knot

In weaving bead chains on a loom, and in
doing other things, you will often need to
tie

new

piece of thread or cord to a very short end.

for this pur-

The weavers have a knot they use

pose,

and

as

it

is

simple one perhaps you

would

like

to

learn

it.

Hold the old end

vertical
is,

in a

position
it

(that

as

if

were standthe
it,

ing

up),

lay
of

new
its

piece

back

short end turning toward

the
Fig. 3s

left

and reaching an
Bring

inch or more beyond the

vertical thread.

the long end around in front of the vertical thread,

up back

of its

own

short end on the left and across

2;^).

in front of the vertical thread (see Fig.

All

these threads are held in position

by

the fingers

and thumbs
end
of
it

of the left hand, while the right

hand

brings the thread around.

is

The

vertical

or old

now turned down through

the loop in front

and there held by the thumb, while with the

Knots with Raffia and Cord

fingers of

67

both hands the long and short ends of

are pulled

the

new thread

up

tight.

Turk's

Head

There

is

a beautiful knot called by sailors a

Girls
will

"Turk's head."

find

that

they can
it,

make

the prettiest buttons imaginable with

Fig. 34

Fig. 35

using silk cord of any colour, and both boys and

girls will

enjoy making napkin rings of rattan with

a more open arrangement of the same knot.

To make

a button take a yard of cord, and at

it

about four inches from one end bend

into a

loop (like the one shown in Fig. 34), about half

an inch

across.

The long end should come above

Next make a second loop lying
left

the short one.

above and to the

of the

first

one

(see Fig. 35),

left in

bringing the long end under the short one

68
starting.

Child's

Rainy Day Book

is

The long end

then brought over the

left side of

left side of

the second loop, under the

the

first

loop, over the right side of the second

first

loop, to

under the right side of the

beginning,
inside of

and around
(see

the

the short end

Fig. 36).

This makes one

the

row,
of

or

beginning
If

the

button.

you
the

have a bodkin with a large

eye, the long

end

of

cord can
into
it

be

threaded
this will

and

make

the
Fig. 36

work easier. The next row follows the

one
exactly

first
it

close to

and always on the

inside.

When

the cord has

followed in this

way

four times, to complete four

rows (keeping the button

form always in mind

and moulding the cord into that shape), a firm

little

button will have been made.

Napkin Ring
Material Required
:

length of No. 4 rattan.

With a

piece of rattan in the natural colour

or a length of coloured rattan you can

make

At the top of the plate is the beginning of a ping-pong net. Below it at the right is the Turk's-head knot. Still lower the knotted raffia work bag hangs. On the left is swung a doll's hammock of knotted rafha and above it a rattan napkin ring^ made with the Turk's-head knot

Knots with Raflia and Cord

useful

69

and very pretty napkin ring by following

the directions just given, with only one change.

In beginning the second row (shown in Fig. 36),

the long end
is

brought to the

left

or outside of

the short end and continues around on that side.

Five rows

may

the ring form in

wet and
ring,

pliable

be made instead of four. Keep mind all the time, have the rattan and mould it into the shape of a

keeping the top and bottom as nearly the

size as possible.

same

Green Raffia Work Bag

Materials Required:

A A A

bunch of green raffia, length of No. 5 green rattan, tapestry needle.

A
When
heavy

Tapestry Needle
little girl

your mother was a

her mother

used to make with linen twine a kind of coarse,

lace

called

macram^.

One

of

the knots

she used was called "Solomon's knot," and that

is

the one you will use

if

you decide

to

make
will

this

work bag.
of raffia,

length of No. 4 rattan and a bunch

both in a soft shade of green,

be

needed.

These you can buy of a dealer in basket

Twist three rings
like

materials for a few cents.

70

Child's

Rainy Day Book

those for the upper edge and handles of the sponge

bag described

in

the

first

part of this chapter.

Hang one
seated.

of these rings so that

on a low bedpost or on a
it

hook placed
around the

you can reach

easily

Take two strands

ring,

of raffia, double

when them

and with the four ends thus

made

tie

a Solomon's knot as follows:

taut.

Hold the

two upper strands straight and

Bend the

Fig.

37

Fig. 38

tinder strand
(see Fig. 37),

on the

left

across

them

to the right

and bring the under strand on the

end of the
left

right over the

strand, back of the

middle strands and through the loop made by

the
left
is

strand

in

starting.

Another

pair

of

strands
until
ring.

knotted on in the same way, and another,

are

there

twenty-two groups around the

Starting

anywhere on the

ring,

the

two

strands on the right of a group are brought beside

Knots with Raffia and Cord

the two on the
left of

71

the next group to the right.

The middle
straight
left are tied

pair of these four strands are held

down, while the strands on the right and

upon them

in a

Solomon's knot.

This
first

knot should be half an inch from those in the

row.

Make
is

a double knot this time as follows:

After tying the knot (shown in Fig. 37), ta,ke the

end which
tied,

on the right
over to the

after the first

left,

knot has

bring

it

above the middle^

left

strands,

and bring the one on the

down over

the end of the strand which was on the right,

back of the two middle strands and up through

the loop
38).
left in

starting the right strand (see Fig.

is

The whole row

made

in this

way.

Ten

rows are knotted, each one about half an inch

from the row above.

The bag

is

finished in the

same way
silk of

as the sponge bag, with a tassel

If

and
with

two handles.

you choose you can

line it
if it is

the same colour as the rafha, or,

to be

used for a duster bag or to hold grandmother's

knitting,
it will

not need a

lining.

what

a Child

Can Do with Beads

CHAPTER V
WHAT
A CHILD CAN DO WITH BEADS

Long, long ago when the world was young,

the child
for

who wished
little

for a

gay and pretty necklace

berries

her

brown throat strung

and

seeds or pieces of shell and bone that her father

ground smooth by hand and pierced

For thread there were grasses and
or sinews of deer.

for stringing.

fibres of plants

Indian children sometimes used beads of clay,

and

so did the little Egyptians, for the fine clay

river Nile

by the

made

beautiful beads, as well as

of

pottery.

The

children

the

North

the

little

Esquimauxhad beads
like the teeth of

of amber,

and the Indian

tribes farther south strung shells that look so

much

animals one can hardly believe

else.

they are anything

Natural History
this is so.

Look

for

them

at the

Museum and you

will see that

Nowadays
of beads

there are of course

many more
and

kinds
silver,

beads

of glass, china, gold

76

Child's

Rainy Day Book

stones.

and

even

of

semi-precious

After

all,

though, the child

who

lives in the

country or by

the sea can gather the most interesting kind of

all

such

as were strung

by those

children

who
store"

lived so long ago

seeds,

berries, shells

and sea-

weed.

Gather them on a sunshiny day and

for use in the dull hours

them away

when you

are

obliged to be indoors.

The
pierce;

seeds of

muskmelons

are soft

enough to

watermelon seeds

will

take more effort

are the orange
of holly.

and a stronger needle.

berries of bittersweet

Then there

and the red ones

Haws or hawthorn
and perhaps you
a

berries are a beautiful red, too,

will find in a neighbour's

garden

bush

of

Job's

tears

gray,

white or brown.

The

grape-like seaweed which bursts with a

when you

step on

it

pop makes very pretty beads.

stem on each
side of the
still

Cut each one close to the bulb, yet far enough to

leave a short piece of the

bead.

Pierce the bulbs while they are

wet,
will

and

after they

have dried

for a

few days they

flax seeds,

be ready to string.

Apple and

beans

and peas before they have

beads.

dried,

make

excellent

A
in

few of the small glass beads which

come

bunches

may

be used with these natural

beads, and will set

them off wonderfully.

Although

What a Child Can Do with Beads

they
to

77

are

usually

sold

in bunches,

eight skeins

bunch,

the

skeins

can

sometimes
crystal

be

bought
of

separately.
size

Olive-green
dealers
berries,
call

beads
are

the

that

No.

3-0

beautiful

with

red

and what could be

tears

prettier to string with

brown seeds or Job's

muff or fan.

than gold-lined crystal beads? Let us use

in

them

making a chain

for a

Muff Chain
Materials Required:

in

Brown and Go id

12

brown seeds or Job's tears, bunch of gold-lined crystal beads,

No. 3-0,

A spool of No. 60 A No. 5 needle.

Have you ever
It

white linen thread,

seen any Job's tears

the

inter-

esting tear-shaped seeds of an East Indian grass?

grows very well in

this climate,

and you

may

like to raise it yourself.

Think

of being able to

pick beads from a plant of your own!

Be

careful to boil these beads before stringing,

for a little

grub sometimes lives in them, and he

may

appear when you least expect him or

may

even make a meal of the thread on which the

beads are strung.
If

tears, apple seeds will

you have not the Job's look almost as well, or you

yS

Child's

Rainy Day Book

allspice.

can buy at the grocer's whole

No.
5

Use a

needle and a piece of No. 60 white linen

thread four inches longer than you wish the chain

to be
is

when

it is

finished;

two yards and a quarter

a good length.

String a seed and

draw

it

down

to the middle of

the thread,

then string some of the gold-lined

crystal beads for about three-quarters of an inch.

seed

is

next threaded on, and then quarter of

an inch of gold-lined beads.

first

Keep on

in this

way,

threading a seed and then quarter of an inch

of gold-lined beads, until there are only

of the thread to
left.

two inches

Tie this end through a bead

keep

the

others

from slipping

off.

Thread

your needle with the other end of the strand and

start

by

stringing

three-quarters of an inch of

the gold-lined beads, then a seed and quarter of

an inch of gold-lined beads.

the strand has been strung

When

this

end of
the two

was

to

just

as

the other

within two inches of the

tip, tie

ends together and the chain

Raffia
Materials Required
:

is finished.

and Bead Chain

strands of rose-pink raffia, of large rose-pink crystal
beads,

A bunch
2 fine

darning needles.

What a Child Can Do

ivith

Beads
is

79 of

Another pretty and simple chain

large rose-pink crystal beads strung

made

on pink

raffia

or you can use seeds or

berries
in

instead of the crystal beads,

which case the

to be split.
raffia

raffia

will

have
of

Tie
at

the

strands

together
of

one end,
other

and
ends

on

each
a

the

thread
String

fine

darning

needle.

one

bead, then pass both

a
single

needles

through

bead

and through another and another

(see

Fig.

38a).

Two
on

beads are
strand

then
(see

slipped
Fig.

each

38a).

Next both
the

needles pass through three beads,

and
chain.

so

on
Tie

to

end of the
securely.
Fig. jSa

the

ends

Double Chain of Seeds and Beads

Materials Required
:

bunch
E,

of

crystal

beads,

letter

25 large beads of a deeper shade or

the

same
of

number
No.
60

of

seeds

or

berries,

A
A

spool
thread,

white

linen

No.

needle.

8o

Child's

Rainy Day Book

double chain like the one shown in Fig 39 may-

be made of crystal

beads strung with seeds or

beads
of

larger

a
off

deeper
a piece

shade.
of
60,

Measure
linen

white

thread, No.

double

the

length you

wish the chain to be.

Three
will

yards twenty-two inches

make
size.

chain

sixty-five
is it

inches long, which

a good

In one end of
5

thread

a No.
large

needle and string one

or
seed,

bead,

which
to

should be pushed
the

down

middle
it

of

the

strand.

Here
it

may
and
then

be tied, to hold

in place.

Next
a

string

two

inches

half

of

beads,

another

large

bead, or seed, and so on to

the end of the strand, where the tip
Fig. 39 last
is

tied

through the

bead.

The other end

is

of the strand

then threaded

and two inches and a half

strung,

of the

beads are
the

the

needle

passes

through

next


What a Child Can Do with Beads
large

8i

bead on the end

So

first

strung (see Fig 39),

of the

and two and a half inches more

threaded,
it

E beads

are

goes on to the end of the chain

the needle always passing through the next large

bead on the strand already strung,

after

two inches

and a

half of

beads have been threaded.

Braided Raffia Chain

Materials Required:

strands of pale green raffia, 66 darker green crystal beads, No.

3

o.

A
little

braided

raffia

chain with a cluster of three

is

crystal beads every few inches

girl

so simple that

any

Can

make
will

it.

Choose pale green

raffia

and

beads of a deeper

shade,
like

and
clover

it

look

leaves

on

their

stems.

String

twenty-two of the green

crystal beads. No. o size,

on a strand of

split raffia.

On
of

two
beads.

other

strands

thread the same number

Tie
the
thin

end of each piece around

the last bead, so that
it

Fig

40.

82

Child's
slip
off.

Rainy Day Book

are
all

cannot
gether.

The other ends

hook

tied to-

Now
it

j)in

the knot securely to a cushion,

at a convenient height

or

tic

to a

and

braid the three strands together closely and evenly

for

about two inches.

Then

slip

a bead

from each piece up

braid
it

close to the
in Fig. 40.

work and
This will

in as

shown
leaf.

make
inches

a clover

After braiding two

more

slip

another bead on each

strand up close to the work and

make

another

leaf.

When

it is

finished tie the

ends together securely.

A
Materials

Daisy Chain

Required

Half a bunch of olive green opaque beads, No. 3-0, Half a bunch of milk white beads, No. o, I skein yellow crystal E beads, A spool of No. 60 white linen thread, A No. 5 needle.

Next best
daisy
is

to

making a
-

chain
string
this
last

out

of

doors

to

one of beads.

And
will
Fig. 41

rainy-day chain
as

many months
chain

as

the

real

would

What
hours.
First

a Child
string

Can Do with Beads

sixteen

83

green

beads,

then

eight white ones.

Run

the needle

down through
Next
This

the

first

white bead and string a yellow one.

fifth

pass the needle through the

Fig.

white bead (see

tightly.

41)

and draw the thread up

daisy.

makes a
one.

String

another stem of sixteen

first

green beads and

make

a daisy as you did the

is

The whole chain

strung in this way.

Chain

of

Watermelon Seeds Strung With Beads

120 fresh watermelon seeds, bunch of pink crystal E beads,
spool of No. 60 white linen thread,

Materials Required:

A A A

No.

needle.

chain that

is

very pretty and effective

may

be

made with watermelon

seeds and pink crystal

beads, the colour of the inside of a watermelon.

The seeds can be pierced

needle.

quite easily with a No. 5

Take two

pieces of white linen thread,

well waxed, the length

you wish the chain

to be,

and two needles.

string four

Tie an

E bead on
side

the end of

each piece of thread.

Lay them
left

by

side

and

more E beads on the strand

at the right.

Pass the needle on the

up through the three

(see

middle beads of the

five

on the right strand

84
Fig. 42),

Child's

Rainy Day Book

Next thread
in the
it

and string one more E bead.

a seed on each strand and string the

E beads
So

same way.
on
for the

goes

whole length

of the chain.
If

you

are

fond of

playing

Indian

and
cos-

have no Indian
tume,

you

ought to

be happy.

That seems

a strange thing to say,

but the reason

is

this:

You can have

tume
learn
yourself,

all

the

fun of making a cos-

you can
do
it

how
it is

to

in

the
Fig. 42

Indian way, and

finished it
like

after
will

be far more

the

dress

worn by Western Indians than those that are

made.
belt.

sold ready

Suppose we begin with the

It is

woven on a loom not an Indian loom, which, as perhaps you know, was a bow strung with several strings which served as the warp threads
for the belt or chain.

Possibly you have a loom of

What a Child Can Do with Beads

your own and know how to use
it;

85

but

if

not you

can either buy one for twenty-five or

or,

fifty cents,

what

ple,

make one yourself. A simgood loom may be made from a cigar box.
is still

better,

A Home Made
Materials Required:

Bead Loom

An
4

oblong cigar box, about 2^ inches

deep,

small sticks of wood 2^ inches long and J-inch square,

16 |-inch screws, 6 small screw eyes, 6 tacks,

A A A

sharp knife, screw driver,

hammer, Sand paper.

is

Choose a good strong cigar box, one that

shallow, and

quite

remove the cover.

