RED AND WHITE CLOVERS
BY the roadside, through the meadows, on the farm, at the cottage
door, and in your own yard those dear, familiar little friends, the
clover-blossoms, come to greet you. Even in city parks you may find
them, and always they are ready and glad to help you have a good time.
Gather a lot of these flowers and sit in the shade under a tree with
your lap filled with them while I tell you how to make a
Clover Wreath
Select some long-stemmed blossoms and leaves, bunch them and bind their
stems together their full length with strong grass or string. Wind the
grass around and around the stems, tucking the ends securely in under
the last wind. You may need several long blades of grass for binding
one bunch.
In the same way make a second bunch and fit the flowers up close
against the first bunch of blossoms, with their stems lying along the
side of the first stems. Do not lap the flowers of one bunch over the
flowers of another. Fasten the second bunch in place by binding the
stems to those of the first bunch; then make a third bunch and bind
it on next to the second bunch. Continue making these clover bunches
and binding their stems to the stems of those already a part of the
wreath until the strip is long enough to fit around your head. Try it
on and, if it is the proper length, join the two ends by binding the
last stems to the stems of the first bunches. Fig. 10 shows the clover
wreath complete.
[Illustration: Fig.10 - Wreath of freshly picked Clover.]
You should also have a
Clover Bracelet
to wear with the wreath. Make this as you did the wreath but with much
smaller bunches. Keep binding the bunches together until the strip for
the bracelet fits your arm (Fig. 11), then join the two ends, and slip
the pretty thing on your wrist. Of course, you will want
Clover Earrings
to match, and those two plump, full, fresh blossoms lying at the top of
the others on your lap are exactly what you need.
[Illustration: Fig.11 - Clover bracelet.]
[Illustration: Fig.12 - Clover earring.]
[Illustration: Fig.13 - Clover Blossom ring.]
[Illustration: Fig.14 - Clover Blossom pendant on Clover necklace.]
Take one of these clovers and fit it in tight between your cheek and
the lobe of your ear (Fig. 12). Be careful not to break the long stem,
for you must bring it up snugly just back of your ear along the line
where the ear joins your head, and when this is done, bend the end
of the stem down gently over the top of your ear. The stem will hold
your earring in place. Make the other earring in the same way. The
two clover-blossoms used for the earrings should be as much alike as
possible both in size and shape. They should be matched carefully, as
pearls and diamonds are matched in a pair of real earrings.
Now for a "solitaire"
Clover Ring
Choose the finest clover for the jewel, and hold it against the back of
your left forefinger while you wrap the stem once around the finger,
loop it over the blossom and draw the loop tight. Fasten the end by
tucking it under and over, and again under the stem ring on your
finger. This clover ring is really very effective, and can be made of
any colored clover. Fig. 13 gives an idea of how it looks.
A Necklace of Clover
will complete your beautiful set of flower jewelry. Make the necklace
as you made the bracelet and fasten three pendant blossoms at the
centre, allowing the middle clover to hang down a little below those on
either side (Fig. 14).
Now you are ready, with the addition of a long, straight twig, at the
top of which you have fastened a bouquet of clover, to play that you
are queen of all the clover fairies, and that your clover-tipped twig
is your magic wand.
Other Things of Clover
The running, vinelike clovers are fine to use for climbing-roses
on outdoor doll-houses. They can also be trained over the doll
garden-frames and arches.