A Housewife's Diary

Southland Times, Issue 23650, 27 October 1938, Page 14

A Housewife's Diary

Hints About The Home

Miniature Garden.

Have you ever thought of using the plastic modelling material sold for children as a basis for a miniature garden It makes the easiest kind of foundation for a table garden in which the plants are to be the artificial sort. It is not only simple to mould into “hills” and “dales” but holds sand or coloured shell paths and makes a firm ground for the stalks of flowers or twigs to be stuck in. A Way With Curtains.

Sometimes curtains, shrink in length after the first wash. One remedy is to let down the bottom hem but if this is done they never “look the same.” The best way is to undo the top edges of the curtains, removing the tape, if any, and to stitch on a length of one and a half to two-inch wide furnishing braid of a matching tone. Re-stitch tape for rings on the top of this braid. Strawbarries—Face Cream.

Spare a few strawberries next season for facial beautifying. Crushed and mixed with cream or lotion they ha”e i wonderful astringent effect a‘ is very good for the skin that suffers in hot weather, ihey produce a fine creaminess of tone. The most up-to-date beauty parlours serve strawberries with face cream to rejuvenate complexions this year.

Deck Chair Comfort. Little things make all the difference to comfort and a pair of rubber cushions, one for supporting the back of the knees and one for the head, provide the solution of the problem how to be really at ease in a deck-chair, or the more garden type of canvas garden chair with upright back and wooden arms. For children there are spotted toadstool tables of wood and small stools to match. They look gay in scarlet and white. Making Belts.

Belts, by the way, that you make yourself have an advantage over bought ones because of the touch of individuality you give them. Leaf belts are effective. You want soft suede in two different colours from which to cut leaves that imitate those of the plane tree in outline. Mount the leaves, alternating the colour, on bands of webbing, or wide elastic, arranging them so that they overlap one another. Eyes in the Sun. Sun-glasses save sun “wrinkles” in these hatless days. Sun-glasses, however, do not always improve one’s appearance. Instead, a good idea is to wear a hat bnim as a shade from the sun’s glare. Treat wrinkles with a good nourishing oil and massage. Use pure almond oil or special wrinkle cream, and after bathing the eyes with warm water smooth the oil over the closed lids and the whole structure of the socket, from the sides of the cheekbones to the hair line, massage gently with rotary movements upwards. ‘ * • • *

Snow White’s seven dwarfs are everyone’s favourites and it is not only the children who will fall for the charms of a clock that has taken the dwarf Dopey for its adornment. Dopey’s face rests above the dial of the clock and his big eyes roll from side to side in keep- / ing time with the ticking of the time? piece. /