Rule a

line

one

inch from the bottom of the box on each long side

and draw a sharp knife across the

until the

line several

times

upper part separates easily from the lower

it.

without injuring
with sandpaper.

Smooth the tops

of the sides

Fasten each of the small sticks of

it.

wood
This

inside a corner of the box, to strengthen

is

how

it is

done.

Drive one of the half -inch

screws up from the bottom into the end of the

stick,

another into

it

through the

side,

and two,

86

Child's

Rainy Day Book

one near the top and one lower down through the

end

of the box, into the stick.

On

the outside of

the box at one end six round-headed tacks are

driven in a row an inch and a half from the top and

about three-quarters of an inch apart.

Drive six

screw eyes in the same position on the opposite

side.

Cut a row of notches on the top of each end

about one-sixteenth of an inch apart,

of the loom,

and deep enough to hold a thread.

then ready for weaving.

The loom

is

Chalk-white beads are

much used by
work

the bead-weaving Indians like the

Sioux and Winnebagos, especially for the groundof their belts.

Let us choose them for the

background

of the belt

and weave the design

in

Indian red and blue.

Indian Bead Belt

Materials Required
:

4 skeins each Indian red

bunch chalk white beads, No. 3-0, and dark

I I

blue beads, No. 3-0, spool No. 60 white linen thread, spool No. 90 white linen thread,

A A

No. 12 needle,
piece of wax.

Cut twenty-two pieces of No 60 linen thread about

.

six inches longer

than 3^ou wish your belt to

slip it

be.

Tie

a loop at one end of each piece and

over the

What a Child Can Do with Beads

round-headed tacks at one end of the loom.

87

Bring

the long ends one at a time through twenty-two

of the notches at the top of the

loom and stretch

them
eyes.

across to the notches in the opposite end.

Draw them

them through the screw These make the warp threads for the belt.
taut and
tie

U^ u u (^ <^mm^lm(fimii

ul. (^l t

l t L.^mmmmh

Fig. 43

As you
This

will

vSee

by the pattern, the

belt

is

twenty-

one beads wide and you have twenty-two threads.

is

so that there will be a thread

on each

side

Thread the needle with No. 90 white linen thread. Tie one end of it to the warp
of every bead.

thread on the

left (as

you hold the loom with the


88
Child's

Rainy Day Book

end on which arc the screw eyes toward you).

Bring the needle out to the right below the warp
strands, string twenty-one white beads

and press

them up between the warp strands, so that one bead Run the will come between every two threads.
needle back from right to
left

through the beads,

making sure that

it

goes above the warp threads.

This makes one row.

The whole

belt

is

woven

in

the same way, except that

when
first

the figure begins

the beads should be strung according to the pattern.

For example, in making the

tern

row

of the pat-

shown

in Fig. 43,

you
rows

will string nine

white

beads, three Indian-red ones and nine more of the

white.

The next

tw^o

will

be the same, and

then you

will string six

white beads, three Indian-

red, three blue, three Indian-red,

and

six white.

Wax

the thread you weave with, so that the sharpwill

edged beads
fuls use the
lets are

not cut

it.

In joining

new

needle-

weaver's knot shown on p. 66.

in the

Armto

woven
forty

same way, but much wider

wide

about
go

beads
the

and
part
of

long
of

enough
arm.

around

upper

the

Tie

them together with

in

strips

chamois, knotted
strands.
also

with

the ends

of

the

warp

bands, bracelets
this

and chains are

Head woven in

way.

What a Child Can Do

with Beads
Shirt

89

Bead Wrought Indian

Materials Required:
i

large chamois skin,

2
I

smaller chamois skins,

A
J ^
^

spool white linen thread, No. 90, No. II needle,

bunch dark blue beads. No. 4-0, bunch Indian red beads, No. 4-0, bunch white opaque beads, No.
4-0,

28 large Indian red opaque beads.

Although

this

shirt
it

and

the

moccasins

and

leggings that go with

are so simple to

make, you

are almost sure to need the help of your

mother

or governess in planning and cutting them.

shirt
is

The
it

the size for a child of seven or eight, but

fit

can easily be enlarged so as to

or fourteen.
Fig. 44,
It is
is

boy

of twelve

made by

the pattern
scale of

shown

in

which

drawn on the
large

one inch

to a foot.

One
will

chamois skin and two of

medium

size

be needed.

Double the large

skin lengthwise to cut the upper part of the shirt.

This should be ten inches deep and a yard wide.

Cut at the centre a

the neck.

slit

about nine inches long for

sleeves.

The ends form the

Lay the

two smaller skins together and cut from them the lower portion of the shirt. The back and front
are alike, each measuring nineteen

mches wide

at

90
the
top,

Child's

Rainy Day Book

twenty-two inches at the bottom, and

fifteen inches deep.

Make

a pencil

mark

at the

centre of each lower edge of the upper part and

one at the middle of the top of both of the lower

pieces.

Turn up an inch

at

each lower edge of

mMimiMm
Fig. 44

the upper part of the shirt and baste the doubled

edge of one side against the top of one of the lower

parts, keeping the pencil

marks

at the middle of

each together.

Sew

the edges together over and

over with No. 90 white linen thread.

side in the

Join the other

of

same way.

The overlapping edges

What a Child Can Do with Beads

91

the upper part of the shirt should be kept on the

right side.

Sew

the sides of the shirt together

with a row of backstitching, four inches

from the edge.

The
a

edges are cut into a

fringe

four

and

half inches deep at

the

ends

of

the
three

sleeves

and

inches on the sides

and bottom
shirt.

of the

Fig. 45

The
also

edges
into
of

of

the upper part which hangs over the lower

cut
a

are

short

fringe.

Work two
half

narrow bands

bead embroidery round the neck,

also

and

if

you

like

you can

work a band

way

down

the lower part of the shirt and one near the

Fig. 46

lower edge just above the fringe.

in this

They

are

made

way:

Thread a No.

11 needle

with white

92
linen thread

ChikVs Rainy

Day Book
at the other end.

and make a knot

Start at the right of the neck close to the edge.

Bring the needle through to the outside of the

Fig. 47

shirt.

String four beads, press

them down

close

to the shirt
inside.

and bring the needle through

neck opening.

to the

This makes a stitch which runs up and

down
it

at right angles with the

Bring

the needle out again on a line with the place where

went

in

and
it

close beside

it,

string four

more
This

beads, bring
left of

up and run

it

in again just at the

(see Fig. 45).

where the work began

Fig. 48

simple stitch

is

the one that

is

most used by the

buckskin
shirts,

Indians

in

embroidering

their

leggings and moccasins.

String different colours,

What
according
for
this

a Child

Can Do
pattern.

with Beads

93

to

the
are

Several
in
Figs.

designs
46,

work
If

shown
to

47
shirt

and
still

48.

you
cut

wish
strips

decorate

the

more,

of

chamois
five

about

quarter of an inch wide and

pierce

inches

long,
at

row
of

of

holes,

two
and

together,

intervals
across
strips

an

inch
(sec

three
44),

quarters
the
tic

the
of

shirt

Fig.

bring

chamois
String

through
a
large

them an d
Indian-red
to

them

once.

bead
from

on each end and

falling off.

tie

knot

keep

it

Indian Leggings

Materials Required:

small chamois skins, I bunch dark blue beads, No. 4-0, \ bunch Indian red beads, No. 4-0,
2

bunch white opaque beads, No.

4-0,

A A

spool of No. 90 white linen thread,

No.

II needle.

Nothing could be easier to make than Indian

leggings,
little

and you can put as much work or

as

as

you choose

into

the

embroidery.

Cut

from two small chamois skins two pieces

in the

94

Child's

Rainy Day Book

Sli
Is

Fig. 49

shape

shown

in

Fig.

49.

They
at

should

each

be eight and three-quarters

inches

the

lower edge,
at

twelve

inches

the

top

and

twelve
shown
and

high.
in

The
50
effect-

design
will
ive,

Fig.

be simple and

narrow
in

bands
51

like those

Fig.

may

be worked
that
the
o
f

along the edge

laps

over and across

Six

bottom.

strands
eight

chamois
long
the

about
are

inches
Fig.

brought
on

50

through

leggings

What a Child Can Do

with Beads

95

each side at an inch from the edge.

the fastenings.

These form

Fig. 51

Beaded Moccasins
medium-sized chamois skin, bunch dark blue beads, No. 4-0, ^ bunch Indian red beads, No. 4-0, ^ bunch white opaque beads. No.
i

Materials Required:

4-0,
I

spool No.

25 white linen thread,

A
I

No.

3 needle,

A
To make

spool No. 90 white linen thread, No. II needle.

the pattern for these moccasins you

need only stand on a sheet of brown paper and

draw with a

pencil around your bare foot so as

to get its exact size

and natural form.

it

Cut the

pattern out and take

cut from
it

to a shoemaker,

who

will

a pair of leather soles.

The uppers
difficult

you can cut from a paper pattern copied from the

shape shown in Fig.
to plan
52.
It will

not be

them

to

fit

the soles, for you have only to

96

Child's

Rainy Day Book

of

measure the distance around the outer edge

the soles and

make

the uppers measure about an

inch more along the outer edge, to allow for the

seam

at the

back and

for a little fulness across

the toe.
in

Work them
design,

some simple
the

like

one shown

in Fig. 53.

A
is

pretty

beaded edge
with
is

made
which
the

stitch

very
used

like
in

one

work-

ing the

bands.
a 90
needle

Thread
with

No.

white

linen
bring
Fig. 52
it

thread

and

through
to

the top of the moccasin

close

the

edge
small

Fasten the end

stitches.

by taking two or three

six

String

beads

of

colour

used
needle the

in

working
the
out,

the

bands
from
a

and
the

bring
inside
of

the
of

through

edge

moccasin

about

quarter
the

an

inch

from

the

beginning,

making

stitch

shown

in Fig. 54.

Before starting the next stitch

What a Child Can Do with Beads

pass
first

97

the
one.

needle

under
the

the

fr>a)>"-:::?:^:tr<i*>?5

Work
of

whole

upper
in
this

edge

the

moccasin
stitch
it

way,

then
the

together
ing

up

back,

makof

"f*W
ffm

seam a quarter
wide.
It

an
be

inch

should
inside
side

R
>-!--> -r-

stitched

on

the
right

and
out.

then

turned

2' -n T

~)~i~

The
to

uppers
the
soles

are

stitched

on
3
T^ 2E!HSS~ ^ ->">->-><-% **
"

with

No.

needle and a well-waxed piece

of white linen thread,

gSffK

"

->

T
"

"

"5

"<

n Trr? ^-t-

.--) --r> --)-)

No.

25.

Fig. 53

Should

this

prove too hard work

Fig. 54

98

Child's

Rainy Day Book

for small fingers the moccasins

may

be taken to

a shoemaker to

finish.

Bead Wrought Silk Bag

Materials Required:

A
I

piece of silk or ribbon, 5 inches

wide by yf inches long,

bunch of crystal beads. No. 4-0, the same colour as the silk, skein of No. 4-0 beads of a conspool of letter A sewing silk of the same colour as the silk, No. 1 1 needle, yard of inch-wide ribbon the colour of the silk.

trasting colour,

A A A
The

daintiest

little

silk

bag

may

be

made by

any small daughter

aunt to carry a
treasure.

for

mamma

or a dearly-loved

bit of lace

work or some other

in a pale

piece of soft ribbon five inches wide

and seven and three-quarters inches long

shade of lavender makes a charming bag.

net-

work

of lavender crystal beads of the

same shade,

with a pearl or gold-lined crystal bead at the

point OT each

diamond-shaped mesh, gives the

Start

finishing touch of daintiness (see Fig. 55).

by threading
silk

a fine needle with a piece of sewing

the colour of the bag.

Fasten the end by

left side

taking one or two small stitches near the

What a Child Can Do with Beads

of the strip of silk at

99

about two inches from the

lower edge.

String six lavender beads, one pearl

stitch

and seven lavender beads, and take a

with

quarter of an inch from the beginning and on a

line
it.

Now

run the needle down through

Fig. 55

the last bead strung (see Fig. 56), and string six

more lavender beads, one

Another
stitch
is

pearl

and seven lavender.

made

a quarter of an inch from

is

the last one, the needle

last bead,

run down through the

and

it

goes on in this

way

until a

row

has been

made

across the piece of

silk.

The bag

lOO
is

Child's

Rainy Day Book

then stitched up the sides and around the bottom

on the wrong side and turned right side out.

Bring the needle attached to the beadwork

down

through the six lavender

beads and
o.^e,

one pearl
left

at the

side of the first

half

diamond made,
six

and string
ender,

lav-

one pearl

and six lavender beads. Pass the

Fig.

56

needle

through
pearl bead

the

next
the right in the row above
six lavender,

on

and
six

string another

one pearl
half

and

lavender beads

to

make another

diamond.

So
all

it

goes

on around the bag.

the

This row and

the other

ones are only attached to the row above, not to

silk.

The
then

last

row

of netting should reach a

little

below the bottom of the bag.

is

twisted

fringe

made

as follows:

Run

the needle

down through the beads on the left side of first mesh in the row just finished, through
pearl bead at the point,

the

the

and

also pass

it

through the
lies

pearl bead on the back of the bag which

just

What a Child Can Do

beneath
it.

with Beads

loi

String

thirty

lavender

beads

and

pass the needle up through the beads on the right

side of the first

mesh and down again through

side

those on the

left

of the

second mesh.

It

runs through the pearl bead at the point of the

mesh and the one under

String thirty

it

at the

back

of the bag.

more beads and

made.

twist the thread

on

which they are strung once around the right side

of the loop just

The next loop

is

made

in

the same

way

passing the needle up through the

left

beads in the right side of the second mesh, down

through those in the

side of the third one,

at'

and through the pearl bead

the point of the

it

mesh
back.

at the front

and the one below

at the

Thirty more beads are then strung.

this fringe all across the

When
bottom
it

you have made

of the bag, fasten the

end of the

silk

by sewing

two or three times through the bottom

bag.

of the

Finish the

top of the bag with drawing

strings as follows:
of
it.

Turn

in a

hem

three-quarters

an inch wide at the top of the bag and baste

Hem

it

around neatly with the lavender sewfor the

ing silk and

to

make a casing run through, by putting

hem.

drawing strings

a row of backstitching

little

over a quarter of an inch above the bottom

of the

There should be two

little

holes

made

I02

Child's
side of the

Rainy Day Book

of the

on each hem.

bag on the outside

hem

between the stitched seam and the bottom of the

They

are

put there so that the ribbon

drawing strings can run into the casing.

You

can make them with an ivory or metal piercer

called a stiletto, or

any other

tool that has a sharp

round point.
holes
is

The neatest way

to

finish

these

to

sew the edges over and over with a

silk.

needleful of sewing

Half a yard of narrow

ribbon should be allowed for each drawing string.

Thread

it

in a bodkin, or

ribbon needle, which

is

run into one of the holes at the side of the bag, through the casing at the lower part of the hem,
all

around the bag and out of the hole beside the

it

one where

went

in.

Now

tie

the ends of this the

drawing string together, thread

through the bodkin and run
it

other one

into a hole

on the
all

opposite side of the bag, through the casing

around the bag and out

the one where
are also tied,
it

of the little hole beside

went

in.

The ends
is

of this piece

and then the bag

done.

Clay Working

CHAPTER

VI

CLAY WORKING

Have you
one road
will

ever noticed how,

when

it

rains,

dry at once, and on another your

footprints will hold the water like a cup for hours?

Do you know
particles

the reason for it?

filters

The

first

road

is

sandy, and so the water

through the coarse

and soon disappears.

is

The other
fine,

is

mostly

of clay, which
foot

close

and

and

after

your

made that little hollow it was doubtless half baked by the sun so that it became like natural You probably know all this, and have pottery. felt with your own fingers the difi;erence between
the sand, in which you have built forts and dug

with your shovel in the summer and played with

on the kindergarten sand table

soft,

in winter,

and the

smooth clay that you have formed

and other things
years ago, before

into bird's

nests, eggs

in kindergarten.

