experiment can obtain for quite a small sum pieces of leather from
trunk-makers and saddlers, (who call it sheepskin instead of basil;)
you can engage them to save you all their pieces; in this way you
can obtain all you will wish to use. You can also purchase strips
of thicker leather at the same places, to ornament the edge of your
brackets, &c.; you can cut the edge of the leather in scollops, points,
&c., with chisels and gouges, and nail it round the shelf or glue it
on, the scollops, &c., hanging down; it will look exactly like wood
when properly stained. Then nail your flowers to that. Pieces of skiver
can also be obtained from the book-binders. To form your leaves and
flowers, you must sketch your pattern from nature, on pasteboard.
Then dip your leather in cold water for half a minute (not longer,
unless the leather is unusually thick;) it should then be taken from
the water and pressed in a linen cloth until the surface is nearly
dry. Being thus prepared, lay it quite flat on a board, and place upon
it your pasteboard pattern, and trace it. While the leather is wet,
cut out your leaf with sharp scissors or a shoe-maker’s knife. The
pattern may be drawn before the leather is wet, and if sharp tools
are used the leaf can be cut before wetting it; and by drawing one
pattern and nailing several pieces of leather firmly on a board, with
chisels, gouges and hammer, you can cut a number of leaves at once,
and then neatly trim them with the scissors. All common leaves, such
as grape, ivy, or convolvulus, are more easily cut in this way; rose
leaves and grape leaves are cut better with the scissors. You should
have a variety of sizes of leaves. To vein the leaves you should copy
nature, and mark them with a brad awl or knitting needle, or the point
of the scissors; press heavily for thick veins and lightly for the
finer veins; by using the two points of your scissors slightly spread
apart, you can form the raised veins; a hard steel pen can be used
for the smaller veins. Being veined, the leaves should be bent and
moulded into the required shape. Then they should be dried quickly,
as it hardens them better. Some persons stiffen them when dry by
brushing over a stiffening made of two ounces of Australian red gum,
six ounces of orange shellac, half a pint of spirits of wine, mixed
cold, and when dissolved, strained for use. It is not necessary to use
any such preparation when your leather work is sufficiently hardened
by drying; take some asphaltum varnish and stain it carefully all over
with a brush. This varnish you can buy ready mixed, or you can get
the asphaltum, powder it, and dissolve it in spirits of turpentine;
when well dried it will probably need a second coat, possibly a third,
depending on the color you wish, whether dark or light; when well
dried, varnish the work with copal varnish, and dry it thoroughly. Then
stain your wood (or you can have it stained at the cabinet-makers,
as you prefer.) You can stain even common pine wood by the following
process: first, stain with asphaltum the color you desire; then varnish
with three coats of copal varnish, having each well dried; when it is
dry and hard, rub it down with powdered pumice stone, and wash off
with clear cold water. Then arrange and nail, or glue, on your leather
flowers or fruit. When all is complete, finish up with a coat of copal
varnish carefully brushed on.
To make stems and tendrils: cut strips as long as the leather will
allow; soak them well in water for a few minutes until they feel very
soft; take them out, wipe the water from the surface, roll them and dry
them; if required to be very stiff, add inside a piece of wire; when
very thick ones are required the leather may be cut wider. Tendrils are
made in the same manner as stems, using skiver instead of the ordinary
leather; dry them quickly, then take a strip, damp it and wind it round
a brad awl or knitting needle, taking care to fasten both ends, so that
it cannot fly off; dry it by the fire, then remove it from the awl or
needle, and a delicately formed tendril will be the result.
Every kind of flower can be imitated. Oak leaves and acorns are easily
made, and many prefer them to flowers. Take several sizes of natural
oak leaves, and draw the pattern on pasteboard, and pencil them as the
natural leaf is veined. These you can keep always ready to copy your
leather from. The natural acorn can be used, by leaving a little of the
stem on the cup, on which to glue a longer stem of leather; then glue
the acorn into the cup, and varnish and stain. If you can obtain sprays
of acorns, and glue each acorn to its cup and glue on a bit of leather
to the end of the stem, to nail to your frame, they are the most
desirable. The acorns gathered from the shrub oak are the prettiest.
Convolvulus is a vine most commonly imitated. The leaves and tendrils
are very simple, and the flower is easily shaped over the top of a
bottle. First, cut a round piece the size of a half dollar, and punch
a hole in the centre after it is wet, then shape from the natural
flower; the cup can be formed in the neck of the bottle, and the rest
by rolling the edges over the rim of the top of the bottle.
