The art of decorating dry goods windows and interiors

by L. Frank Baum

First take cloth or bunting, fold into 9-inch strips, fasten end to wall or counter by small wire nail (with head filed off and pointed), take other end, pull tight and fasten at first; next take sharp knife or scissors (knife preferable) and cut along folds to end. (This will give you a straight, clean edge.) Take 9-inch strips, pleat into small pleats and fasten as in beginning, step back eight or ten feet, place pin into pleats, then start at beginning or end and pin every five or six inches apart and so on full length of cloth.

This may be made day previous to using in window. Now to apply it to design, start at right hand corner and tack pins every three inches apart, or according to size of puffs desired, continue until all is on, then start at beginning and pull out puffs. When completed you will find that your puffs are even and of a uniform size, and the time taken will be a great deal less than anticipated.

This puffing can be used on every shaped design imaginable and with very best of results.

THE SHOGRAN PUFFING.

This wonderfully popular and useful puffing is named after its inventor, Leonard Shogran.

I feel confident the usefulness and labor saving qualities of this idea, together with the neat and artistic effect which can be obtained by its use, will be appreciated by all my readers. In connection herewith I wish to state, that the value and usefulness of this decorating device is becoming so pronounced that many decorators have begun to use it almost exclusively to give a finished effect to their decorations, where cheesecloth is used. The reason of this popularity is no doubt due to the fact that with it a display can be beautifully finished in one-tenth the time consumed in puffing the old way.

This puffing is the result of a great deal of scheming as to how to lessen the time and labor in finishing up a job of cheesecloth work. It is generally done by taking the cheesecloth loosely in the hand and pinning or tacking it in position, representing small rosettes, the tiresome and tedious operation of which every window trimmer will admit.

I have used this puffing with telling effect in building booths and floats and decorating halls, etc. In short, it has become an indispensable article with me, as well as all who have learned to use it.