Moonlight scenery is very effective in this way. In case of lack of pencils, &c., this is not a bad way of sketching a scene one desires to remember.
18.—VEGETABLE FLOWERS.
Boys and girls who live in the country will find it a pleasant winter evening pastime to make a bouquet of vegetable flowers.
First gather from the woods laurel leaves and other evergreens. Then by the exercise of taste, ingenuity, and a skilful use of the penknife, really beautiful bouquets can be compiled of these flowers, with the addition of sprigs of evergreen. White turnips, yellow turnips, beets, carrots, pumpkins, and portions of cabbages, can be used for the flowers.
Take a white turnip, neatly peeled, notched exactly down in leaf shape all round. Then fasten to a stem whittled from wood. Surround it with green leaves, and behold either an exquisite white camellia or a rose! Moss rose buds can be made by cutting turnips or beets into the proper shape, and placing real moss around them. Red roses, camellias, or dahlias can be made in the same way from beets. Yellow flowers from carrots and pumpkins. White or red flowers from white and red cabbages.
Beautify your houses, however poor or humble your lot; a bare, comfortless room does not excite home love.
19.—ORNAMENTAL SEED WORK.
We have seen exhibited at agricultural fairs some really beautiful frames and boxes ornamented with common garden seeds.
If our boys and girls will begin early in the summer, and collect every variety of seed possible, such as all kinds of beans, corn, melons, &c., they will have abundant material for this kind of ornamental work in the winter.
Every seed of size sufficient for handling should be saved; even small polished black or yellow seeds, like poppy seed, can be preserved to scatter over the ground-work. Dry all the seeds carefully, and place them in boxes ready for use. This work can be applied with excellent effect in ornamenting boxes, picture frames, hanging baskets, book racks, flower stands, small tables, brackets, &c. Get the frame of wood, of any article you intend to ornament with seed work; stain the wood with walnut staining materials, or varnish with asphaltum varnish. It is not desirable to have a high polish on the surface intended to be ornamented, as the glue will not adhere to a very smooth substance. Keep your woodwork in some dry place, until you are ready to glue on the seeds.