Years and

our great-greatof,

great-grandfathers were

even
105

thought

some

man

noticed the same thing that you do

that one

io6

Child's

Rainy Day Book

it it

part of the earth held water for hours, while

disappeared so quickly from other parts

set

and

him

thinking.

Why

not

make
is

a bowl in which

he could carry water when he was travelling or

hunting in dry places?

wise

This

the way, some

men

think,

the

making

of pottery began.

Cups and small

bowls and jars
be formed
in

vessels could easily be

clay,

moulded

from small lumps of

but large pieces

great
to

it

was soon found would have

moulds

a mould.

Shallow baskets, pieces

in

of gourd or fruit rind, were the

which

these large pots were started.

In beginning the bottom, either a small piece of

clay

was patted was

flat

into a

form

like

a cookie and
else a strip

fitted into the

bottom

of the

mould, or

of clay

coiled

round and round into a mat

shape, working the coils together with the fingers.

The
of
tools

sides

were almost always built up with

then,

coils

clay,

with the fingers and some rude

bits
shell

of smooth stones, gourd they were smoothed and

or pieces of

polished.

Soon

the potters began to decorate their vessels with

patterns cut or pressed into the

damp

clay and
fine

even painted them with coloured clay, ground

and mixed with a

liquid.

The clay objects you

enjoyed making in kindergarten were not very


Clay Working
strong.

I07

bowl or cup that

is

moulded from such

It

clay will not hold water for very long either.

will

soon soften and

fall

to pieces.

That

is

what

happened

to the first clay bowls

and cups.

If clay is

baked

in the

sun

it

becomes a

little

harder and more useful

first

but
if

not

much

so

the
their

clay workers found that they

must bake

clay pots

more thoroughly

they were to be

really strong.

Some

of

the old potters

like
Indians
vessels
fire,

the

Catawba
their

baked

before

the

and

as the clay
-piG.

they used was very

57

good they found

it

made them hard enough. In other potters made a bed of bark, set fire baked the pot until when it came out
hot.

tribes

the

to
it

it

and

was red

At

first

the clay workers used the clay just

it,

as they

found

but when they began to make

to cook in they

large pots

and cauldrons

found

that powdered shell or sand mixed with the clay

made them
baking.

stronger and less liable to crack in

The cooking

vessels

had almost always rounded

loS

Child's

Rainy Day Book

floors of

bottoms, because in those da^^s the

houses

were of sand or

soft earth into

which the rounded

Fig.

sS

bottoms would
These pots were
in position

set

and hold the pots upright. and kept

or sticks of wood.

set directly over the fire

by stones

Some

that had handles or flaring rims could be hung

over the

by cords or The Indians moulded

fire

vines.
all

sorts of things out of

clay besides

these utensils.

Drums were made

by stretching buckskin over the tops of earthen Then there were whistles and rattles, pots.
trowels, modelling tools, figures of

men and
of clay,

animals,
57,

and many toys

and
59.

like those

shown

in Figs.

58
so

Beads were

also

made

and

Clay Working

109

were tobacco pipes

in

have the face

of a

many man on

shapes.

One would

the bowl, another a

goat with open mouth, or a bird with its neck outstretched and bill parted, and on another the

bowl would be formed by a natural-looking snake

coiled

up

for a spring.

In time
to

men

learned

more about

clays
until

and how
now, as

mix and form and bake them,

po'ttery that
is

you know,
is

beautiful and serviceable

made

all

over the world, and in great factories

china and porcelain

made

of the finest clays are

moulded, decorated and fired for our use. It will be interesting to you sometime to see one of the
factories
it is

where such ware

is

made, but although

so fine

and smooth and perfect and so useful

Fig. 59

to us, I

doubt

if

the

workmen who make

it

have

half the pleasure in their task that the first potters

lid

Child's
in

Rainy Day Book

rough cooking utensils and
glad to think that although

had

moulding
So
I

their

clay pipes.

am

you may never be

able to

make

china,

you can

Fig. 6o

work
you
that

in clay as the Indians

will

used to do, for that

enjoy far more.

like

Of course you would

to

make something
that
will

you

can

use,

something
like

not

crumble and break

in kindergarten.

the things
this

you modelled
need to get
potters
is

To do

you

will

a clay which can be baked

or

fired, as

express

it

and

you must have a clay that

as to

so

mixed or arranged

bake well

in the kiln (or

it.

pottery oven) to which you are going to send

If

you

live

near a pottery where flower pots or

Fig. 6

gray stoneware are

made you can probably

and
at
after

ar-

range to buy your clay there,

pottery
is

your

finished

have

it

baked

the

same

Clay Working
place.

III
at
fire

The
is

clay

that
so

is

used
to

a stoneware
at

pottery

arranged

as

much
will

greater heat than the flower-pot clay, and so the

ware

is

stronger,

but the

flower-pot

ware
will

be strong enough for the things you

make.

Fig. 62

Although

this clay

is

gray before

it

is

baked,

it

comes from the

kiln a beautiful Indian red.

You
fingers

will

not need

many
One

tools beside

your own
modelling

and

thumbs.

boxwood
(see

tool the shape

shown

in Fig. 60,

and another with

Fig.

more
will

flattened

and rounded ends

61)

be enough to begin with.

These you can buy

Later you

at a kindergarten-supply store.

may

112

Child's

Rainy Day Book

in Figs.

need the sheet-steel tools shown

63.

62 and

Dealers in hardware

sell

the sheet steel, and

it

these tools can easily be cut from

doubtless
in

the dealer will do

it

for you.

Buy

fifteen or
if

twenty pounds of clay at a time,

possible.
If
it

ready mixed
the dry state

comes to you

in

rock-like pieces

you must

first

Fig. 63

pound
laid

it

to a powder.

This 3^ou can do out of

doors by spreading the lumps of clay on a paper

on

flat

stone

and pounding them with a

smaller stone, or,

if it

must be done

in the house,

spread the clay on a strong bench or table and

pound

it

with an old

flatiron.

It is

now ready
mixing
it is it

for

soaking.

Put a

little

water in an earthen crock

to
it,

and add the powdered clay

consistency to mould.

with

your hand and adding clay until

If

the right

you

find

you have too

Clay Working

113
is
it

much
board

water, pour off some after the clay

if

well

mixed, and

it

is

still

too moist, spread

on a

in the air until it

has dried out sufficiently.

Keep the
Pour a

clay in an earthen crock with a cover.

little

water into

it

first,

just

enough to

moisten the bottom of the crock, and then put in

the clay.

When

it

is

to be left over night or a

longer time,

make deep

holes in the clay with your

into them.

thumb and pour water

cloth over
at
it

Lay a damp
top.
If

and cover with the earthen

dries out so that
it

any time

it

cannot be easily
it

moulded,
again and
If

let it

dry entirely, pound

as already described.

to

powder

mix

you

live in the

country the place to work with

clay will be in an outbuilding, a woodshed, barn

or workshop where there

is

a good strong table or

bench.
is

The best place

for a city child to

is

work
an

a playroom where there

a wooden

floor,

old table and nothing valuable to be

harmed with

clay or water;

or

light,

dry

cellar.

A
a

girl

should wear
a
pair
of

long-sleeved

apron

and

boy
and

overalls.

In

such

a workshop

costume you need not give a thought to clothes

or carpets.

Have

a pitcher of water and a small bowl for

the "slip"

or

clay thinned with water until

it


114
is

ChikVs Rainy

Day Book
is

about as thick as cream

itself.

which

almost as

important as the chiy

When you
of clay

are ready to l)cgin work, take a

fruit;

lump

about as large as a grape

it

pound and
Press
the

knead

on the
it,

table.
it

Next draw a strong wire

into

through

dividing

halves.

two outer surfaces together and knead out the air-holes which you will see on the inner surfaces.
Repeat
air

this process several tinics,

and

all

these

bubbles will finally be expelled.

Suppose you

begin with something simple

some tiny red buildfeel

ing bricks which will delight your small brother

perhaps even you

may

not

to old to enjoy

playing with such a "real" toy.

Building Bricks
Materials Required
:

About
2

pounds

of clay,

level boards, 15

by

20 inches.

yard of white cheesecloth,

rolling pin,

A A A
The

foot rule,
strong, sharp knife.

clay of which these bricks are

it

made should

be well kneaded, and

deal of
it.

should also have a great

what potters
is

call

"grog" mixed through

into

"Grog"

baked clay pounded

flower pot will do
if

small

pieces

an old

you are using

Clay Working
flower-pot clay.

115
it

Mixed with the unbaked clay

is, it

tempers

it,

that

makes

it less

likely to shrink

and crack
Cover a

in baking.

level

board with a
it

jjiece of

wet white
it.

cheesecloth and tack

the

securely

upon

Mould
it

lump

of clay into a square,

it

by hand, lay

on the board and pound

with the thick part of

roll

your hand into an irregular square cake, then

it

with a rolling pin

till it is

about three-eighths of
the

an inch thick.

Have ready another board

it

same
it

size

and covered with wet cheesecloth, lay

so that

on top of the clay sheet and reverse

the clay shall be transferred to this second board.

Roll

it

again

till

quite

smooth and

set

it

away

overnight.

The next day take a foot rule ,and a sharp pencil and mark the clay sheet into bricks, two inches long by an inch wide. Cut them out
with a strong, sharp knife, but do not
until they are thoroughly dry,
lift

them
be
in

which

will

three or four days.

They should then be

carefully

packed and sent to the pottery

to be fired.

A
Materials Required:

Clay Whistle

Ajncccofclayaboutthesizeofalemon,

The wooden modelling

tools,

A A

bowl of slip, pen knife.

ii6

CJiild's

Kdijiv

Pdv

Bi'i^k

The

Mexicans

mould

tiny

^vhistles

of

clay,

which are as

siniple as possible to
If

fascinating to own.

make and very you would like to make

some
for yourself :ind
is

your friends this

the

way
a

to

do

it

Mould

small

piece of clay

into a cup shape about

an

inch
-

across
of
it

and
an
in

three
Fig. 04

eighths

inch high.

Put

the air to drv for ten

minutes.

Xow

roll

piece

of

clay,

about the

same

size,

on the table with the palms of both

lightly, yet

hands (near the base of the thumb),

so as to

make
If
till

the clay

roll entirch"

around with

each push.
ure, pat
it

the roll flattens from too hard pressit

it

is

round again and

roll

it

until

is

of

even thickness
It is

about
is

quarter of an inch

in diameter.
it

then flattened evenly by patting

cut into a long point

with the fingers, one end

coil is

and the
side

started on edge with the narrow

clay,

up on the top of the cup of

first

whose rim

must

be wet with

slip.

Bend the upper edge

Hold the long end
of

of the roll of clay in quite a little, to follow the

shape shown

in

Fig.

04.

Clay
the
cL'iy siri[)
.'irif]

Wor
left

kind,

117

willi

the

hand,

wliilc;,

with the
h(;ld

tliumb

middle

i'\n'^('r

of the ri;(ht

hand

on each side of the

I^resses it

eoil to snj>]K>rt it,

the ff^refin^cr
th(.'

down
eoil

firmly on the tojj of

little

cup.

When

the

has

^^on(;

all

tin;

way around
fit

cut

the end into a

flat ])oint,

wliieh will

evenly in

with the

on(; at the;

bc^innin^, and press the edges

of the nail of your fore-

together with
finger
JJo
th(;

th(; flat j^art

lliis

wlicn^ the e(Jgcs of tlic coil

of

come

against
cup.
firm
of the

rim

the

Make quick and

yet
n.'iil

short

strokes

up and down,
and out.
for

inside tlxj euj>

Then

let

it

(]ry

short time, about ten or

fifteen minutes.

Roll
in

another
same
it,

coil

the

way and
edge
of
slip,

attach
the
clay

after

brushing
the

top

cup with

bending
coil

the top edge of the

in

Fig. 65

very decidedly so as

to leave only a small oi)ening at the top.

coil is

The

third

made

in

the

same way, but put on

so as to

ii8

Child's

Rainy Day Book

make

the sides go straight up hke the neck of a bottle

or vase.

One more

straight
is

coil

completes the

neck, and a piece of clay

top,

then put across the

closing

it.

After the whistle has dried for

is

an hour or more a triangular hole

cut with a
slit

knife in the lower part (see Fig. 65),

and a

in
It

the top.

hole

is

also

made

in the

bottom.

should then be thoroughly dried for several days

before sending
these whistles
are so easy to
it

to be fired.

Not every one

will

of

makes a good

clear sound, but they

mould that you

not mind one

finally

or

two unsuccessful attempts when you

that blows clear and
shrill.

make one

Clay Rattle
Materials Required
:

A A

piece of clay about the size of

an

orange,

bowl

of slip,
tools.

The modelling

The Indians used

one shown
in Fig. 66.

to

make
It is

clay rattles like the

like the whistle
is

formed

except that the cup-shaped piece which

starting

made

in

should

be

an

inch

and three-quarters

across and three-eighths of an inch high.

Roll the strips of clay as already described and

brush the edge of the cup-shaped piece with

slip

Clay Working
before attaching each
coil.

119

The handle should be

Before closing the end

about three inches long.

of
it

drop

in four or five clay pellets,

about the

Fig. 66

size of

small peas, which have been well dried in

the sun.

Then

seal it

with a piece of clay,

it

let it

dry for several days and send

be
fired.

to the pottery to

Birds' Drinking Dish

Materials Required:

About 2 J pounds of clay, The wooden modelling tools, The oval tools of sheet steel,

A A A A A
A

bowl of slip, low wide bowl,

small sponge,
knife,

ground glass slab about a foot

square,
cloth in
is tied.

which some ground

flint

120

Child^s
of the best

Rainy Day Book

to attract the birds
is

One

ways

to

have a drinking

dish,

wide and generous, always

This
is

ready for them on the lawn.

of course

taking for granted that you live at least a part of

the year in the countr}^
Isn't
it

delightful to

think that you can

make such
more

a dish with your

difficult

own hands?
will

It is a little

than the

other things you have made, but what of that

it

be worth the trouble

if

you can give a lawn

party to the birds every day!

quite a large dish,
to form
starting.
it

As

this is to

be

you

will

need to have a mould

in,

or at least to support the sides in

Choose some low, wide bowl or dish,

one about two inches high and ten inches across

the top.

Have ready some powdered

flint

tied
it

up

in a piece of cotton cloth in

3^ou

can buy
at

of

dealers

potters'

supplies

or

possibly

the
is

pottery where your clay work

is fired.

This

to

dust over the inside of the mould to prevent the

clay from sticking to
it.

Take a lump

of clay,

about two and a half pounds, knead and pound

it

until all the

air

bubbles are worked out.

is

small piece of the clay

then patted out with the

rolled

hands on a table or board and

a rolling pin until
it

smooth with

is

three-eighths of an inch

thick and about two inches wider than the bottom

Clay Working
of the

121
it

bowl you have chosen.

which has

Lay

in the

bottom

of the mould,

first

been dusted with

ground

flint.

Press the clay lightly but carefully

sides,

against the
fits

bottom and
them.

making sure that

it

close against

Then cut the top edge

tools.

even with one of the wooden modelling

With the same

the
like
coils
first coil

tool cut crisscross strokes in this

it

upper edge and wet

of clay,

with

slip, to
is

prepare

it

for

which

made and attached

These
an inch

those used in

forming the whistle.

should, however, be larger

all

about

wide and long enough to go

once.

around the bowl

Join every

coil

in the

same way, taking

beneath, and to
fingers
coil,

care to press each one against the sides of the

mould

as well as

upon the

coil

smooth the

inside of the
tools.

bowl with your

and the modelling

let

After attaching a

the bowl dry for ten or fifteen minutes

air,

in

the

unless

it is

a cold day.