Ivy is easily made. The berries can be formed from slack baked bread;
take it and roll into little berries, then stick in each a piece of
wire (that pulled from wire taste is the best, as it is wound with
thread,) and in forming the branch wind the wires together with a strip
of leather. When the berries have hardened, stain them.
Grapes are made of skiver, and either small clay marbles or dry peas.
First, wet your skiver, then form your bunch of grapes, by pushing one
after another firm into the pliant leather, and fasten around each a
linen thread, and draw them with it close together, shaping your bunch
according to the size you wish. They so perfectly imitate carved wood
that persons familiar with carving may be deceived by them. By the
exercise of ingenuity and your imitative qualities you can accomplish
very satisfactory results. Parts of the work may be gilded, if you
prefer. For instance, you may gild your acorns, grapes or ivyberries.
Bronzing is pretty for some kinds of work. It is done by sprinkling or
rubbing bronzing powder on the work before the last coat of varnish is
dry.
[Illustration: SKELETON BRACKET.]
Autumn leaves can be imitated by using finely powdered colors,
and mixing them to the consistence of cream, with the following
medium:—Mix the white of an egg with 2 oz. of pure distilled vinegar;
put them into a bottle and shake them well together whenever you wish
to mix your colors; or mix them with parchment size warmed, or a weak
solution of gum-Arabic; in either case, varnish with a quick drying
pale varnish. Oil colors will not answer.
Pieces of furniture easily ornamented by leather are book cases,
etageres, brackets, picture frames, work boxes, screens, music and
watch stands and fancy tables, &c., &c.
[Illustration: DESIGN FOR A BRACKET.]
The edges of frames of all kinds may be neatly ornamented by taking
two strips about seven-eighths of an inch wide, cut them as long as
possible, and stain them; when ready for use, nail them together to the
edge of the frame, then twist them round so as to form a point, and
nail again, and so on all around, crossing them each time. Brackets
need to be formed not only artistically, but strong. I will give here a
design for the framework, before the leather ornaments are nailed on.
The strips of wood must be entirely covered with the leather foliage;
it adds to the appearance of the whole.
To gild the upper edge, I will also give a pretty design for an oak and
ivy bracket. This is intended to imitate old oak, and should be stained
very dark. The oak stem should be made of very thick wire, cut in the
desired lengths, and covered with leather, and bent to resemble gnarled
oak, as naturally as possible; fasten oak leaves and acorns at the back
of the wires and on the wood-work, as shown in the skeleton bracket,
then attach the ivy tendrils, leaves and berries around the oak stems,
and the bracket is complete. Other and very beautiful designs will
readily occur to persons who engage in this delightful recreation.
CIGAR-BOXES MADE USEFUL.
BEAUTIFUL fancy boxes can be made from cigar-boxes, if the cover is
preserved whole. Small sizes are the most desirable. Toilet, glove,
handkerchief, gentlemen’s collar, note paper and work-boxes, besides
many other varieties, are easily manufactured. The materials required,
most of which can be purchased at the paper box manufactories,
are:—All kinds of fancy enamel paper, in sheets; gold or silver paper,
and the gold or fancy beadings, which can be bought in strips; small
enamel German pictures; plain or water-colored paper, or colored silk
and satins, for the lining; gilded corner-pieces, and claw-feet are an
addition; perfume powder, narrow taste, &c.
First, you must fasten the lid firmly by pasting a strip of linen along
the edges of the lid and box, inside, as well as outside; it holds the
lid firm, and acts as a hinge; paste on each side bits of ribbon to
support the lid, then glue in the lining. For very nice boxes, silk
or satin, fluted, is a great addition. Plait it above and below on a
narrow piece of paper, and paste the edges down; then take an oblong
piece of silk and another of paper, place a piece of cotton wool on
the paper sprinkled with perfume powder, then cover with the silk, and
baste the paper over the edge, pasting the whole on the lid in the
center. After you have covered it, paste neatly round it a gold beading
(or bind the edges of the box first with gold paper); close the box
when the inside is finished, and commence on the outside. Some persons
take out the bottom of the box in lining it, as it is easier to paste
it smoothly, and then nail it in its place. Cover the whole outside of
the box with polished enamel paper (Japanese paper is very beautiful,
but expensive,) and cover the bottom of the box; then bind the edges of
the box with gold paper, and place beading on the edge where it meets
the colored paper. The styles may be varied by pasting gold beading
in stripes all over the box; ornament the sides, if you prefer, with
pictures. On the lid, gold corner-pieces, besides the beading, are an
improvement. In the center place some pretty picture, varnish it with
map varnish, and then frame the picture with a gold beading. A loop
of ribbon should be pasted on the lid to raise it by, and your box is
finished. If your box is for gloves or handkerchiefs, you may cut out
in old Roman or English letters, in gold paper, “Gantes” or “Mouchoir,”
and paste them on the front side of the box. Pin-cushions could be
fastened on the top of toilet boxes.
