WORK COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 16 June 1900, Page 1149

WORK COLUMN.

It is not possible for every mother to buy kindergarten gifts for her little ones, yet her desire may be strong to furnish amusement and instruction for them. To such mothers I would say: get a bundle of straws, such as are used for drinking lemonade through, or even matches without heads. With these you can teach simple counting and subtraction. If the children own a Noah’s Ark you can lay out the farm, and using some straw paper, prick the names of the animals, making the letters as simple as possible and about an inch high, and let the children outline them in coloured cotton. From the same kind of paper, boxes of various shapes can be made by an ingenious mother. Children love all sorts of experiments and this method trains their powers of observa-

tion and expression. Here again is a simple toy for a boy of somewhat larger growth to make. Two oblong pieces of wood form the sides of the nut cracker as seen in the sketch. Cut a deep notch in one end of each side.

sawing the other end off square. Make three holes in each square end and fasten together with strong wire hooks. The nut should be placed as near the wire hooks as possible, and the opposite ends then being pressed together, it will work as successfully as the most elaborate you can buy. ® ® < My sketch looks like the common or garden tea-cosy, but it is no-thing of the kind. To begin with, 1 do not approve of tea-cosies, unless the proper way of making the tea is carried out. the leaves being removed directly the tea is infused. This is a cosy intended for a hot-water can. Everybody knows how very soon hot water chills in this cold weather if not protected by such a cover as this. It is very simple to

make, having ordinary wadding as the inner lining, covered with swa.nsdown calico in the inside and bath blanketting on the outside. On this outside can be very quickly worked in outline an effective floral design in wo 1. strong colours, such as blue, red and orange, being the best for the purpose. The little red rucking or coloured sateen gives a fulness where the two sides are joined: this is finished off neatly with a worsted cord. ® ® ® When young people set up housekeeping they are a little apt to spend quite an undue proportion of the money they possess on an expensive dining-table. Now this is quite unnecessary. In fact, in some of the large houses of the Royal Academicians and other artists such a thing is not seen. They prefer. for ar* reasons. the old-fashioned trestle board-' and supports. These, of cou-'v. can Im* had for a very much lower price than any sort of ordinary dining-table

Moreover, when nicely covered with a serge cloth adorned with some suck bonier as I have indicated in bbe accompanying sketch, they are ooth decorative and useful. At th‘ same t me. also, their size can be increased or decreased with the smallest possible amount of labour.