Be
it

careful never

to let

your clay work freeze or

the bowl
it
is

will

be spoiled.

When
it will

about two inches and a half

to dry.
it

high set

away overnight
Turn
it

In the morning

have shrunk so that

will slip easily

out

of the mould.

bottom up on a table and

coils

wet the cracks between the

fill

with

slip,

then

them

in carefully

with clay of the same

stiffness


122
Child's

Rainy Day Book

is

as that of which the bowl

made.

Never put
is

water or wet clay on a piece of clay work that

almost dry, or
it will

crack.

After

it

has been set

it

away

for a

few hours to harden, make

smooth

and even

as follows:

First take the oval tool of

it

sheet steel with rough edges, hold

in

your right

hand, not straight but bent to

the outside of the bowl; with
it

fit

the curves of

scrape the large

humps away from

the sides of the bowl,

making

quick, light and short strokes in every direction

up, down, across and diagonally.

When

the largest

humps have been removed, go over the bowl in the same way with the smooth-edged oval tool. Then take a damp sponge, one from which the
water has
over
the
it

all

been squeezed, and pass

it

lightly
fingers.

bowl,

smoothing

it

with

the

Make

as

even and perfect as you can.

is

Next the bottom

an inch

to be finished.

Draw with

a pencil a circle on the

in

bottom
all

of the bowl, about

from the edge

around, and scrape,

with the sharpest wooden tool, a layer of clay out

of the

bottom within the

circle, so

that the outside

ring shall form a ridge about one-sixteenth of an

inch above
as even as

it.

Now

cut the top edge of the bowl

eye, using a knife.

you can by

Then
little

make

it

perfectly even in this

way:

Pour a

Clay Working

123

hold the bowl bottom up and move it firmly yet quickly round and round on the wet surface and then quickly
slab,
slide it off at the

water on the ground-glass

edge of the slab, before

glass.
If

it

has a

chance to cling to the

too

the bowl seems

heavy

for

you

to hold securely in
it will

moving

it

about so quickly,

be wise to

let

an older

person do this for you.

Then

there will be nothing

more
it

to do but let

it

dry for a few days and send

to the pottery to be fired.

Indoor Gardening

CHAPTER

VII

INDOOR GARDENING

A
All summer

Rainy Day in October

long the out-of-door gardens kept

us busy, planting, weeding and watering.

When

we had had a week or two of sunshiny weather we began to wish a cloud would sail over the blue
sky and bring the rain our thirsty flowers needed.

We
in

could see the reason for rainy days in summer-

time.

Now, however, it is different; a rainy day autumn is so cold and disagreeable. It settles

down to work in a business-hke way not like a summer shower, which has, all through, a hint of
the sun behind the clouds.
is

No, an autumn rain

chilly

and gray and

is

lasting,

and the best way to

do

forget

it

to find something interesting to

indoors.

Suppose we plan an indoor garden.

There are

the plants that were brought in from the garden the

other

day

geraniums,
127

heliotropes,

lobelias

128

Child's

Rainy Day Book

and begonias all need our care and attention.

boy with a

taste for

woodworking can make a

in a

shelf

and put up brackets

will

window where the

table

sun

reach them.

Even a plant
him.

may

not prove too

difficult for

There

is

one particularly interesting thing that

girls

both boys and

Christmas
for
gifts

can do, and that

is

to plan

of

budded

or blossoming plants

their

family and friends.

How

is

it

to be

done?

Why, by

planting bulbs in October.

of course, at the florists;

You
they
like

have seen bulbs,

are mostly dingy

brown
in

or yellow

and look

onions.
last

If

anyone

the family had a garden

summer

there will be sure to be catalogues

in the house,

of seeds

and bulbs
list

and you can begin

for.

by making a
crocuses,

of the bulbs

you wish to send

from

Such a number
lilies,

as

you have

to choose

tulips,

hyacinths, narcissus, daffodils, and

plenty more.

They

are not costly either.

Hyahya-

cinths can be bought for from six to fifteen cents

each;
cinths,

these are the ordinary ones.

Roman
lily

wdiich have beautiful white flowers, cost

five
;

only four or

cents.

Chinese

bulbs are

more expensive

one can be bought for ten cents

or three for twenty-five cents, but they are large

and the blossoms

are so fragrant

and beautiful

Indoor Gardening
that they are well worth
it.

129

These are grown

among pebbles
bowl

in

a dish of water.

They

will

look well in a glass dish or in a shallow pottery

such as you can buy

had
in

for ten or fifteen cents

tall,

at a Japanese store.
glasses are to be
cents.

For hyacinths,

slender

at the florist's for fifteen

They come
is

several

colours,

but the

dark green
is

best

and that reminds me that there

make
of rattan

a case you can

and

raffia

around
beside

one of these glasses to enable you to hang a window.

day.

it

This you can do some other rainy

The Chinese
of tepid

lily

bulbs are put into a dishful

water which has a few small pieces of

it.

charcoal in
fitted

A number

of

small stones are

around the bulbs to keep them upright and

steady,

and then they are put near a window

Hyacinths

where the sun comes.

may

be grown

in the glasses or in flower pots, just as

one chooses.

A
is

mixture of good
best
if

soil

from the garden and sand

they are to be grown in pots.

soil to sift it

Be

careful

in

taking the garden

through your
are lurking

fingers,

making

sure that no

worms

in

it,

to trouble the bulbs later on.

Put stones

for drainage

and some pieces

of charcoal at the
is

bottom

of each pot.

The bulb

planted so that

130

Child's
of
it

Rainy Day Book

is

about one-third
it is

left

above the earth.

water and

If
fill

to be

grown

in water, use rain

the glass so that the base of the bulb will just

touch

it.

However they
cellar, until

are planted, in pots or

in glasses, they should be left in a dark, cool place

like

an airy

they are rooted.

This will

take about two weeks for those in glasses and six

for the potted hyacinths.
If it
is

possible,

bury

the pots in the open ground about six inches deep,

or cover

them with

soil,

for

about

five

weeks.

They can then be put

the care of your plants.

into the

window garden.

Consult the bulb catalogues for suggestions as to

Basket Case for a Hyacinth Glass

Materials

Required

dark green hyacinth glass, weavers of No. 2 rattan, 2 weavers of No. 2 black rattan, A bunch of copper red rafifia, A tapestry needle, No. 19.
2

After you have bought your hyacinth glasses,

and before the bulbs

like to

are put into them,

you may

make

for

each a simple case of basket work

by which it can be hung against the window frame. It is made of rattan rings bound together with
raffia of

some colour that

will look well

with the

Indoor Gardening

131

hyacinth blossoms.

dark green glass with a

covering of black and the natural-coloured rattan

bound with copper-coloured

bination,
if

raffia is a

good com-

the hyacinth
rings
of

is

to be white.

Make two
bag
(see

black

rattan

like

those

described in the directions for making a sponge

Chapter IV).

One should be

large

enough

to slip over the glass,

down

to about half an inch

from the bottom from the bottom.

on the
glass, as

of

it,

the other to three inches

This second ring must be

made

the flaring top will not allow so

slip

small a ring to
difficult to do.

over

it.

This will not be

Tie the rattan around the glass

it

just

below where you wish

to be placed (about

two and three-quarters inches from the bottom),

then
slip
it

up where the

glass

is

narrower and

twist the ends around this foundation ring twice,

as

shown

in Fig. 22.

This makes a ring of three

ring

circuits,

the

foundation

counting

as

one.

Make
eter

four rings of the

natural-coloured rattan,

each measuring two inches and a quarter in diam-

on the
that

inside.
is,

These are made with two

circuits;

after tying the foundation ring

all

the ends are twisted

the

way around

it

once,

instead of twice as the black ones were, and are cut just so that they will lap.

Bind these four

1^^2

Child's Rai}iy

Day Book

rings together in a hollow square with bindings

five-eighths of an inch long of raffia in buttonhole
stitch
(see

Fig.

07).

Fasten

the

ends

of

the

rings

by making the

binding

come

over

them. Slip this square

over the top of the
glass

and down be-

tween the two black

rattan rings.

Here

each of the four light

rings
Fig. 67
raffia
is

bound with
buttonhole
the

in

stitch

to

black

ring above

it.

as well as to the one below.

it

To make
it,

a loop to hang

by,

tie

a ring of black rattan around

its

the neck of the glass, twist

ends twice around

tie

and then without cutting the ends

them

into

another ring an inch and a quarter in diameter, inside

measurement, which stands out from the glass

loop.

and forms a
circuits.

This ring

is

made with two

Grozoiiic Plants in Fibre

Later on, in November and December, there

may come

days when you are kept indoors, and

Indoor Gardening

133

then perhaps you will Hkc to do some more gardening with bulbs.
Shall

we begin with the

and
daffodils?

spring

bulbs

tulips, crocuses

It is

won-

derful,

isn't

it,

to think of being able to plant

of doors the earth
is
is

them when out

with snow?
a
florist or

covered thick

This

how

it

is

done:

Buy from

seedsman a

fibre

mixture which they

large tub or pail
of

sell

for this purpose.

fiVjre

Take a
it,

and put some and

it

into

add plenty

water
Let
it

stir

the fibre thoroughly with a stick.

in the

remain

water for two days, stirring

it

from time to time so that

It will

shall get
If

water soaked.

then be ready for use.

you plan to give

the plants

away when they

are in

bud they should

be started in jars or bowls that can be included

in the gift.

Japanese or Spanish pottery bowls

for

can be bought

from ten to twenty-five cents

each, and one of these with a daffodil or narcissus

growing in
for

it

will

make
love.

a delightful birthday gift

If

someone you

you are not planning

to give
collect

them away,

of course

you

will

be able to

about the house enough bowls and jars of

china and pottery to hold them.

of charcoal at the

Put a few pieces

bottom

of each dish

these are
Put

to keep the water pure

and the

fibre wet.

into each bowl

some

of the

wetted

fibre until it

134
is

CJiihVs

Rainy Day Book

about two or throe inches deep, depending on

Pkice the bulbs on the
fill

the depth of the bowl.

fibre so that

they just touch and

all

in

with

the wet
press
it

fibre.

Put more

fibre

over them and

gently dow^n and around

the dish in until
it

them
is

not

too

hard.

Fill

nearly solid.

Now

put the bowls away

in a cellar or will

any dark

but airy room where they

not get frostbitten

and W'atch them day by day

does not get dry
;

to see that the fibre

it

must be kept moist but not

rooted and

soaking

W'et.

Be

especially careful that the bulbs

do not get dry.

"When they are

all

have grown perhaps an inch, bring the bulbs into

a lighter

room and

let

them have plenty

sill

of air.

Put them on the window

in the

or even in the garden

middle of the day,

if it is

not too cold, and

as they begin to

show some buds water regularly

and

often.

Pla)iti)ig

Luioors

in

February

As early
indoors.

as

February you can begin to plan your

Canterbury

out-of-door flower garden and start some seeds

Tuberous
single

begonias,

bells,

verbenas,

dahlias,

scarlet
all

sage or salvia,

tufted pansies and cosmos can

be started now.

Indoor Gardening
First of all

135

you

will

need vSome

flats or

low wooden

boxes

they

should be about three inches deep

large to handle.
If it is possible to

and not too

get such shallow boxes at your grocer's so

much
they

the better, otherwise you can have a soap box or

two sawed down

have

to the required height. or holes

for

If

no

cracks

drainage, bore

some and partly

rounded
or
side

cover them with pieces of an

old flower
pot,

up.

Put

pebbles
in

other
bottom
are

rough material
of

the

the

box.

Now you
soil.

ready for the

rich

Get good,
the
the

loam
sift
it

from
into

garden
boxes.
Fig. 68

and

You can
The

then begin planting.

seeds

large

should

be

planted about half an inch

dee^J,

as deep as four times their

medium sized ones own width; the very

small ones are just pressed into the earth, and the
smallest should have a piece of glass placed over

the box so that they will not dry out entirely.

Wet

the

soil until it is

quite moist and press

it

with a level board after planting.

Set the boxes in

a sunny window, one that faces south or southeast.


136
Child^s

Rainy Day Book

and keep them moist, but not wet, with a bulb

sprinkler (see Fig. 68).

March Planting
This blustery month of bad weather out of doors

you can have a

garden.

delightful time with

in

your indoor
fibre

The bulbs you started

this time,

should

be in bloom by
ing

and while you are enjoyfor

them you can

is

start

some flower seeds

your

out-of-door garden.

This

the time to plant

plants

what
live

are called annuals

just

that
o'clocks,

is,

that

year

like

batchelors'-buttons, sweet peas, nasturtiums, four-

marigolds

and

zinnias.

Use

flats

or

shallow wooden boxes, like those already described,

to plant
filling
in.

Choose good garden

it

soil

and, before

the boxes, heat

in the oven,

very hot

this will kill the

weed

seeds.

Sow

the seeds in

rows an inch and a half apart and three-quarters

of an inch apart in the row.

When

all

the seeds

are up, thin the

little

plants out so that they will

be an inch and a half apart in the row.

Put

them

in a

sunny window as

close to the glass as

possible

and keep the shades

rolled high.
will

If

you

do not give them enough sun they

become

little

garden for a

little girl

Indoor Gardening
thin and spindly

137
out.

like children

who never go

Turn the boxes now and then

get the
sunlight.

so that all sides will

You

will

need to put some

labels into each box, bearing the

names

of the

seeds that are planted there.

The best ones

are

made from the covers of old grape baskets. Cut them into strips, write on each the name of the
seed and the date, and stick
it

into the earth.

Gradually as the weather gets warmer you can

give the
little

plants

windows, and later

in

by opening the by putting them out of doors

more
air

some sheltered but sunny

spot.

When

there

is

no longer any danger from

set out of doors

frost,

the boxes can be

day and night, only taking them

in in case of a severe storm.

The
set

seedlings

may

need to be separated and

it is

transplanted indoors before

them

in

the

out-of-door

warm enough to garden. Common

grape baskets do very well for this purpose and

hold about a dozen
little

plants

flats

may

also

be used.

Allow as much space between the seedif

lings as possible, for

will

they are too close the roots

twine about each other and

transplant

make

it

very hard
they
are

to

them

later

on.

When

large

enough to be transplanted put them into a

basin of lukewarm water and plant

them

in their

138

Child's

Rainy Day Book

new box one

sun
for a

at a time.

Do

not put them in the

few days, but keep them shaded until

thev have taken root.

Starting Gourd

Mnes

in

the

Indoor Garden

Of course you have seen gourds, perhaps not

growing, but surely you
dried.

know how they

look

when

Hard, smooth-shelled things of a beautiful

golden brown colour, they grow in the strangest

shapes.

Some

are round or oval with

a queer
(see

twisted
Fig.
69).

stem

They have

many
the

uses

to
(so

hold

stockings

open
that

and smooth

grandma can them easily),

houses,

darn
as bird

match
for

holders,

and

even

drink-

ing cups.

They
Fig. 69

are

the

fruit

of

vine
be

which
charming

would
to
train

on a

trellis

or arbour in

vour out-of-

door garden, and then when harvest time came

Indoor Gardening

139

you

would have the interesting gourds to dry

as

and use
If

you

chose.
like to raise

you would

them, sow the seeds

in March.

in shallow

wooden boxes indoors

of

Plant

them a quarter
little

an inch deep, and when the

plants crowd one another and are strong

to

enough

transplant

remove

them

to

larger

boxes and plant them six inches apart.

planting the vines out of doors in

When
or

May
many

June

put plenty of manure about them and give them

ample space.

If

the vines bear

off

gourds,

and
will

all

small ones, pinch

some and the others

develop better.
;

Do

not pick the gourds until

is,

they are quite ripe

that

when they begin

to

look slightly yellow.

They need plenty

of hot

sun in order to come to perfection.

as long as possible

Leave them

on the

vines, only being careful

that they are not touched with frost.

