Inexpensive Furnishings

Ladies' Mirror, Volume V, Issue 6, 1 December 1926, Page 76

Inexpensive Furnishings

By Miss M. HUTTON WHITLAW.

when doctors and others all advise, that, as far as possibly convenient, children should have their own rooms, many parents, while having the necessary space, have not the furniture with which to equip them, or sufficient funds to allow the purchase of such, hut it is not only to these people that I am addressing the following practicable suggestions, but also to those who have small sea-side batches, but who at the same time, do not wish to go to the expense of purchasing a lot of furniture. To her whose husband is ordinarily handy with tools, and who herself can use both needle and tacks, the following hints are practicable, having either been carried out by the author, or by friends. Many people possess a small backroom, or, more common still, space under the house, which latter especially. with the addition of a little timber, could be turned into a most suitable playroom, den. etc., for the children, while the idea could be slightly elaborated and enlarged in seaside batches. To begin with, the necessary materials arc:plenty of nails (assorted and tacks, a little strong string or cord, fruit, butter and packing cases, and if required, some timber. To make a dressing-table, the height of which will be about 3 feet, take two fruit cases (these can be bought for 6d each or less) which have each a partition in the middle ; insert two more similar partitions, one on each side of the middle one, ■ stand these on end, about 2 feet apart (the cases being generally from) 15 to 18 inches wide) and of Sin. by lin. thick boards; the total length of (he boxes plus width of space between, is about 4 feet 6 inches; nail securely a sxl inch by 9 feet 6 inch board on to these. Plane or smooth the sides of the cases, as they arc generally rough the table board can be bought planed, for about 2/6, the price depending on the kind purchased), and then stain the whole, or paint or enamel it, according to taste. This done, along the top of each of the two cases put a coloured cretonne curtain, gathered, on cord or string, and the dressing table is complete, save for the addition of

For Seaside Batches, etc.

a mirror, which may be either hung on the -wall at a suitable height above the table, or fastened, upright, to it. Practically the same idea may be used to make a boy’s writing desk, but in this case it should be about 2 feet 9 inches high, and in place of a mirror, two small pieces of board, each about 12 inches high by 6 inches wide by i-i inches thick, nailed at right-angles at the sides, and a shelf placed between them 9 inches from the table top, to allow books to stand upright; another similar board may be placed inside the two boards and nailed to the table top (if this board is J-inch thick, it will then be 1 inch less in length than the shelf) or it may be nailed on first, and then the side boards attached afterwards. Cretonne curtains may be put over the fruit cases, or small doors attached, with either iron or leather hinges, and closed by means of small wooden pivot knobs. A s , an addition to the writing desk, cigar boxes (three or four) placed on top of each other, the lids having been removed, make very good “pidgeon holes”; they may be placed, one set at each end, on the top shelf, but to make them more secure, two side boards may be nailed against them. Shelves innumerable may be made similarly to the one described for the writing tabic, by simply making the side pieces to the same length as the distance between the shelves (nine inches, generally), plus thickness of wood for each shelf. If desired, an additional nine inches or six inches may be added, to allow two to four inches beyond the shelves at top and bottom. The shelves can be either supported on the wall by brackets, stood on a upboard. etc., or the back may be warded up and then screwed to wall. Very comfortable stools can be made from butter boxes, the top having a cushion attached, and the whole covered with cretonne. The open side may be left as it is, with a small wooden bar. placed at about three to six inches from the ground, for a foot-rest. The same idea, but with the open side curtained, may be used for a bedside or shoe cupboard, etc.

r J , Aiu.Ks. whether for writing, or for small children's play benches, arc very easily constructed, For the former, they should be about two feet nine inches high, the length and breadth depending on the builder's taste, though three feet by two feet will be found quite a suitable size. The latter tables should be about five feet long, two feet to three feet wide, and eighteen inches to two feet high, according to the age of the children. Ihe legs are made of rafter beams quartered, the length, oi course, depending on the height of table required. The writing table should either be stained or painted, but it is advisable not to treat the plav-table, so that it may be scrubbed occasionally; it would also be found advisable to plane off any sharp corners Forms can be made in the same way as tables, except that the top width is less, and also the height, than the tables; eighteen inches will lie found suitable in most cases, but would be lower for small children. pi.AY cupboards are made similarly to the dressing table cupboards, and two cases can be placed side by side and nailed together. It will be found more advisable to put curtains instead of doors, as they are more convenient for children. forms are also very simply made, two butter boxes and a fruit case being required. The depth of the fruit case should be the same as the upright width of the butter boxes, but this is not essential. The fnut case is lain on its side between the butter boxes, and all firmly fastened together. The tops of the three boxes are luted with cushions, The 2 ?H° V T : VJthcret °TThe front of the fruit case may be curtained, and used as a shoe cup-

board, or just reversed (becoming the back). If possible, the butter boxes should be boarded, or the open side of each may be also curtained, Remember, if the boxes are to be painted or stained, they must first be planed, S^^S