The pictures and gilding that come on linen or cambric goods may be
used for this purpose. Common flour paste is the best; a little common
glue mixed in while boiling improves the paste. Mucilage can be used
to glue on the beading. The paper should be thoroughly wet with paste.
Begin to paste smoothly from the center, in order to keep out all air.
POTICHIMANIE.
POTICHIMANIE is the art of imitating painting on glass or China. The
most beautiful of the Chinese porcelain, Sevres, Japanese or Etruscan
vases, can be so closely imitated, that none but connoisseurs can
discover at first sight, the difference. The work is attractive, and
very simple; the materials employed are few, and inexpensive.
First, select some plain glass vases, resembling in shape and size the
particular style of China you wish to represent. You can have vases of
any shape blown and fashioned for you at the glass houses.
Select your colored figures, representing the style of China you wish
to imitate; let them be rich, and clear in their colors. You will need
two or three small brushes, such as painters use, some strong gum
water, and a bottle of varnish. Use paint for the groundwork of the
color you wish to represent. The ground color of the Chinese porcelain
is in general a greenish white; the Sevres a bluish white; while the
Etruscan is a pale yellow. These three colors are generally all that
are wanted. A delicate pink is sometimes used. For any one kind of
vase, only one ground color is necessary. A pair of very fine pointed
scissors will also be required.
Then proceed to cut out your figures with great care; if you can cut
a trifle within your figures, all the better, for no white edges must
be visible. When they are all cut, arrange them on a sheet of paper
in the order in which they are to be placed in the vase, and gum them
very evenly and carefully on the colored side; let them lay until the
gum rather thickens and the paper on which they are colored softens;
then take them up carefully and place them in their proper places on
the inside of your vase; press them carefully with a bit of old linen
tight to the glass, excluding all air between them and the glass,
otherwise bubbles will be formed, and the work will be spoiled. When
all the pictures are arranged, wipe the glass clean, except where it is
covered by the pictures. After the work is dry and clean, varnish the
back of the prints, and paint the inside of the vase with the ground
color. Some persons pour it in the vase, and let it run around, and
then carefully brush it on; some put it on near the pictures by gently
tapping the glass with the brush. Great care must be taken not to let
the paint run under the paintings. The antennae of butterflies and
other minute objects may be imitated in gold, or by drawing them on the
glass with gum water and sprinkling them with gold bronze powder. This
must be done before the ground paint is laid. Gold stars scattered over
some kinds of vases may improve them. You can buy sheets of appropriate
designs already colored. If you prefer to color them yourself, you must
be sure and have your colors clear and bright; the brighter they are
the better they will appear. Where gold is introduced, it is better
to use the shell or prepared gold. It is applied in the same manner
as water colors, and may be used with good effect, in borders, single
ornaments, flowers, insects, and to fill up when no other color is
introduced. This work may be used in various ways to decorate your
homes. The inside of your vase should be varnished, to give it the
smoothness of China, and you can have the rim gilded. If several coats
of sizing are applied, the vase may be filled with water without injury
to the paint; but you can fit cups to the vases, in which to put water
for flowers. Hall lamps, windows, &c., are decorated in the same
manner, except that no ground color is used. Cabinet boxes, tables, and
a great variety of other articles, both useful and ornamental, may,
with a little ingenuity and taste, be rendered extremely elegant.
ORNAMENTS IN RICE SHELL-WORK.
THE rice shells are brought from the West Indies, and are sold by
measure, or by the box, at the conchological repositories. They can be
bought already prepared for use, but are more expensive in that form.
To prepare the rough shell for use, you must first take a long pin and
free the interior of each shell from all grit or dirt; next with your
scissors clip the extreme tip of the shell so as to leave a tiny hole
like the eye of a needle. This must be carefully done or the shell
will be spoiled, or your eyes may be seriously injured by the flying
fragments. Practice soon enables one to clip them rapidly and evenly.