In the
all

South they are sometimes

winter.

left

on the vines

After picking them, hang

them

in

an airy place
little

in the house or out of doors.

Leave a

of

the vine on each one and they can then be

hung

by

strings tied to these handles.

If

you follow

these few rules your gourds should dry smooth

and hard.


I40

ChihVs Rainy

Day Book

Hoiv

to Start

Lavender Indoors

Do you know

the smell of lavender

that sweet,
of grand-

refreshing perfume that clings to

some

mother's treasures of linen and embroidery?

catches a whiff of
it

One

in old gardens sometimes,

and

it is

always welcome.
florist

You can buy

is

the seed
is

from a

or

seedsman

Lavandula vera
called,

what the
is best.

true English lavender

If it

and that
is it

cannot be had, Lavandtda spica

time to raise either, but

next best.
will

It takes

be such an addition to your out-of-door garwill

den that you

the
first

not regret the time spent.

About

of

March the lavender seed should be

flats.

sown, in window boxes or

drills

Make shallow

with your

finger,

drop the seed in and cover

lightly.

Sprinkle

sprinkler until

them every day with your bulb they come up. When the little

plants each have four leaves they

planted.

may

be trans-

Before starting to transplant them they

Set

should be thoroughly wet.

apart.
litter

them
the

five inches

In the winter protect

leaves, straw, etc.

plants

with

six inches deep.

The

next year, in March, they should be set in rows

three feet apart.

When

the plants are in

full

bloom the

sprigs are

Indoor Gardening
cut,

141

and then dried

in a cool,

darkened room or

closet.

Lay them on paper The lavender

so as to save all the

blossoms.

flowers

may

be made with them

into the daintiest of sachets

by

filling

sheer linen bags or pale lavender silk ones.

The
fallen

sprigs that are left after the blossoms

have

may
and

be used

like

Chinese incense to sweeten

a room, by lighting the blossom end of a single

piece
letting
it

burn

in a vase or incense holder.

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

CHAPTER
GIFTS
It

VIII

AND now TO MAKE THEM

is

wonderful what your head and hands can

to plan gifts for family

do when you begin

times

and

friends at Christmas, birthdays

and the in-between

when "un-birthday presents" as "Alice in Wonderland" called them are so welcome. But I am sure you know the breathless feeling of having to make or buy a long list of Christmas presents

with only two weeks or so in which to accomplish

it.

Why
in

not keep a

gift

box or drawer, where you can

the year round ?

pack away the pretty things you take such pleasure

making on

dull

days
things

all

There

are ever so

many

beadwork

which

games, toys, baskets and

and
I

you

will find in other chapters

that will help to

tell

fill

this gift box,

am
in

going to

you about some

others.

There are several things to think of

a
gift.

planning

It

should be something that will be within

is

your means, something that

ever small

worth giving, howis

not

"trash"; but what

I4S

most im-

146

Child's
all is

Rainy Day Book

it

portant of

that
If it

shall really please the

one

who receives it. much the better.

can be a lasting pleasure so

Suppose you try keeping a notebook; begin

now, and write down the
little

it

things that you hear

the family wish for during the year

tiny

things,

maybe, but

just

what they want.

writes, never has

For instance,

Aunt Helen, who

enough pencils
Father
is

her

nieces

and nephews know why.

unable to find an express tag when he wants one,

because he has no case to hang close beside his desk.
Joe says he wishes someone would

make him
it

chamois cover

for

his

new

knife

is

getting

scratched already;

and

mamma

cannot find that

recipe for potted pigeons that she cut

from the
of

paper
entries

Saturday

evening.

What

number
gift

you
it

will

be able to make in your

book!

See

how

reads:
pencils.

Aunt Helen: One dozen

Mother:

Father: Leather tag case and tags.

blank book with her newspaper

recipes pasted in.

Joe:

chamois knife
is

case.

And

this

just a beginning.
will

When you

visit
little

your friends you

soon see or hear what

things will please them.

Then you can begin

col-

Gijts

and

How

to

Make Them

147

lecting the materials for your gift box,

and when a

rainy day comes what pleasant hours you will

spend.

Let us begin with the

Beaded Knife Case

Materials

Required

scraps of chamois skin in the natural or another colour, I skein No. 4-0 beads in a colour that will harmonise with the leather, I E bead of the same colour, A spool of letter A sewing silk the
colour of the leather,

Some

No. II needle.

One of the simplest and prettiest gifts you can make is this beaded knife case. If you have made the Indian costume described in Chapter V. you
will

have plenty

of scraps of

chamois

left.

Other-

wise you can

buy a small chamois skin in the natural colour, or, if you prefer another colour, skins of Red is very effecbeautiful tints may be bought.
tive

and not

as costly as

some

others.
will

In buying a
tire of, for
it

skin, choose a colour that

you

not

you
that
like
;

will
it

be able to make so

many

small things of
will

will

be well to have a colour you

always
is

either red or green or a soft

brown that

not

too light will be a good choice.

148

Child's
of
71.

Rainy Day Book

From a piece
in Figs. 70

cardboard cut the patterns shown

If

and

the case

is

for a penknife, the

larger one (Fig. 70) should

measure one inch wide

nand

by

four and one-eighth inches long,

the other should be the

same
of

width but two and three-quarters

inches
long.

Cut

two pieces

chamois from these patterns, lay

the smaller one against the
larger,

with
of

the

rounded ends

both

together and the edges

of

the

sides

fitted

evenly, and baste

so.

them

Now

start at the

top left-hand edge of

the

smaller
it

piece,

where

comes against

the edge of the larger

Fig. 70

Fig. 71

one,

and sew the edges

with
it is

together
stitch

the

shown

in Fig.
1 1

72.

This

is

how

done:

Thread a No.

needle with sewing silk the colour

of the chamois.

Fasten the end by sewing through

of the case.

and through the edges

String three

beads and make one over-and-over stitch through

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

149

both edges of the

case, bringing the needle out at

it

about one-eighth of an inch from where

started.

Run

the needle up through the third bead, string

two more, make another stitch, run the needle up through the last bead strung, and so on. When

Fig.

72

you have gone

piece

all

the

way around

the double edge,

continue the stitch across the top of the smaller

and around the rounded top

of the larger.

Next a loop must be made

chamois
close to the

to fasten the case.

Hold

a small pencil at the top of the larger piece of

rounded edge, and, starting

about an eighth of an inch from the centre of this

end, fasten an end of a needleful of sewing silk;

150

Child's

Rainy Day Book

take a stitch around the pencil and in at oneeighth of an inch the other side of the centre. Take
six or eight stitches

back and forth

in this

way.

This will

make

a loop, which should be covered with

buttonhole stitches.

Now

slip

the knife into the

of the larger

case, turn the flap (the

rounded edge

piece)

down and mark

the place to sew the large

is

bead over which the loop

it.

to

fit,

in order to fasten

Sew an E bead the

colour of the smaller beads

it,

at this place, bring the loop over

and the case

is

complete.

Needle Book of Flowered Silk

Materials

Required

A
A

piece of flowered silk or ribbon 5 inches long by 3 J inches wide, piece of plain-coloured ribbon the

same

size,

piece of white flannel 10 inches

long by

inches wide,

J yard of narrow ribbon the colour of the silk,

A spool of sewing silk the same colour, A piece of bristol board 10 by 7

inches.

The Shakers make needle books

cloth, that are so dainty

of fine straw

and yet simple that they

Fig. 73

are well worth copying.

shows the shape

Gifts in

and

How

to

Make

Thent
is

151
It

which the cover of the book

cut.

may
one

be

made

of

two pieces

of

bristol

board;

covered with flowered

silk

or ribbon,

the other

with plain

silk

that will harmonise with the flowered.

The two

are then

basted

together

and

sewed over and over.

Two
Fig. 73

pieces

of

flannel

are cut the

same shape,
the

but about half an inch

smaller
all

way
which

around.
is

These are

laid inside the cover,

its

then bent exactly at

centre so that both

ends will come evenly together.

hole

is

punched

through both sides of the cover and the flannel at

about half an inch

in

from the edge and quarter of

an inch from the doubled middle of the cover.

152

Child's
is

Rainy Day Book

Another hole

made on the other side of it and a narin a bodkin, or

row ribbon threaded

is

ribbon needle,

brought in through one hole, across the back and

out through the other.

in a pretty

The ends
Fig.
74),

are then tied

finishes
it.

bow

(see

which

Sweet Clover Bags

Materials

Required

All the white sweet clover that a little

child can gather,

Some

pretty cotton cloth, needle and thread,

Scissors.

Did you know that the white sweet clover that

grows in long spike-shaped sprays on low bushes
along the wayside
dried?
is

even more fragrant when

this

it is

Gather some
it

summer, and spread

it

it

where

will

dry in the sun, turning

often.

Strip

the blossoms from the stems, and

when a

rainy day

comes you can make with them some

be welcome wherever they
in a covered
go.

gifts

that will
flowers

Keep the

box

till

you

are ready to use them,

then make

linen, or

even pretty white cotton, bags

Fill

about ten inches long by six wide.

them with

the dried clover, sew up the ends securely, and they

will

be ready to send to grandmothers, aunts and

cousins, to
little

make

their linen closets fragrant.

filled

pillow of white cotton

with these flowers,

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them
fine linen,

1^3

with a pretty outer case of

lightful gift for

makes a de-

an invalid

friend.

Eyeglass Cleaner
Materials

Required

Several sheets of soft white tissue paper, A piece of green or brown leather 4 inches wide by 6 J inches long,

A
1

strip of leather 15 inches long

I

by

of

an inch wide,

skein No. 3-0 beads,

large beads of the

same

colour,

An

awl or punch.

One of your friends who wears eyeglasses was told by a wise person that the best thing with which Not to clear her glasses was what do you think ?

a handkerchief or a piece of chamois, but soft tissue

paper.

"That
it

is

simple enough, I'm sure," said

she

but

wasn't, for whenever she wanted a piece

it

of tissue paper

didn't

happen to be

near, so she

used a handkerchief or chamois most of the time.

much better, however, and wondered why children who don't know what to give to friends who wear eyeglasses or
She found the tissue paper was
spectacles, don't give

them a pad
or

of tissue paper to

hang by the dressing table

place. for not

some such convenient

such

True,

its

use would have to be explained,

many

people

know

that tissue paper

is

154

Child's

Rainy Day Book

a good cleaner of glasses; but when they have tried it

they

will

be really grateful for the helpful

little gift.

Cut

soft white tissue

six

paper
long,

in sheets four inches

wide by

and one-half

and make a cover

size.

of

green or brown leather the same

Punch two

holes at the top of the cover, each about half an

inch
side.

down from the top and one inch in from the Lay the cover on the pile of tissue paper
punch through the holes

sheets and rtm an awl or

in

the cover,

making

holes in the

same places
of leather
fifteen

through the tissue paper.

Cut a

strip

about one-quarter of an inch wide

inches long, thread
it

and
it

in a bodkin,

run

through

the hole on the right of the cover, through the

sheets of tissue paper and out of the hole on the
left of

the cover.

Here

it is

tied in a
it

bow, leaving

a long loop at the back to hang

by.

A large bead
may

of a colour that will look well with the leather

be strung on each end of the bow and a knot tied to keep

it

from

falling off.

If

you choose, the edges

of the cover

may

be worked with the bead stitch

shown

in Fig. 54.

A
Materials Required

German Wonder Ball

:

hank of single zephyr worsted some pretty colour,

gifts.

of

Several tiny

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

155

One 01 the most delightful of gifts can be planned by a little girl of boy for a friend who is learning to This is the wonder ball. It is one of the knit. many good ideas that come to us from Germany
the land of knitting.

Buy

hank

of

worsted of some pretty colour

and a number

of tiny gifts

a thimble, a wee packof.

age of chocolate, the smallest of baskets and any

other
little

things

you can think

Start winding

the worsted around the very choicest gift

shall

so that

it

be at the centre

then

by

degrees, as

you

wind, lay the other

gifts

on the ball and cover them

little

with the worsted.

told to knit
till all

Your

friend should be

the presents are found.

for Travelling

Pin Case
Materials

Required

piece of flowered silk or ribbon 8 inches long by 5 inches wide, A. piece of plain-coloured silk 8 inches long by 5 J inches wide, A piece of cotton wadding 7I inches

A
The
friend

long by 4 J inches wide, J yard of ribbon | inch wide, the colour of the silk, spool of sewing silk the same
colour.

who travels will be glad to have a case in

pins.
It
is

which to keep her

very simple to make.

56

Child's

Rainy Day Book

silk or velvet a strip

Cut from any pretty piece of

five inches

wide by eight long, or a piece of five-inch

flowered ribbon the same length will do even better.

Another
that will

strip

white or some colour look well with the piece should be

of thin silk
first

cut the same

size, if

the flowered piece

is

of silk;

??????? ?TTf
I I t
I

T
I

Fig. 75

if it

is

of ribbon, cut the lining silk half

an inch

wider.

piece of the cotton

wadding that comes

in length

in sheets is cut half

an inch smaller

and

width than the others.

ribbon to match the
will also
still

Half a yard of narrow

silk,

and a spool
if

of

sewing

silk

be needed, and
festive

you

like

you can give a

filling it

more

touch to the case by

with

fancy pins, those with pearl or gun-metal heads.

First baste the strip of cotton w^adding

on the

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

157

lining silk

through the centre, then turn quarter of

an inch

of the edge of the silk

it

up over the wadding

all

and baste

securely around

four sides.

Now

baste the flowered silk cover against the other side

of the wadding, turning in all

rough edges, and

making sure that the edges

of the lining

and cover

are quite even, one above the other.

Sew them

together over and over, as neatly as possible, with

the coloured sewing

its

silk,

and

stitch the ribbon at

centre to the middle of one end of the case to

(see Fig. 75).

form strings around

After

it is

filled

with

the pretty pins and rolled up, bring the ribbons

it

and

tie

them

in

a dainty

little

bow.

A
Materials Required
:

Case for Tape

piece of flowered or figured cotton 8 inches long by 4^ inches wide, piece of plain-coloured cotton the

same

size,

f yard of ^-inch ribbon the colour of the cotton, A package of India tape,

A A

bodkin, spool of cotton.

case that

is

made
is

in

very

much

the same

way

as the one for pins

of various widths.

used for holding pieces of tape

It is

something that almost any

1S8

Child's

Rainy Day Book

aunt would be delighted to have for her work

basket.

Packages of what
at

is

called India tape are sold

many
a

of the

dry goods shops for five or ten

of tape of different

cents.

They contain bunches

yard or two
in

widths,

each bunch.

Pieces

Fig. 76

of pretty cotton, one figured or flowered, the other

plain, will

do quite as well as
will

silk to

make

the case.

Then you
silk braid.

need a simple metal or bone bodkin

of a
all

and three-quarters
That
needle and scissors.

yard of narrow ribbon or

except a spool of cotton,

is

Cut a piece

of plain-coloured cotton eight inches

long by four and a half wide, and lay the bunches of

tape

all

along

it,

about an inch apart.

Now

lay a

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

159

piece of half-inch wide ribbon or silk braid along

above the bunches of tape and exactly at the

middle of the
strip of cotton, as

shown

in Fig. 76.

Pin the ribbon to the cotton lining at each side of

every piece of tape, making a loop that
is

large

enough

for

each bunch to

slip

through without pullloop should also be

ing the cotton lining.

little

made just large enough to hold the bodkin. Now take

out the bunches of tape and stitch the ribbon to the
lining

where

it is

pinned.

Cut a piece

of flowered

cotton the same size as the lining, and, turning in

the edges of both pieces for a quarter of an inch the
all

way

round, lay them together with the raw

edges in and baste them evenly one above the

other.

Next sew them together over and over

all

around.

Stitch the middle of a piece of ribbon

sixteen inches long to the middle of the right end

of the case, slip the

bunches of tape and the bodkin

roll

through their loops,

strings

the case and

tie

the ribbon

around

it.

