TOYS MADE OF COMMON KINDLING WOOD
JUST a glance at a pile of ordinary every-day kindling wood could hardly
suggest to one the possibilities existing in the crude material for
building all sorts of interesting and realistic things for the little
folks, but experiment and you will find that Klondike log-houses,
rail-fences and lumber camps, bridges, and substantial little rafts
which will float on water in laundry or bath tub, pond or stream, can be
easily and readily built from the little sticks we use to start our
fires.
Let us build
=The Bridge=
first, that Indians and men may cross the water to the lumber region
beyond, and cut logs for their rafts (Fig. 125).
Select two sticks of kindling wood as near of a size as you can find,
and lay them side by side, a short distance apart; then connect the two
by placing sticks across the ends, log-cabin fashion. These four sticks
form the square foundation of one bridge pier.
Continue building by crossing the second layer of sticks with a third
layer, the third layer with a fourth layer, and so on until the pier is
built up sufficiently high, six or more layers, according to the
thickness of the sticks. As you build be sure that the two sticks
forming each layer lie absolutely steady and are of about the same
thickness, that those built on top of them may not slant, but lie level
and steady.
All sticks should be of the same length, but the layers may vary in
thickness; one layer of sticks might be thin and the next thick; it
matters not, provided that the two forming the same layer are nearly of
a size.
[Illustration: FIG. 125--The little bridge built of kindling wood.]
When the first pier is finished, build a second one like it a short
distance from the first one, and lay a strip of stiff pasteboard, cut
from an old box, across from pier to pier; then lay a second strip of
pasteboard from one pier to the ground, a third strip from the remaining
pier to the ground on the opposite side (Fig. 125). If you wish, the two
end strips can be longer than those shown in the photograph, and slant
from the piers down to the ground on a level with the water. The banks
in the photograph are built up with boxes and covered with green cloth.
For each of the two archways, take two thin sticks of wood and stand
them at the top outward edge of the pier, with ends braced together at
the top, and spread out at the bottom, as in the photograph.
Use either natural or tissue-paper trees stuck into empty spools for
foliage, or little toy trees, if you happen to have them among the
children's store toys.
Though the bridge is not intended to be over real water, you might try
the experiment and strengthen the hollow piers by filling them with
stones, when building the bridge out-of-doors.
[Illustration: FIG. 126--Kindling-wood rafts that will float on real
water.]
Fig. 126 shows two little
=Kindling-Wood Rafts=
which will float on real water. Have the slender sticks for the raft all
of the same length, and use about sixteen or eighteen sticks for each
raft. Weave them together with a string. Begin by tying the centre of a
long string around each end of a stick, which should be about eight
inches in length (Fig. 127).
Place one end of a second stick up against one tie, allowing one string
to come over and the other string under the second stick (Fig. 128).
Cross the two lengths of the string over the second stick, bringing the
lower string up and the upper string down (Fig. 129); then lay another
stick up against the crossed strings, carrying the strings in turn over
this stick (Fig. 130). Again, bring the lower string up and the upper
string down, before placing another stick. Continue crossing the string
and adding kindling wood until the raft is of the desired length. Tie
the ends of the string securely on the last stick, and weave the
opposite loose ends of the sticks together in the same way, tying the
string firmly together on the last stick. Clip off the ends of the
string and the raft will then be ready for the water, and will carry
either passengers or freight.
[Illustration: FIG. 127--Begin the raft in this way.]
[Illustration: FIG. 128--Lay a second stick up against the tie.]
[Illustration: FIG. 129--Cross the strings around the second stick.]
[Illustration: FIG. 130--Cross the strings around the third stick.]
Put up log-houses for the toy people to live in. Select two different
lengths of kindling wood for
=The Houses=
that the buildings may be longer one way than the other. They will look
better and be more comfortable than if square.
Place two long sticks of kindling wood a short distance apart and
running parallel; across these sticks lay two shorter ones, bridging the
space at each end between the long sticks, then place two long sticks
over the ends of the two short ones; keep building in this way until the
little house is seven or eight layers high.