It is advisable to have at hand a number of small card boxes, to hold
your articles. In clipping, it is well to sort the shells by the sizes,
and lay them in separate boxes. Small, flat, white shells, nearly
transparent, add to the beauty of the shell-work. These must be bored
by a sharp needle near the stem. When all are clipped, pour over them
cold water, with a little soda and castile soap. The latter should be
shredded, and mixed in the proportion of half an ounce to each pint
of water. Then cover your pan and place it near a good fire, or in an
oven; let it remain till scalding hot, stirring now and then; then
take it away, and rub the shells gently with your hands; then pour off
the water and rinse the shells; add a fresh supply of water and soap
only, and repeat the same process; after being again rinsed in clear
water take a few shells, fold them in a soft towel to dry them, and
afterwards rub them with a silk handkerchief; then place them in a dish
near the fire and shake them occasionally till they are dry. Then place
them in a box ready for use. They should appear polished and pearly
white. Too much soap, soda, or heat will turn them yellow. Too great
heat in drying will cause them to be brittle and crack, but they must
be dry before using.
Next you must procure silver wire. This can be bought at gold and
silver bullion makers, or at musical instrument makers. You need
several sizes, the very finest thread wire to wind around the stems, a
size to twist in the shell and another for stems.
The largest shells are better for baskets and heavier work, the middle
size and smallest for flowers and leaves. Each kind should have its own
box. Into one box cut some two or three hundred pieces of middle sized
wire, about two and a half inches in length. You should collect for
use various materials, such as floss silk, fine wire chenille, roman
pearl beads, (the solid or grain-like bead is preferable,) coral beads,
or turquoise, pink, green or yellow, red flower seeds, velvet, satin,
or silver leaves and silver bullion. Having collected materials for a
wreath and sprays of various flowers, commence your work by stringing
your shells on your bits of wire. Turn the wire over the shell; hold
the folded wire between thumb and finger of the right hand, and turn
the shell round and round until the wires are firmly twisted together.
Very soon you will be astonished at the rapidity with which you string
and twist your shells. They look like this cut, when prepared. Much
time will be saved by keeping your different sized shells separate.
Having wired several hundred, you can proceed to prepare a leaf.
[Illustration: WIRED SHELLS.]
The cut at the head of page 122 shows the leaf when made. It takes
from five to fifteen or twenty shells to form a leaf; the number
depends on the size of the leaf. The smallest shell forms the apex, the
others graduated in size by pairs. Then take your shells and bind them
together, one by one, with the finest wire or floss silk, leaving out a
small portion of the twisted wire, gradually increasing the piece left
out, as the plate indicates, leaving all the openings of the shell all
one way; bind the stem firmly, leaving no ends of wire, as they catch
in everything, besides looking untidy.
[Illustration: SHELL-LEAF.]
To form a flower or bud, take one of the lengths of the wire, thread
on a shell, and then a pearl bead, then a second shell, and twist the
wire firm. The place of the bead is between the points of the two
shells, and both openings meet and are not seen. The figure below shows
a simple flower composed of five wired shells, firmly twisted together
down to the extremity. A double flower is composed of eighteen shells,
twelve small ones, and six of a middle size. These latter are arranged
as in the single flower. The twelve are made into four leaflets. A few
pearl beads in the center of the flower improves it. It is easy to
shape them as you wish by bending the wires. A simple flower may be
arranged like the spokes of a wheel.
[Illustration: SHELL-FLOWER.]
Wheat ears (see cut on next page) may be made of any number of shells,
from eight to thirty, one taken as an apex, then a pair set on either
side of it and one in the center, and other pairs successively to
the end, binding all firmly to the points of the shells, and putting
in here and there three quarter inch length of middle sized wire to
resemble the beards. Ornamental groups can be made by threading good
sized shells on middle sized wires, twisting them together and winding
them on a fine knitting needle. When drawn out they have a spiral form.
Bind several thus formed together at the ends. Their dancing, wavy
motion adds to the gracefulness of your spray or wreath. The white,
round shells used as leaves are very pretty; even whole flowers are
often made of them. Wire chenille and colored beads increase the effect.
[Illustration: WHEAT EARS.]
Neatness and grace must be studied, care must be used to avoid cutting
off the thread wire, or floss, any oftener than possible. In making
wreaths and sprays every one must exercise his or her own taste.
Infinite varieties of forms can be designed; you can trim a head-dress
exquisitely with them.
I advise young ladies to try their skill. It is fascinating work and
the effect is beautiful. Bridal wreaths formed of the rice shells,
Roman pearls, white chenille, and silver wire are often made. Bugle
flowers can be made in the same way, taking wire the color of the bead.