It will

then be ready to pop

into your gift box.

A
Materials

Braided Raffia
:

Lamp Mat

Required

A A

bunch bunch

of raffia,

of coloured raffia, tapestry needle, No. 19.

i6o

Child's

Rainy Day Book

gift to

lamp mat

will

be a welcome

mamma or
at college.

even to your big brother

for his

room

The simplest one

to

make
tie

is

of braided raffia.

Take

six pieces of raffia

and

them together
is

at one end.

Fasten this end to a nail or chair back, at a convenient height.

If the raffia

dampened a

little

Fig. 77

it

will

work more smoothly.

Now
is

braid

it

into a

three-stranded plait, using two pieces for each

strand.

When

new

piece

needed lay

it

above
are

the end of the old one and continue.

The ends

cut close after the braid

is

finished.
raffia

You

will

need

a great deal of this braided

of the natural colour

about ten yards

of the
will

and two or three

at a time

coloured
find
it

but

do a

little

and you

pleasant work.

When you

have enough

prepared, thread a No. 19 tapestry needle with a

Gifts
split

and

How

to

Make Them
it

i6i
tightly

strand of raffia and bind the end of

around the end of the natural-coloured braid,

taking a stitch or two through
binding.
it

to secure the
all

Now

cut

off

the knot (which tied

six

pieces together in starting) close to the binding

coil

and
the

the braid into a tiny round centre.

Run

needle through this centre back and forth, then

start coiling the second row, bringing the long

end

of the braid

around with

its

edge under the outer

is

edge of the centre.

The needle
form a

run in slanting

from right to
to
left,

left (see Fig. 77),

then out from right

so that the stitches

V within the coil.

The whole mat is coiled and sewed in this way, except that when the last row of natural-coloured
braid
is

stitched on, the

end

is

bound

as

it

was at

the beginning and brought gradually in under the

mat, where

it is

sewed securely.

Be

sure that

you
out,

have finished a row before you end

can
tell
all

it off.

This you

by counting the rows, from the centre

on

sides of the nmat.

is

An end

of the coloured
is

braid (which
also

to form the border of the mat)

split

bound with a

strand of coloured raffia

side of the mat.
rest of the
will

and sewed against the under

is

It

then sewed around like the

first

mat,

except that in the

row you

have to take

great care to run the stitches through the natural-

62

Child's

Rainy Day Book

coloured braid so that they will not show.

to finish the border at the part of the

Be sure
it

mat where

was

started.

Sewed Raffia
Materials

Lamp Mat
1

Required

1 2

or

yards of cotton clothesline

or

A A A

window cord, bunch of raffia, bunch of coloured

raffia,

No. 19 tapestry needle.

is

A
at

soft,

thick

lamp mat that

is

beautiful to look

and very useful

quite simply

made

as follows:

Bu)^ twelve or fourteen yards of cotton clothesline.

It

is

white and smooth, and twisted

like the

Fig. 78

fibre clothesline.

Or there

is

a soft cotton
it

window
of

cord that

is

even better, because

is

smoother.

Thread a No. 19 tapestry needle with a strand

raffia,

putting the thick, or root, end through the

needle.

Lay the other end

of the raffia

on the

Gijts

and

How

to

Make Them

163

rope, with

its

tip turning

toward the long end.

Starting at the very end of the rope, wind the long

end of
for

raffia

around

it

(and

its

own

short end)

an inch or more.
coil it into

Then
sibly

the

smallest ring
can,

you pos-

bring the

long end of the raffia

around,

up through
again,
Fig. 79
coils

the centre of the ring

and

around
in

taking

two

the one of which the ring was made and a second

one made by bringing the long end of the rope around
the ring (see Fig. 78).

The

first

and second coils are

covered in this
stitch,

way with

a simple over-and-over

which binds them together, passing around

coil

both and up through the centre. With the third

the real stitch begins.
It
is

an Indian one called the

Figure Eight Stitch,

third coil (that
is,

The needle passes under the

under the
coil

the long end of rope which you

it,

are coiling around), around, over

below, around, over

it

and up again, under and

around the third

together.

coil

drawing
is

the

coils

close
If

The whole mat

sewed

in this

way.

you choose, you can work a design

of coloured rings

164

Child's

Rainy Day Book

as a border or a solid border of the coloured raffia.

new pieces of raffia are added. Cross the old and new ends on the rope, bring the needle threaded with the new strand
Fig.

79 shows

how

the

under the lower

coil,

coil,

out in front, over the lower

under and around the upper one, and so on.

DoWs Hat
Materials

of Raffia
of raffia,

Required:

A A

bunch

tapestry needle, No. 19.

How would you like

that will
fit

to

make

a doll's raffia hat, as

a birthday gift for one of your special friends her favourite doll?
will

one
to
raffia

Of course

it is

be a surprise, but you

tunities to

have plenty of oppor-

measure the

dolly's head.

The

comes

in so

many

colours that

you

will

be able to

choose one to match a special gown.

are ready to begin,

When you

make

five

yards or more of

braided braided

raffia as raffia

described in the directions for the

start the hat in the

lamp mat, and

same way

as the

mat was begun, except that an

is

oval instead of a round centre

formed.

When

you have made a

bring the
coil of

large

enough top

for the crown,

its

braid around, with

upper edge

little

above the middle of the row just finished,

it

drawing

quite tight,

and

in

sewing

make

the

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

165

stitches

run

like

the twists in the braid

little

so

that

they will show as

is

as possible.

The next row

until the

sewed
is

in the

same way, and the next,

and bring

crown

the height you wish.

it

In starting the brim

flatten the braid

around more
is

loosely.

Be

sure that each

row

of braid

sewed half way

it.

under the row to which you are stitching

always

Make

the whole brim in this way, keeping the braid

flat
it is

and

loose so that

it

shall not pucker.

When
edge

as large as

you wish, you can make the

by drawing the last two rows quite tight as you sew them on. Fasten the end of the braid at the back of the hat by binding it with the raffia in your needle and stitching it firmly on the
roll slightly

under side of the brim.

Leather Tag Case
Materials

Required

piece of

heavy leather

3\

inches

wide by 6^ inches long, piece of leather 3^ inches wide by

4I inches long,

Some

strips of leather \ inch wide, Several kindergarten beads of a colour to match or harmonise with the leather, A punch to make round holes,
2

dozen baggage tags.

bodkin.

Scissors,

i66

Child's

Rainy Day Book

One

of the best presents a child can give to his

father, or a

man friend,

is

a leather case full of tags.

Things made of leather are so

durable
that

handsome and
buying

you cannot do

better, in

material for your gift

box, than to invest in

a skin of heavy leather
in the natural colour,

red or green.
useful thing
-gift

Another
for

your
be
a
to
in

work

will

punch with which

make round
leather

holes

or

cardboard.

Leather Tag Case

You

will

then

only

need a pair of

scissors,

a pencil and a few beads in order to be equipped not

only to

make
two

this tag case

but several other charm-

ing gifts.
leather

Measure and mark with pencil on the

pieces,

one six inches and one-quarter

long

by

three inches and one-half wide, the other

four and one-half inches long

by three and one-half

carefully.

inches wide,

and cut them out

Also

cut a

number

of strips of leather a quarter of

an

inch wide and as long as the skin will allow.

On

each corner of the smaller piece of leather mark a

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

167

dot three-sixteenths of an inch in from the edge.

Then make

three

more dots the same distance from

the edge and about an inch apart on each side, and

two near the bottom, the same distance from the

edge and each other.

Now

with your punch make

this piece of leather

holes through these dots.

Lay

on the

larger one, with the lower edges

and

sides

together,

and with a pencil mark through the holes

Dots are
also

on the piece below.

made

three-

sixteenths of an inch in from the edge at each of the

upper corners of the larger piece of leather, two about

an inch apart at the middle of the top edge, and one

more on either side, half way between the dots at the

upper corners and the upper ones of those already

marked from the smaller

piece

of leather.

All

these dots have holes punched through them.

lay the pieces together, the smaller one

Now
top,

on

with
the

its

lower edge and sides fitting exactly with

sides of the larger piece.

bottom and

Starting
piece,

at the

upper right-hand corner of the smaller

holes in both pieces, then

bring a bodkin threaded with a long strip of leather

up through the
together

up through

the next hole below in both pieces, lacing

all

them

the
is

way around

to

the other side.

is

Here the bodkin

with another

slipped off and the end

knotted
strip

strip of leather.

On

this

new

68

Child^s

Rainy Day Book

the bodkin

is

threaded and brought up through

left side,

each hole in succession along the

the top

and down the right It stops where the

side of the large piece of leather.

lacing began,

and the ends are

is

there tied together.

large

bead

slipped

on

each of these ends and one on each of the two ends

on the opposite
tip to

side,

and a knot
falling

is

keep the bead from

it

made at the off. To make

the
left

a loop to hang

by, thread the bodkin with a

it

short strip of leather, run

of the

down through
Cut
it

two middle holes

at the top of the case

and

out again through the right one.

the length

you wish the loop

to

be and thread a bead on each

end, making a knot at the tip to keep the bead on.

Beaded Leather Pen Wiper

Materials

Required

Two

circular pieces of leather

about

3^ inches in diameter, 3 circular pieces of natural-coloured chamois about 3 inches in diameter,

A
I
I

strip of leather
\

inch wide and

yard long,

skein of beads, No. 3-0, skein of beads. No, 3-0, of another

colour.

A may

pen wiper

is

such a usual present that you

it,

think no one would care for

but look

Gifts

and

How

to

Make Them

169

around and you

sister,

will surely find a big brother or

or perhaps a friend,

who

hasn't one.

And
It

this

is

such an interesting pen wiper to make.

Fig. 80

is

leather and very simple, just two round pieces of The top piece of leather has the three of chamois shown in Fig. 80 worked on it in beads of a

design

colour that will look well with the leather

chosen.

you have

Black and crystal beads

will

harmonise

1 7

Child'' s

Rainy Day Book

with red leather or dark-green crystal and opaque

white.
If

the leather

is

not so bright a colour, the

beads

may

be more gay.

Work

the design with

the stitch described in the directions for making an

Indian beaded shirt in Chapter V., bringing the

strings of beads farther apart at the outer edge of

the circle than on the inside.

is

When

the beadwork

done, put the pieces of leather together with the

chamois ones between, mark two dots a quarter of

an inch apart at the centre

chamois and leather.
is

of the top,

punch holes
a

through the dots and then through the other pieces

of

A bodkin threaded with

strip of leather

then run down through one hole,

other,

up through the

and the ends are knotted

together and cut quite short.

Baby's Worsted Ball

Required

Materials

A A A

piece

of

thin cardboard a foot

of worsted,

square,

Odds and ends

worsted needle,
piece of string,

Scissors.

We have not made any plans, as yet, for a gift

the baby.

for

Suppose we make him a great,

fluffy

worsted

ball.

Among your mother's

odds and ends

Gijts

and

How

to

Make Them

171

of worsted
will

you

will find

plenty of gay colours that

be exactly what you want.

Then you

will

need some thin cardboard, or bristol board.

this

On
an

mark two

circles, five

inches in diameter, and

at the centre of each of these,

two smaller

circles

Fig. 81

Fig. 82

inch and a quarter in diameter.

large circles
will

Cut out the two

and the small holes within them.

You
look
of

then have two circular pieces of cardboard with

it

a round hole in the centre of each, making

like a cookie.

Take a strong but slender piece

and lay
it

string about a foot long

around the hole

1^2

Child's

Rainy Day Book

in the centre of one of the pieces of cardboard,

with

the ends coming together below the outer edge

(see Fig. 8i).

Lay the other

first

piece of cardboard

directly over the

one and hold them firmly

together (see Fig. 82) while with a needle threaded

with worsted you sew around and around the

cardboard

rings,

bringing the needle each time

in the centre

through the hole

and around the outer

start another.
is

edge of both rings.

is

When

a needleful of worsted

finished leave the

end hanging and

Keep on

until the hole in the middle

like

quite

filled

up and the whole thing looks

a puffy cushion.

Now take
all

a sharp pair of scissors and cut the layers

of worsted at the outer edge of the pasteboard rings

the

way

around.

Do
to

this carefully

but quickly,
of string, for

and be sure not to cut the two ends

now

is

the time

use

them.

They

are

tied

together just as tightly as possible, and as close to

the centre.

The cardboard
uneven ends

rings are then slipped

out, leaving a soft, fluffy ball of

many

colours.
there,

Clip off the

of worsted here

and

and the

ball will

be complete.

Raffia sewed in the

rings,

same way over tiny cardboard

little

then tied and cut, makes fascinating

for a doll's hat.

pompons

Paper Flowers and Toys

CHAPTER IX
PAPER FLOWERS AND TOYS
It sometimes seems, on a rainy day, as
if

there

was nothing
but
there
not,

to do because

you have not the ma-

terials that are

is

needed
always
course,

for certain occupations

paper.

You
all

may

of

have

the things that are used in making

tissue-paper flowers, unless

you have
such
a

been

so

thrifty

as to

buy them,
you cannot

looking

forward
this.

to

just
if

time

as

But

make

the flowers at once, you can

decide which ones you wish to do

and plan a

list

of

the

materials
there
are
Fig. 83

you

will

need.
of

Then

numbers
fashion
or
let

things

that

you can
paper,

from

water-colour

even
us

heavy note
get

paper and cardboard; so

out

pencil

and
175

paper,

paste and

scissors,

and begin.

176
Materials

Child's

Rainy Day Book

large sheets of linen writing paper

Required

2
I I

sheet of deep-^^ellow tissue paper, sheet of olive-green tissue paper,

little cotton batting, long wire stem,

A A A

tube of paste,
ink.

Pen and
Scissors,

How would you like to make a game

some
of

of

your very

own with which you and your brothers and sisters or

your friends can play?
It is

quite simple

just
of

a great paper daisy

with a

slip

paper pasted on the

under
slip
is

side of

each petal.
of
is

Upon each
conundrum,

written a sort

the answer to which

plant or flower.
If

the

name

of a real

you can get a

daisy for a model, so

much

the better.

Fold a large sheet of linen writing

paper diagonally so that you

a square eight
it

will

have

by

eight inches.

Bend

over again diagonally, and then again

so

and again,

that

it all.

will

have been
the

folded four times in

Fig. 84

Now draw
and cut
This
it

outline of a daisy petal

upon the folded

out
give
will

paper
all

(see

Fig.

83),

through

the

thicknesses.

Paper Flowers and Toys

177 centre

you

sixteen-petaled

daisy.

The

has

next to be made.

Cut from deep -yellow tissue

an
This

paper eight

circles three inches across, six circles

two

inches,

and

six

inch

across.

is

aesily

done by folding the paper into as

as

many
size,

thicknesses
so that

you

wish

circles

of

each
all

you can cut through them

fringe

at once.

Before separating the circles cut the edges into

a
fine

about

three-eighths

of

an inch

deep.
in

Fold a piece of olive-green tissue paper

the

same way
was
84.

as

the

white paper for the

it

petals
like

folded,

but once more, and cut

is

Fig.

This
of

for the

calyx.

Next cut

some

slips

paper just

large

enough to be

pasted on the underside of the petals and write

on each a number and a conundrum from the

following
list:

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

A public building in Philadelphia. A plant that rhymes with pansy. A foolish wild animal. A wise man.
Fit for a king.

6.
7.

A A

girl's

name.

plant for Sundays.

folk.

8.

For thirsty

178

Child's

Rainy Day Book

9.

Several droves of sheep.

10. 11. 12.

Part of a pet.

Two

girls'

names.
flies,

Something that we know

it.

though no

one has ever seen

13. 14.

A A A

rosy athlete.

necessary article of food and a piece of

china.

15. 16.

girl's

name and

a metal.

