PAPER
Tearing Paper (Any bit of paper)
Give the children small pieces of paper and let them try to tear these into simple definite shapes. Make a shoe, stocking, snowman, tree, ladder, cat, etc. Watch that they do not grow nervous in doing it. After a little practice they will become surprisingly expert. Paste what they make on a good background to save and compare with later efforts.
This is a really educational occupation which involves absolutely no expense, as any clean piece of paper may be so used. Will employ the child happily when traveling.
The very youngest children, if they want to tear the newspaper, may be asked to tear it into tiny pieces which brother and sister can use in playing "hare and hounds."
Cutting Paper
Let the child begin the cutting by making a snowball out of white paper, and then a snowman. These need only crude outlines, such as are within his capacity. Then lead him on, little by little, to cut a picture of the cat and of the dog, and illustrations to his favorite stories, as the "Three Bears." This is beloved in the kindergarten, requiring, as it does, pictures of the chairs, the bowls, etc. Those who have not seen children do this kind of work will be surprised at the capacity developed.
If he is afraid to attempt the freehand work, give the child pictures to cut around, as simple outlines of a cat seated, or a piece of fruit. Then encourage him to cut without the outline. Both efforts may run along together. If a line be drawn, be sure that it is heavy and distinct enough to be readily seen and followed.
| Birthday Candles | } | (Red paper, blank card, colored crayon) |
| Firecrackers |
Out of red paper let the child cut six (or any number desired) narrow strips for red candles, to represent birthday candles. Place in a row upon a white card, to serve as place cards at a child's party. Draw a bit of yellow at end of each candle to hint at a flame.
The same may be turned into firecrackers for a "Fourth of July" festival, a line being drawn to suggest a fuse.
Soldier-Caps (Newspaper, pins or paste)
Take brown wrapping paper or newspaper and cut a square. Place before you and fold from back to front, making an oblong. While still folded make another fold by turning the left edge so that it exactly meets the right edge. Open this much out and there is a crease running from top to bottom. Now take the upper left hand corner and make it touch the bottom of this crease; take the upper right hand corner and make it touch the lower end of this crease. This gives a pointed cap, still unfinished. To finish cut a slit, an inch deep, up from each lower end of the cap and then fold a kind of hem up from the bottom and paste the ends over neatly. Turn the hat over and fold a similar hem on the other side. Turn in the corner and finish by pasting neatly.
Plume for Hat (Paper as above, scissors, paste or pin)
Take a strip of paper 6 × 12 inches. Make a fringe or series of cuts in this about four inches long and ½ inch wide, and then roll it up and attach to hat with paste or a pin.
Epaulets for shoulder may be cut in similar way.
The cutting of these fringes gives practice in the use of scissors.
The articles whose making we will now describe do not come under the head of free-hand cutting, as they usually require cutting according to measurement, and really definite directions. They are given in general in the order of difficulty in the making.
Chains (Scissors, paper, paste, toothpick)
Let the little child begin by cutting strips of some bright paper or smooth wrapping paper into lengths of ½ by 3 inches. Make a ring of one of these, putting a wee bit of paste on the under part of one end and sticking it fast to the other end by overlapping. Through this ring run another strip and paste into a similar ring, and so make a long chain of them wherewith to decorate the child's small person or the room. To make paste see [page 169].
It is well to have a small pomade box, obtainable at a druggist's, in which to keep the paste. It can then be covered and kept moist until the next time for using. But a little fresh mucilage or paste can at any time be put into a butter dish. A toothpick will make a good paste-stick, which the child can handle more easily than a brush. Show him that a tiny bit of paste will suffice and that more makes the pretty ring mussy.
If mother is sewing and the child restless and no bright colored paper convenient, let the child cut strips of newspaper right at hand and make the rings. His imagination will readily convert them into links of gold.
Mask (Paper of any color, scissors, chalk, cord)
Cut an oval out of paper (or dress-lining) and in it cut holes for eyes, nose, and mouth, fitting first to the child's face to insure getting them in the right places. Put a hole in the middle of each side through which to tie the string which fastens it around over the head. To add to the fun the mask may be colored with chalks.
Newspaper Wrappers (Smooth brown wrapping paper, pencil, ruler)
Take smooth pieces of brown wrapping paper. Cut oblongs 8 × 12 inches. From one narrow edge then measure an inch down on each side and make a dot. Make another dot at the middle of this same narrow side. Then draw a curve from dot to dot and cut along the line. This makes the curved edge of the wrapper. The curve may be cut free hand by a skilful hand, or drawn with a compass. Put some mucilage all along the edge of the curved side about ½ inch wide and let dry. Make a dozen of these and give to father for a present, all ready for use when he wants to mail a paper. They can be made more complete by affixing a one-cent stamp on the right hand side where the curved edge begins.
Papers for Baking Pans (Brown paper, scissors, pencil)
Give child paper and baking-pans, and let him cut papers ready for your use when making cake. Let him do measuring.
