CORNER FOR BUSY BEES

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 287, 3 December 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

CORNER FOR BUSY BEES

GIFTS FOR FRIENDS. FURTHER WAX CRAFT IDEAS. (Conducted by TINKERBELL..) Dear Girls, — I was so pleased to hear that many of you had successfully made the little wax stud box. Molly, who is only eight, found the swastikas too hard to design. I am sorry about that Molly, but they are really not a bit necessary you know, and I have no doubt at all that your father will be- ever so pleased with the little box just as it is, so cheer up. This week I promised further ideas for Christmas presents for school friends. Don't you love the dear little brooches shown in the illustration? As you can guess, they too, are made from wax, and arc really not at all difficult to make. Parrots and birds with vivid plumage make attractive little brooches. Draw them on cardboard, which should be cut to shape and then covered with hot wax in the appropriate colourings, u.ing the teals cold on hot wax and v'ce versa *to mark the feathers. Mount on a small, flat, gilt safety pin, v.-'lich can be bought from any drapery shop. Brooches can be made easily with aid of little metal rim tags, as the rim prevents the card from curling. Cover the whole smoothly with gold or silver wax, then make tiny leaves i evenly all round the edge. Round

these again put either tiny flowers or drops of transparent wax to imitate stones, being careful to space them so as not to touch while the wax is hot.

These look well built up in the middle. Allow one layer to cool before adding a nether. Now to make the dainty purse illustrated in this column. It is made of

black moire silk and the flower spray is worked in embroidery ribbon threaded in a needle. The bag is a simple envelope shape, with a narrow piece let in at the so that it may expand. It mea-

sures eleven inches by seven inches and is bound all round with a dull brocaded ribbon two inches wide. A strip of this ribbon doubled makes the slit for the tab. The flowers are worked in their natural shades, while the stalks are embroidered in fine silk. The ribbon (an eighth of an inch wide) should cost only a penny a yard. At each end of the spray the tiny buds are made of small pearl beads, while the large flower in the middle is a rose in peach pink ribbon, gathered and stitched to the moire. This completes your purse. It is really so very sweet and can be made in any material—white linen to match a tennis frock and trimmed with blue or perhaps crimson flowers. It looks very striking and will, I know, be hailed with delight by your fortunate school friend. By the way, how are the gifts nro■~re.ssing, girls? Write to me qu'ckly if you get into any little difficulties and I shall do my very best to help.