An

animal and a covering for the hand.

or answers to the

The following key,

you
will of course

conundrums,

keep hidden until after the game

has been played:

Paper Flowers and Toys

12.
13.

179

Thyme.
Scarlet runner.

14.
15.

Buttercup.
Marigold.

16.

Foxglove.
the slips have each been pasted on a petal
is

When

the daisy

put together in this way

is

Take a

long,

stout piece of wire, such as

sold for paper-flower

stems; put the yellow circles

all

together, the larger

ones at the bottom, then the

smallest on top.

medium

ones and the

Bend one end

of the wire into a

tiny ring and run the other end

down through
on
its

the

centre of the yellow circles, then through the middle

of the white circle with the petals

edge,

putting a touch of paste between the centre and

the petals.

Now

paste a thin layer of cotton bat-

ting to the lower side of the petal-edged piece, at

the centre, and run the wire stem through the

middle of the green calyx, pasting the paper lightly

to the cotton.
tissue paper cut

Wind
in

the stem with olive-green

strips

two inches wide, and

cut from the same paper some leaves as

possible
like

much

as

the

little

leaves

of a daisy plant.

The

directions for playing this

game

are given in

chapter X,

i8o

Child's

Rainy Day Book

a Country Girl

How
Materials

to

Make

Required:

A A
A A

sheet of sheet of
6

brown paper, heavy watercolotir paper,

by

8 inches,

pencil,

box

of watercolour paints,

Scissors.

Little

country
this

girls
is

are almost always useful,

and though

one

only

made

of

paper she can

be useful too.

She

will serve as a dinner card or

a penwiper, or even carry courtplaster to those

who need
for

it.

If

you do not care

things
for she
doll.

any

of these

you can play with

Fig. 85

her,

makes a charming paper

shows one
the other
is

side of
is

the

little

girl,

just

the same.
lows:

She

made

as fol-

Cut from brown paper

the pattern shown in Fig. 86,

making
Fig. 85

it

six

and a half inches

high by four and three-eighths

inches

broad

at

the

widest
lines
It

point.

Take

care

to

mark

the

dotted

exactly where they are in the picture.

will
little

be better to draw the apron, sunbonnet and

Paper Flowers and Toys

181

shoes on the pattern, for then you can copy directly

from

it

instead of from the smaller one in the book.

a piece of heavy watercolour

Lay the pattern on

Fig. 86

paper and draw around

pencil,

it

with a sharp-pointed
lines

marking the dotted

exactly.

Next

the

little girl

must be cut

out.

Do

this carefully

I2

Child's

Rainy Day Book

scissors.
it

with a pair of small, sharp

Bend the paper

the front

on the dotted

lines so that

will look like Fig. 85.

On

all

the lines except the one

(see

down
Fig,

86)

and the

two marked B the paper

is

bent

forward,
it

on

these two

turns back

and the

flaps

on the

bottom

of the shoes are

turned back.

Now for the

For
need pen
of

finishing touches.

these

you

will

and ink and a box

where

watercolour paints. The

dress,
it

peeps

out
Fig. 87

beyond the white

and
the
all

apron, the bands on the

sleeves

dots

and
green
shoes

edge

of

the

sunbonnet,
colour

should
red,

be

painted

some
or

pretty

yellow

whatever
black,

pink,
you
the

blue,

choose.
outlines
of

The
of

should

be

and
the
are

the

apron

and

pockets,

gathers
all

the
in

sleeves

and

sunbonnet

drawn
you wish

black ink.

The

little girl is

now complete

unless

to

Paper Flowers and Toys

183
cir-

have her stand by

the flaps

herself, in

which case cut a

it

cular piece of cardboard

and glue her upon

If

by
to

on her shoes.

you would

like

Fig. 88

make
or

her useful,
of

you can attach two or three

between her
so
skirts

tiny sheets
several

courtplaster
of
flannel,

leaves

that

she

can

serve as a penwiper.

84

Child's

Rainy Day Book

Paper Santa Claus

The same
little

Materials Required :

as for the

Country

Girl.

Another delightful

paper person made on

is

the plan of the Country Girl

the Santa Claus

shown

in Fig. 87.

He makes

a charming Christmas

card to carry greetings or a

gift.

The pattern

(see

Fig. 89

Fig. 88)
five

is

made

five

and one-eighth inches high by

of brow^n paper, in
girl.

and a quarter inches wide,

the same

way
is

as the pattern of the country

also cut

Santa Claus

from watercolour paper and

lines.

bent according to the dotted

The colouring

should be red and white, of course, with a green

holly wreath.
It

would not do to forget the Saint's


Paper Flowers and Toys
pack, which
It is
dolls,
is

i8S
in Fig. 89.

cut from the pattern

shown

painted brown, with gaily coloured toys

arks
top.

^peeping out
Paste
it

drums and Noah's

at the

between
of

the two sides

Santa

Claus near his shoulders.

A Seashore Boy
Materials

The same
:

as for
Girl.

Required

the Country

As
make,
shore

companion

for

the Country Girl you can

if

you

like,

a Sea-

Boy

(see Fig. 90) in

just the

same way.

The

pattern given in Fig. 91

shows where the paper

to be folded.

is

From

all

Fig. 90

the folds the paper should

bend backward except on the

these
it

lines

marked A, from

bends forward.

mostly blue and white.

The colouring should be The great sun hat will be

His

straw coloured, of course, with a blue band.

short socks are of white, with

brown

legs

showing

i86

CJiild's

Rainy Day Book

be blue, or a white be painted red.

above them, and

one with a blue

his suit should

tie.

The

pail

may

A
Materials

Valentine Favour

Required

piece of watcrcolour paper a foot

square,

A A A A A A

box

of watercolour paints,

strip of scarlet china silk 5 inches

wide by h yard long, yard of scarlet baby ribbon, spool of scarlet sewing silk,
bodkin,

tube of paste,

Scissors.

A boy

or girl with deft fingers can

little

make

the most

attractive

valentine favour imaginable in a

It
is

short time and at very slight expense.

double heart of watercolour paper, painted scarlet

and with a

silk puff of

the same colour

drawn up

at

the top, making a bag for bonbons.

The heart
child

is

perhaps the most difhcult part, but a

in kindergarten to
it

who has learned

will

weave with
trouble.

paper

be able to do

without

much

Cut from watercolour paper two pieces

in the

shape

shown

in Fig. 92.

The paper should be doubled and

The
size

the fold laid against the straight edge at the bot-

tom

of

the pattern.

does not matter

Paper Flowers and Toys

very much, though
if

187

the heart

is

to hold anything

the pieces should measure four inches and a quarter

from the doubled edge to the top of the rounded end and two and

five-eighths
inches

across.

Rule with pencil

a light line across

each piece at two

and
inches

five-eighths

from the

straight end. Five

lines

are

also

ruled in the other

direction, the first

one sevensixteenths
of

an
one

inch

from

side of each piece

of paper

and the

others

the same

distance
Fig. 91

apart
Cut

(see Fig. 92).

along these lines

with sharp, strong scissors from the double straight edge to the ruled line near the top of each piece.

ss

Child's

Rainy Day Book

will

The lower part

doubled
strips.

of

both pieces

thus be cut into

Now

take a piece in each hand,

strip of

rounded end down, and weave the lower

the piece in your right hand through the strips in

Fig. 92

Fig. 93

the left-hand piece.

As the
The

strips are double, the

weaving must be done rather

single strips of paper.

differently
strip

than with

with which you

in the left-

are

weaving goes around the

piece,

first strip

hand
and
,

through the next one, around the next,

(see
is

so

on
it

Fig.

93).

When
little

it

comes to
the

the end

pushed down a
is

way and
it,

next strip on the right

that
this
first

woven above
the

only
that

one

passes through

strips

the
that

one passed around, and around those

first

the
after

one

passed
all

through.
six
of

Weave
the
in strips

one
in

another until
piece

the

right-hand

are

woven

with

Paper Flowers and Toys

those on the
left

189

when

it

should open to form a

heart-shaped bag, as shown in Fig. 94.

Colour the heart on both sides with vermilion

watercolour paint and
the
silk
it

will

then be ready for

top.
scarlet

Cut from
China

silk

strip five inches

wide by half a
yard long.
the

Sew
to-

ends
hem
for

gether,

the
a

top and
casing

make

the

ribbon
string,

drawde-

as
in

scribed

the

directions

for
silk

the beaded

bag
V.

in

chapter

Fig. 94

The lower
is

edge

gathered to

fit

the inside of the top of

it

the heart and pasted into

on a straight

line,

running just below the openings, around both

sides

of

the

heart.

If

the

paste a

is

not very
stitch

sticky

you may need to take

tiny

190

child's

Rainy Day Book

silk,

here and there with scarlet sewing

tacking
It will

the silk top more securely to the heart.

then be ready to

line

with a lace paper doily or

fill

some waxed paper, and

with bonbons.

A
Materials

Frog Jumping Jack

Required

A A A A A

small sheet of 4-ply bristol board, box of watercolour paints,

ball of fine white string,

Pen and

ink,

pair of sharp scissors,

large,

sharp-pointed

worsted

needle.

There

is

a funny frog jumping jack that

like

you can

make

if

you

some

cheerless, rainy day.

He

brings smiles wherever he goes.

Take a sheet

of

heavy four-ply

bristol

board and

draw upon
and 98

it

the pieces

shown
you

in Figs. 95, 96, 97 legs

the

frog's

head and body,

can.

and one arm.

Make them

as large as

The head and

end of the
be about

body together should measure

eight inches high

by seven wide, from the

mandolin on the
six
left.

right side to the

The

legs should

and a half inches long and the

left,

of course be the size of the

arm should which is drawn on

right

the same piece as the body.

Colour the body,

Paper Flowers and Toys

191

throat and legs pale yellow with watercolour paint

the upper part of the head, the arms and the outer

edges of the body and legs are

first

painted light

green and then marked with irregular spots and

dashes of

medium and dark

bluish green.

red

Fig. 95

ribbon with a Maltese cross of the same colour

is

painted around his neck, and the mandolin he holds

is

white above and black underneath.

The eyes

should be dark green with very large whites, and

mouth red, of course. The strings of the mandolin are drawn with pen and ink, as are
the smiling

192

ChikVs Rainy

Day Book

the outlines of the whites of the eyes, the hands

and

feet.

Now

Mr. Frog must be put together.

Tie a knot in a piece of fine white string and thread the other end through
a large worsted needle.

Run

the needle through

the frog's

body

at the

lower right side (where

you

see the dot

on

Fig.

95), leaving the

knot in

front,
Fig. 96

pass

it

through

the right leg about half

an inch from the top and fasten

at the back.

it

with a knot

The other
and
the

leg

is

attached in the

same

way,

right

position and fastened to the

arm is placed in body as the legs were.

and

knot

is is

then

made

in a piece of white cord

the end

brought through the right arm (leaving

the knot in front) about three-quarters of an inch

below where

it is

fastened to the body, and near the

outer edge of the arm.

The end
back
part
of of
is

of the string

is

brought
loosely,

down
to

at

the

the frog,

quite
leg,

the

upper

the

right

where

it

passes through and

tied to the part

(see Fig. 99).
left leg,

of the string that

It is

comes from the arm

then brought across to the top of the

Paper
where
long
is
it

Flozvers

and Toys

193

is tied.

separate string fifteen inches

attached to the centre of the piece, which

is

passes from one leg to the other (this

the one

Fig. 97

Fig. 98

that

is

pulled to
is

make him jump), and

the long string

a vShort loop

of string

fastened at the top of his head by which

to hold him.

When

is

pulled Mr.

Frog

will

dance and play the mandolin.

Paper Flowers

Have you ever made paper flowers? If not, you have probably seen them made by the cardboard

194

CkiliVs

Rainy Day Book

sell.

patterns which dealers in tissue paper

How
poptulips

about making the patterns yourself

for the

pies, daisies

and

and

all

the other flowers.

It will

be an interesting
to

thing

do

and

not

difficult.

Catch one of
it

the poppy petals as

floats off

from the

flower,

blown
breeze.

by
are
(if
it

summer
that
four

Notice
only
is

there
petals

a single

poppy), the two smaller

ones setting across the
larger pair below.

Pop-

pies are
Fig. 99

charming and

much

simpler than other

flowers to copy in paper.

You may have

Draw an

noticed that the petals of the real

ones look almost exactly like silky, crinkled paper.

outline of the petal a
little

larger than

life

on heavy brown paper.

Fold the paper back at

it

the base of the petal and cut

thicknesses so that
it

out in the two

will look like Fig. loo.

The

two lower petals

will

be cut in the same way but

Paper Flowers and Toys

larger.

195

You now have

as

a pattern for as

many
in

p*oppies

you choose.

They can be made

various
colours
red, pink,

white,
You can

pink and white

and

yellow.

buy poppy
to use, or
if

centres ready

you

prefer

you

can make them yourself

in
way:
a

this
For

poppy

four and a
half inches
Fig. 100

across, cut

a circle of

yellow paper an inch and a quarter

in diameter.

Fringe the edge about

half

an inch.

Next take a wire

into

stem,
circle,

bend the end

cover
it

small

with a tiny ball of

cotton
piece
of

batting

and

over
tissue

this

olive-green
it

paper,
as posFig. ioi

forming
sible like

to look as

much

the real poppy centre (see

Fig.

loi).

Wind

the

edges

of the

paper close

around the wire stem.

Now

run the other end

196
of

Child's

Rainy Day Book

circle,

the

stem down through the yellow

it

brushing
green
pair

with
of

paste

to

attach
Slip

it

to

the

part
of

the

centre.

the the

smaller
larger

petals

on
little

the

stem,

then

pair

(with
smaller

paste
set

between),
directly

so

that

the

pair

will

across

the

larger.
is

This completes the poppy.

The stem
tissue

wound
by

with
the
a

strips

of

olive-green

paper, and

leaves

are

cut

from the same

paper

pattern
a

which
leaf

you

can

easily

make by

laying

poppy

on a sheet of
it

cardboard and drawing around

pointed pencil.

with a sharp-

Ox-Eyed Daisies
Required
or

Materials

more sheets

of deep- yellow tissue

paper,

A A
A

sheet of olive-green tissue paper,

ball of

dark-brown worsted,

Several wire stems,

tube of paste,

Scissors.

Ox-eyed

daisies are easily fashioned

and look so

like the real

ones that they are as satisfactory as

any paper flowers you can make.

nesses
of

Take four thick-

deep-yellow

tissue

paper.

Bend the

Paper Flowers and Toys

corner

197

over diagonally
inches.

and cut a square four

fold

by
the
in

four

Next
for in

the

paper

in

same
the

way

as

the
this

petals

described

Daisy

Game

chapter.

Mark
the

on the top
in

of the

last
it

fold

a petal, as shown

Fig.

83,

and cut
After
it

out
is

through

all

thicknesses.

unfolded
petals

you

may
nearer

have
to

to

cut

some

of

the

up

Wind some brown worsted around your thumb about twenty times, take
the
centre.
off

it

and

run

through

it

the end of a wire

.

stem which has been bent

Tie the worsted
centre
piece
of
just

into a tiny crook.

above
or

the

wire
it

with with
top.

short
wire,

worsted,
the

bind
at

fine

and

cut

loops

the

Now

run the other end of the stem down

petals.

through the centre of the

Make

a green

calyx like the one for the white daisy but

smaller,

not

over

an
of

inch

across.

much Wind the

paper,

stem with

strips

olive-green

tissue

laying in every

now and then

as
easily

a daisy leaf cut

from the same dark-green paper.

flowers

Other single
as
this,

can

be

made
patterns

and
be

you
for

will

find

that
if

the

will

not

difficult to

make

you take the natural

flowers

your models.

:qS

ChihVs Rainy

Day Book

A
Materials

Curled ChrvSiUithonioii
:

Required

Sovoral shoots of pink or

ollow tissue

papor
papor.

it\

lit^ht

ai\d modiuii'i shade,

Sovoral shoots oi olivo-grooii tissue

small piooe oi cardboard, Soino wiro stems, A tube of paste,

Scissors.