Book-Mark (Fine white or tinted paper)
Take a piece of dainty paper and cut into an oblong 1 × 6 inches. Fold lengthwise and cut a small triangle from each end so as to leave a point when opened out. Now cut a circle in the middle of the paper (which is still folded) and cut other shaped openings, diamonds, triangles, etc., along the fold, ½ or ¾ inches apart. Open and you have a simple openwork bookmark the little child can give father for birthday. A little experiment will show how to secure variety and intricacy of design.
Fringed Bon-Bon Papers (White tissue paper, colored ink or water-color paints, candy, verse of poetry)
Cut a sheet of tissue paper into little oblongs 4 × 5 inches. Dip each narrow end ¾ of an inch into ink, red, green, etc., or into water-color paints, and let dry. Then cut this colored margin into narrow slits, making fringe. Copy some appropriate couplet on a narrow slip of paper and place it with a piece of candy inside the paper, giving the fringed ends a final twist. The making of these at home for some future occasion, such as a birthday party, will afford a happy hour's amusement.
Paper Money (White paper, pencil, scissors, cent)
Place the cent beneath the paper and then press on it with the bottom of the pencil, rubbing at the same time with a circular motion. Soon the impression of the coin will appear on the paper. Cut out and use in playing store.
Snowflakes (White paper, mucilage, a ten-cent box of mica crystals or five cents' worth of alum powder)
A six-pointed star must first be made of white paper. To make this take piece of the paper from 3 to 6 inches square, according to the size of the star. Fold the paper once and cut an approximate half circle. Then fold this in thirds, pressing the folds to make creases. If opened out the circle would be marked by six equi-distant creases radiating from the centre. Do not, however, open, for you are now ready to cut. Before doing this, observe if possible some real snowflakes, with microscope or magnifying glass, or even with the naked eye. Notice the form and hexagonal structure. This is seen best if the flake is caught on some woolen fabric. Then look into an unabridged dictionary and study the picture of the magnified snowflake crystal. Then cut tiny triangles, circles, etc., into your folded circle so that when opened out it will suggest an enlarged snowflake with its six varied points. A delicate appearance is secured by cutting delicate tapering points, or, if the points be broad, cut holes in them to give a lacey effect. We do not give more definite directions for cutting, as the great fascination of the occupation consists in the experiments with their many surprises.
(1) Now take the paper snowflake and brush it lightly over with a thin, transparent mucilage, and then sift over it some mica crystals obtainable at a toy-store, one box being sufficient for many flakes. After drying, cover the other side in the same way. Suspended from the Christmas tree, these are very effective.
(2) The flakes can be made in another way, thus: Make a solution of alum water, dissolving five cents' worth of alum in a pint of water. Be sure it is all dissolved. Then put the flakes in a shallow dish (granite ware or some material that the acid will not injure). Cover with the solution and put in a place slightly warm, so that the gradual evaporation of the water will help in the slow formation of the crystals. When finally evaporated the lacey "cut-out" will be found covered with alum crystals. Cover during evaporation with some light protection from the dust.
Tailless Kite (Two sticks, 3½ feet long and ½ inch wide, a ball of strong but thin twine, two pieces tissue paper, knife, flour paste)
Get the sticks from the saw-mill. Cut a notch in the two ends of each stick as a catch for the framework of twine which will be put on later. On one stick make a pencil mark about seven inches from the top. Put the middle of the second stick across the first at this mark and bind the two together firmly at right angles to each other. You now have a skeleton in the form of a cross. Number the ends of the sticks 1, 2, 3, 4, making the top 1, the right hand end 2, the bottom 3, and the left hand 4, and the place where they join 5.
Now bend the second stick (the cross piece) into a bow and tie a piece of twine from end to end like a bow-string. You must get the curve of the bow just right, so that the distance from the middle of the bow-string to the joinings of the sticks is the same as from the joinings of the sticks to the top of the main stick, i. e., seven inches.
Now carry twine all around, from end to end of the skeleton, to make a framework for the paper; put this twine through each notch and around the end of the stick several times to strengthen. Now paste together, end to end, lengthwise, the two pieces of paper, to make one long piece (a single piece is not large enough). Place the paper on the floor or broad table, and lay the frame upon it. The paper will not be as long or wide in all places as the framework, hence, fold it over the twine framework experimentally, and cut off in places where it is too wide. Allow enough for secure pasting. Use the cut-off corners to lengthen in other places where necessary, by pasting on. If two colors of paper are taken, the effect is very pretty, the corners being arranged to match each other. The best paste is made by a judicious mixture of ordinary flour and water.
Now the belly-band must be tied on, as the flying string is attached to the belly-band. The belly-band is attached on the outside or convex side of the kite, being attached at 5 where the two sticks join; and at 3. It must be just as long as the distance from 5 to 2 added to the distance from 2 to 3. When tied at both ends put your pencil through the loop and move it so that the pencil rests upon the figure 2. The cord will then make an angle coinciding with 5-2 and 2-3. At the angle 2, attach the belly-band.
In flying the kite it is important to have a very long flying-string.