[Illustration: FIG. 131--A Klondike settlement with dog train and
sledge.]
Cut a piece of white cardboard or light-weight pasteboard the length of
the house, and wider than the width of the house, to allow for the slant
of the roof. Bend the roof lengthwise through the centre and lay it on
top of the house (Fig. 131). Make a door of stiff pasteboard painted or
covered with a layer of brown tissue-paper pasted on the outside. Cut
the door a suitable size and stand it up in front of the house.
If you want
=An Arctic Scene=
spread a piece of white cloth over a table for the snowy ground. Canton
flannel, fleecy side up, is best, but any kind will answer the purpose.
Then erect several kindling-wood houses and form a Klondike settlement
(Fig. 131).
Original home-made toy men, dogs, and sled may be used to complete the
scene, or they can be cut from newspapers or old magazines. Stiffen by
pasting them on cardboard; then cut out the men, dogs, and sled more
carefully in detail. Bend one leg forward and one backward to make the
men stand alone, and bend two legs outward and two inward to enable the
dogs to stand. Paste narrow strips of paper on the dogs for harness.
[Illustration: FIG. 132--The Virginia rail-fence.]
Make another kindling-wood scene like Fig. 132.
=Rail-Fences=
are peculiar to America. You cannot find them abroad, and every little
boy and girl will want to know how to build one of these old-fashioned
"snake" or Virginia rail-fences. The fence may be of any length, its
zigzag lines can run in any direction, all the way across the room if
you choose.
[Illustration: FIG. 133--Form a rude letter V.]
[Illustration: FIG. 134--Across the end of the second stick place the
end of a third stick.]
Lay down one piece of kindling wood, and over one end place the end of
another stick, forming a rude letter V (Fig. 133). Across the end of the
second stick which rests on the ground, place the end of a third stick
(Fig. 134). Keep on building the first layer of the fence in this way
until it stretches as far as you wish; then go back to the starting
point and begin building the second layer of sticks, by placing a stick
over the first stick, resting one end on the far end of the first stick,
the other end on the top of the end of the second stick; lay another
stick across over the second stick, another over the third, and so on
until the second layer is finished. Build other layers in like manner,
and make the fence high or low, as desired. Pile up kindling wood into a
wood-pile with small pieces scattered on the ground, and if there is a
toy horse you can make him haul more wood (Fig. 132).
These kindling-wood toys will give a realistic idea of log-houses,
rail-fences, log rafts, and primitive bridges, and while building them
the children might be told stories of the way early settlers lived and
made their homes, or the children may "make up" stories about the
different scenes.
=Hammocks=
Substantial little hammocks which will hold good-sized dolls, and even a
real pussy with no danger of the material breaking, can be made of
ordinary kindling wood or strips of pasteboard (Fig. 135). Both styles
of hammocks are woven in the same manner. The weaving is like that used
for the raft and is of the simplest, most primitive kind, merely
crossing of the two ends of each side string between each piece of wood
(or pasteboard) slat, with loops of string left at each end of the
hammock for hanging it up. When fashioned of kindling wood, like that in
the photograph, have the sticks slender and all of the same length. When
made of pasteboard, cut seven-inch-wide strips from a heavy pasteboard
box and cut the strips crosswise into one-half-inch slats. Have ready
two long strings measuring about two and a half yards each. Double each
string and tie a knot in the closed end, fifteen inches from the extreme
folded end, then place your work on the top of the table, or some other
flat surface where you can keep the slats flat and even. Begin to weave
by laying a slat between the loose ends of each string.
[Illustration: FIG. 135--A substantial little hammock.]
Push the slat up tight against the knots and cross the strings on the
outer edge of the slat. Slide another slat between the two ends of each
side string, shoving it close up against the crossed strings at the
outer edge of the first slat. Bring one end of each string over and one
under the second slat, cross them, and add the third slat. Continue
weaving in this way until the hammock is of sufficient length, then tie
the strings securely at the outer edge of the last slat.
After you have put in the last board bring the slats up very close
together and draw the strings firm and tight. Tie the double lengths of
string together at each end of the hammock, making two long loops by
which to hang up the hammock.