Chrvsatithomuius arc ainoui^ tbo most natural

of paper tlowors.

and fascinating

to

make.

White
of shades

ones are prettv. and those that are

ol"

made

pink or vellow are even more attraetive.

the pattern shown
in Fig.
it

Cut
102

from eardboard and lay

three

on

thiekncsses

of

medium

yellow tissue paper, seven and a

half

inehes square, which have

been
Fic. 10.

folded

diagonally

three

times.

Hold the pattern firmly

and eut
it

upon

it

out earefully.
of light-

Then
tissue

in the

same way

eut

two thieknesses

yellow paper into petals.

piece of olive-green

paper

is

folded into a smaller square and

to

cut in the

same way.

make

a calyx.

To

curl

the petals, put a small sofa cushion on your knee,

lay a petal

upon

it,

and, taking a

common

hatpin

Making a chrysanthernurn

Paper Flowers and Toys

with a smooth, round head, press
of each petal
it

199

upon the end

it

up

to the centre.

This will curl

till

as

if

by magic.
is

Do

another and another

the

whole piece

finished.

Then

curl a second piece

and a third

in the

same way.

When

they are

all

done bend a long wire stem

at one

end and run the

other end through the centre of the petal-edged

pieces,

which should be
on

laid

one above the other,

of paste

the darker ones on top.

Put a touch
the

between them,

slip

green

calyx,

wind

the stem with strips of green tissue paper, laying

in a

chrysanthemum
is

leaf

from time to time, and

the flower

complete.

Games

for

Two

or Three to Play

CHAPTER X
GAMES FOR TWO OR THREE TO PLAY

On stormy days
likely to

the children of a family are

be alone

unless
is

they are so fortunate

the house, or a friend

as to

have a
lives

little visitor in

who

near wraps up and comes to play with

child

them.

who

alone can read, or find in

the other chapters of this book some absorbing

occupation for a party of children there are always

;

plenty of games, but

it

is

sometimes

difficult to

think of a

game

that two or three will enjoy.

The

following are a few suggestions for such an emer-

gency

Picture Puzzles
Materials

Required!

As many pieces of cardboard about 6 by 8 inches as there are children, As many pairs of scissors as there are
children,

One

or

more tubes

of paste,

Several old magazines.

There

is

such a fascination about cutting and

pasting that a

game

like this is
203

one of the best you

204

Child's

Rainy Day Book

can choose for a dull day.

Each

child has an old

scissors,

magazine, a piece of cardboard and a pair of

while tubes of paste
lie

conveniently near.

When
game

the children are seated around a table the

begins.
It
is

])laye(l

in

this

way:

Each player

cuts from his magazine a picture (which

must be
in

smaller than his card), pastes

it

upon

his ])iece of
it

cardboard, and when

it

is

dry and firm cuts

pieces with six straight cuts of the scissors, so as

make a puzzle. passes them to his

to

lie

Xhvn mixes the pieces and

neighl)our on the right.

tries to i)ut

At a

given signal each child

the puzzle which

he has received together as quickly as possible.

The one who fmishes

through, and he
is

first

calls

out that he

is

of course the winner.

will

As a sequel the children

puzzles.
If

enjoy colouring the

they are pretty and neatly

made they

may

be given to a child's hospital, to amuse some

little

other
cence.

children in the long days of convales-

How
This
is

to

Play

iJic

Daisy Came

a good guessing
if

game

for

two or more
can be

children to play, and

you

will follow the directions

it

given in chapter IX. you will find that

made

quite easily.

None

of the players should

h.'ivc S('(Mi
liil
il

llic

k('\',
li.il.

or

.'iiisvvcr;;
Ii.'ivt'

lo llic
il,

coiMiiKliiim,
yoii c.-m
vvi il(^
iiis,

N'on liiid
slip;:

(Ii('\'

seen
ol

oil

lie

ot

p.'iixT,

iiislc'id

(lie

coiiuiKlni

{\\v

ii.iincs

ol

Mowers
lor
I

willi

lie

Idler;;
lO.ieli

mixed
in

lor
liiin
I

ex.iiiipK",
l)iill;;
;i

:;;ip\ii,

p.iiisy.
d;ii;;\'

eliild

pelal from
ol
I

lie

:iiid
i;;

lie;;

lo

j;iie;;;;

lie
lie

ii;ime

lie

llovv<-r,

vvliieli

lie

;iii;;vver

lo

eoiiiiiidnim vvrillcii on
l*'ive

llie

tinder

;;ide ol

llie |)el;il.
il

minnlcs
li.'i;;

is

llie

lime
I

.'illovve(l,

;ind
lli.il.

llie
lie

j)l.'iyer

nol
llie

);iie;;;;e(|

he Mower

in

lime
,

imi;;l,
.'il;;o

|).'i;;;;

|)et;il

lo'llie eliild

on

In;;

lelt
it.

who
II
\\r,

li.'is

live

iniimlc;; in wliieli lo
llie
|)el;il

inie;;;;

gUCiSSC^S
nl,

eori'eelly

Ix-loiir;;

lo

liini,

;iiid

llie

end of
li.'is

llie );.'ime llie |)I;i\'er li.iviii);

llie nio;;l,

j)c^t;Ms

won.
Jl(>l\SL\s

in

lilt'

Sldh/r

Materials

Required:

p.ii-.lclxi.iid

;.li(<-

Ixix,

Some

111.11 lilc;;,

Pen nnd ink,

S<i:;:.<ir:;.

Alllionjdi
}drl;;
;i;;

Mii;;
;r;;

j;;iiiie

i;;

|l;iyed
il
,

willi
iI.

ni.irl

1<':;,

well

l)oy;; will eii)oy

il,

.'iimI

i;;

;;o e.'i;;ily

|)re|);ir<'(|

l,li;il,

<;in

l><'

|)l;iyed
;i

;il,

;;lioil.

noliee.
i:;

T.'ike

.'I

loll}'

|);i;;l('l

)o;ird

hox
the

:;lioe

l)ox

.'ihoiit,

the

right

size.

Remove

cover and turn

it

2o6

Child's

Rainy Day Book

starting at the lower edge,
like those

upside down.

Now,

draw

five

doorways,

shown

in Fig. 103.

The one

in the centre should

be an inch across and

it

an inch and a half high, the two on each side of

an inch and a half wide and two inches high, and

Fig. 103

the outer ones each two inches wide and two and
a half inches high.

Cut out these doorways with

mark over the middle one in pen and ink the number 25. The two on either side of it have marked above them 10,
a sharp, strong pair of scissors and

and the other two each have

a

5.

Stand the box,

or stable, thus prepared, against the wall

and place

mark

four feet from

it.

Each player has three

roll

marbles, and in turn tries to

or shoot

them

from the mark through the

If

little

doors into the box.

he succeeds in putting one through the smallest

;

door he makes twenty-five

if

through either of the

Games

for

Two
is

or Three to

Play

207

other doors his score

increased

by the number
example.

marked above for the game

paper,

it.

There should be a time limit

half

an hour,
is

for

The

score of each player, which

is

kept on a sheet of

added

at the

end of that time and the one

having the most points has won the game.

Plants and Flowers
Materials

Required

As many

pencils

and sheets

of paper

as players,

A A

large sheet of cardboard

Some

seed catalogues,
ink,

Pen and
Scissors.

tube of paste.

Although a number of children can play this

game, two or three
will

enjoy
it.

it

quite as well.
will

Any boy
of all a

or girl can

make

You

need

first

number

of seed catalogues.

Cut from these

eighteen or twenty pictures of flowers and plants,

taking care not to leave the names on them.

in pencil,

Write

on the back

of each, a

number (any one

is

from

to 18)

and the name

this

for

your own

guidance later on.

Now make
its

list

of the flowers
it.

and plants, each with

is

number
till

before

This
is

the key, to be put

away

after the

game

played.

Take a

large sheet of cardboard, about

it

twenty by twenty-four inches, and paste upon

2oS

Child's

Rainy Day Book

the flowers and plants in the order of their

bers,

numpen

marking the number

it.

of each clearly in

and ink underneath

the pictures

If

you
the

like

you can colour

attrac-

this will

make

game more
it

tive, of course,
it

and

as

you can use

many

times

is

worth while.
it,

loop of string,

by which to

hang

should be run through the top of the card

at the centre.

When you

are ready to play the

all

game hang the cardboard

give each player a pencil

sheet where

can see

it

and a piece of paper, on

i

the

left side of

which numbers from

to i8

have
time
the

been

marked.

Each
twenty

child

tries

in

the
guess

allowed

about

minutes

to
its

names

of the flowers

and plants on the sheet or

cardboard, and write each opposite

his piece of paper.

The correct

number on names are then

off their

read from the key and the players check

guesses.

The one who has guessed the greatest

correctly
is

number

of course the winner.

A
Materials

BaU-a)iJ-Fan Race
2 2

Required:

Japanese paper palmleaf fans.

balls,

Two
play
it

children

w^ill

find this race

an interesting
in

one for a rainy day.

is

The best place

which to
furniture

a large

room with very

little

ball

and fan race

Games
in
it

for

Two
for

or Three to

Pla

209

playroom

example.

Each player

stands at a corner of the

room diagonally opposite

the other, three feet out from the corner, and each

has a Japanese paper ball in front of him and a

large fan in his hand.

They must

face different
three,

ways and both count together "One, two,

and away!"
the wall.

As they
will

finish counting, the children

begin to fan their balls around the room, close to

There

be some lively skirmishing

when they meet, as they are likely to do when half way around the room. Then each tries to send his opponent's ball back and his own forward.

When

each

finally gets his ball

back to the corner

it

where he

started, he

must try

to send

as quickly

as possible to the middle of the room,

is

where a chair

placed.

The

ball

must be fanned through the

of his opponent.
is

legs of this chair

and to the goal

first

The player who

winner

accomplishes this

the

Fun

with Popcorn

Materials Required:

An open

fire,

A A
If the

corn popper, Several ears of popcorn,

prize, if desired.

open

fire

burns brightly

in

your playroom,

no matter how gray and bleak the day may be

2IO
outside,

Child's

Rainy Day Book

sisters

you and your brothers and

can

warm and cheerful over this dehghtful game. You may provide a prize for the winner, if you like,
keep

but the only things that are absolutely necessary

are the
fire,

some popcorn and a popper.

help in shelling the corn.

When
After

the players are seated in a semicircle around the

fire

they
is

may

all

this

done, divide the popcorn evenly between

them, so that each shall have a small quantity.

The player on the

left side

of the fireplace

now

takes the corn popper and pops his corn.

it
is

When
is

done, the kernels that are fully popped are

counted, also the unpopped ones, and a record

made
The

of each.

The next player pops

all

his corn

and

counts the result, and so on until

child having the largest
is

have

finished.

number of fully popped

kernels

the winner, and

may

receive a prize.
will

Afterward the winner and the defeated players

equally enjoy eating the fluffy popcorn, or
if

the

cook

is

particularly amiable they

may

be allowed
balls.

to flock to the kitchen

and make popcorn

Express
Materials

Required

1 2

or
light

5 articles,

large

and

small,

and heavy.

This

is

a lively

AH ypu will

game that needs little preparation. have to provide is a number of articles,

Games

for

Two

or Three to

Play

211

toys, pieces of china (not valuable ones), a glass of

water, some very small things and one or

large ones, something
flatiron

more

heavy
light

like a

dumb-bell or
fan, for

and something

a palmleaf
all

example.

When you have them

collected,

on a

table or stand on one side of the

room where the

or

game

is

to be played, place another table or stand

across the room.

Then you must have a clock

is

a watch,

and that

all

except

the

players.

Each

child in turn takes one thing at a time,

from

the stand where the various articles are piled, and

carries
it

to the table at the opposite side of the

room.
object

It is
is

done as quickly as possible,

for the

to

move everything from one

in

place to

the

other
is

the

least

possible

time.

Each
on
a

player
piece

timed
paper.
it

and
If

his

record

kept

of

player
the
it.

drops

anything
point

he must carry

back to
trip

starting

and make another

begins
at

with
to

The next player

the
it,

the

table

which
carries
table.

first

one

took the baggage

and
first

in the
it

same
on

way,
until

back to the
everyone
has

So

goes

played
in

expressman.
transferring
is,

The
the the

player

who

succeeds

baggage in the shortest time

winner.

of course,

212

ChikVs Rainy

Day Book
Race
of liddleclywiiiks,

A
Materials

II

II

idle

Required:

A A A A
A

box

shoot of whito ouixl board,

box

of watorot)U)iir paints,

ponoil,

Scissors,
l)all

of \vhito string,
])ins.

Sonio

The next lime you

hurdle raiw

are

ke])t

indoors by the

weather, you and a brother or sisler

ll is

may

enjoy a

placed

willi

liddledywink chips

and i)asteboard hurdU^s on a large table or on the

floor.

You can make

high.

the hurdles yourself.

They

should be cut froni cardboard, eight inches wide

and four inches

Paint some of them with

wooden bars and others green like high hedges. In making the hurdU\s, c^ut the cardboard so that
a strip two inches deej) by an inch across will

extend below

c^aeh
is

lower corner (see Fig.

104).

One

of tlu^sc
b\-

bent shari)h' forward at the place

is

marked

(he (h)tted lines, the other

turned

back, forming stancks to kec]) the hurdles upright.

The racecourse

^^ill

Ikivc to be laid out

floor,

on a

covered table or carpeted

as the tiddledy-

winks can only be used on a

soft,

cushiony

stirfaee.

You can make

the boundaries with white string,


Games
jor

Two

or Three to

Play
jiiiis.

213

held in place here and

course, thougli

tlicn; willi

An
is

oval

more

didicnll

lo

mark

rather

more exciting than a

do.

straight on(^, but cillicr will

Have

the course eight inches wide and as long

Fio. 104

as

you

please.

Tin; hurdh^s

may

])i\

jjlaced wlicre-

ever you choose, but be sure to have plenty of

them.

When you
same colour

are ready to l)egin, each ])laycr takes

a large tiddledywink chip .-md a small one of the

but

different from his (jppcjnent's

jjerson,

and at a signal given by a third

umpire, the race begins.
chip just as you
d(j in

who

acts as

Snap the tiddledywink

game, only taking

j>hiying the

214

Child's

Rainy Day Book

it

great care not to send

out of the course, for

it

if it

goes outside the lines you must set

inches.

back three

The umpire

follows the race, of course,

and

settles all

disputed questions.

Pictures from Fairy Tales

Materials

Required

A number

of old magazines,

Twice as many sheets of cardboard or heavy brown paper, lo by 12

inches, as there are children,
,

As many

pairs of scissors as there are

children,

tube of paste for each

child.

Two
game.
zines

or three children

who know and

love the old

fairy tales can

spend a delightful hour playing this

several old

Each one should have

and a sheet
of paste.

maga-

of cardboard, as well as scissors

and a tube

The

leader,

who may be one

make
it;

of the children or

an older person, explains the

game
some

as follows:

Each
It is

child

is

expected to

a picture on his sheet of cardboard to illustrate

fairy tale.

not necessary to draw

he can cut from the magazines people and properties

and scenery and paste them upon the card.

be sure not to
tell

He must
chosen.

anyone the story he has

an hour the pictures
rung
for

At the end

of half

should be finished.

bell is

everyone

Games
to stop

for

Two

or Three to

Play

work and the pictures

them.

are placed

where

all

The leader now holds one up before the children and asks them what story they
suppose
it

can see

illustrates,

and what particular part

of the story.
picture.

The

child

who answers

first

wins the

The other
If

pictures are held up, one at a

time, and the children try to see

who can

guess

they are ready for another round of the game after this one is finished, they may find
first.
it

them

amusing to vary

it

by making

pictures from

"Mother Goose."

NOV 11 1906

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

013 824 153