Shell baskets are very ornamental. Exquisite watch stands and cigar
or match stands can be formed of shells. Your frames should be made
of wood or tin. Cover them thick with white paint. The painters will
prepare it for you as thick as putty, with boiled oil. Paint must be
selected that will not turn yellow and will dry quickly. After covering
your frame thickly with this preparation, lay on the shells in whatever
form your own taste may direct. Place them so thick that none of the
paint will be visible, and set the frame aside until it is dry. The
drying may require several days. When it is dry varnish it with white
map varnish.
[Illustration: WATCH-STAND.]
Watch stands, in the form of a church or other building, may be made
with a tin frame. Rolls of tin may be used for columns and towers, and
soldered to the frame. A circular opening must be made in the frame
through which the watch can be seen, and a small case of tin must be
soldered to the back of the frame in which the watch can be held
firmly. Take two blocks of wood similar in form, but one of them larger
than the other, and glue the smaller one on top of the other; then make
a slit along the middle line of the upper block, in which the tin frame
is to be inserted and fastened with glue. The blocks will represent the
steps to the building, and may be covered with shells. If the building
represents a church, a cross for the top may be made of tiny rice
shells. The towers should be covered with larger sized rice shells, and
on the summit of each a small cone shell should be placed. The opening
for the watch should be surrounded by flat, round, white shells. The
inside of the case for the watch should be lined with crimson velvet,
glued in. The outside should be covered with shells.
Harps, guitars, etc., etc., can be ornamented in the same way. If they
are riveted into marble slabs, the trouble of covering the stands with
shells will be avoided. Cigar stands can be made of thick card-board,
but tin is better; it must be cut about seven and a half inches long
and four inches wide, and soldered together, (to make a round cup)
and fastened upon a stand. Boxes, tables, vases, and all kinds of
ornamental articles can be covered with shells.
ALLSPICE BASKETS.
THE allspice berries should be soaked in spirit to soften them, and
then holes should be made through them. They are strung on slender
wires, which are twisted or woven into diamonds or squares, or rows as
you fancy, and then formed into baskets. A gold band between every two
berries gives a lively look to the basket. Around the top are sometimes
twisted semi-circles of berries, from which are suspended festoons of
berries strung on silk, drooping over the outside.
The baskets may be lined with bright colored silk and ornamented with
ribbons. Baskets can be made of cloves in the same way, by taking off
the berry and soaking the long part in spirit. Bead baskets are also
made in the same way; the wire should be the color of the bead. Cut
glass beads are the most desirable, as they glitter prettily amidst the
green boughs of the Christmas tree.
RICE OR SHELL BASKETS.
THE frame is made of pasteboard neatly lined; the groundwork can be
white or colored, as you fancy; fasten on with gum either grains of
rice, bugles of different colors, or small rice shells, arranged in any
form you please.
WAFER BASKETS.
MAKE a neat card-board frame and bind the edges with gilt paper. Take
the smallest wafers you can get; keep a whole one for the ground work;
cut another in halves; wet the edges of one of the halves and stick it
upright through the middle of the whole one; cut the other half into
two quarters, wet the two straight sides, and place them on each side
of the half wafer; this forms a kind of rosette. When you have enough
prepared, wet the bottoms of the whole wafers, and fasten them on the
basket in such forms as you please. It is very pretty to have the
whole wafer one color and the rosette another. Stars can be made by
placing six quarter wafers around the half in place of two. The handle
can be decorated in the same manner, or with ribbons. Care must be
taken to have the wafers cut even and uniform.
IMPRESSIONS OF BUTTERFLIES.
IF you find a dead butterfly, cut off the wings and place them upon
clean paper, in the position they occupy when the insect is flying.
Spread some clean, thick gum water on another piece of paper and press
it on the wings; the little colored, feathery substance will adhere to
it; then lay a piece of white paper upon the top of the gummed paper,
and rub it gently with your finger, or the smooth handle of a knife. A
perfect impression of the wings will thus be taken. The body must be
drawn and painted in the space between the wings.
TO TAKE IMPRESSIONS OF LEAVES.
DIP a piece of white paper in sweet oil, and hold it over the lamp
until it is thoroughly blackened with smoke; place a green leaf upon
the black surface, and let it remain pressed upon it for a few moments;
then put it between two pieces of white paper and press it in a book,
with something heavy upon the top of it. When taken out, one of the
papers will have received a perfect impression of the leaf with all its
little veins. Some think the impression is more distinct if a little
lamp-black and oil be passed lightly over the leaf with a hair pencil,
instead of smoking it over a lamp.
PAPER LANDSCAPES.