We desire also to help awaken the inventive faculty, usually uncultivated in girls, and, by giving detailed methods of new work and amusements, to put them on the road which they can travel and explore alone.

We know well the feeling of hopelessness which accompanies vague directions, and, to make our explanations plain and lucid, we have ourselves, with very few exceptions, made all of the articles, played the games, and solved the problems described.

The materials employed in the construction of the various articles are within easy reach of all, and the outlay, in most cases, little or nothing.

We scarcely deem it necessary to point out the fact that in supplying healthy, sensible work and amusement for leisure hours, employment is given whose whole tendency is to refine the tastes and ambitions of our American girls.

A few of our chapters are taken from articles which were written by us for, and published by, the Youth’s Companion, St. Nicholas, Harper’s Young People, Golden Days, and Wide Awake.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
PREFACE[iii]
SPRING
——————
CHAPTER I.
First of April[3]

First of April Party, [5]; Mirror Tableau, [6]; Noah’s Ark Peep-show, [8]; The Supper, [10].

CHAPTER II.
Wild Flowers and Their Preservation[13]

Transplanting Wild Flowers, [14]; Cut Wild Flowers, [15]; Sending Flowers by Mail, [15]; Preserved Flowers, [16]; Pressed Flowers and Leaves, [18]; Leaves and Ferns for Decoration, [19]; Color of Flowers Changed, [19]: Natural Wax Flowers, [20]; To Freshen Cut Flowers, [20]; Crystallized Flowers, [21]; How to Preserve the Perfume of Flowers, [21]; Spring Flowers in Winter, [23]; The Four-leaved Clover, [23]; Several Methods of Preserving Flowers, [24].

CHAPTER III.
The Walking Club[27]

Rules to be Observed, [31].

CHAPTER IV.
Easter[33]

Easter Customs in Other Lands, [33]; Easter Egg Games, [36]; Easter Egg Dolls, [39]; Humpty Dumpty, [42]; Miss Rolly-poly, [45]; Mandolin, [47]; Maple-wax Easter Eggs, [49]; Bonbon Box, [49]; Easter Cards, [50]; Little Quakeress, [52].

CHAPTER V.
How to Make a Lawn-Tennis Net[55]

Rules for Lawn-Tennis, [63].

CHAPTER VI.
May-Day[71]

May-day Sports, [72]; How to Make May-baskets, [74]; May-day Combat, [75]; The May-pole, [77]; May-pole Dance, [79].

————————————
SUMMER.
——————
CHAPTER VII.
Midsummer Eve[83]

The New Fern-leaf Game, [85]; Fortune-telling: The Plaintain Test, [86]; Fortune’s Wheel, [88].

CHAPTER VIII.
Sea-side Cottage Decoration[91]

Window Decorations, [92]; Row-boat Book-shelves, [95]; Crab-net Work-basket, [96]; Hat-rack, [98]; Marine Screen, [99]; Horseshoe-crab Bag, [102]; Sea-urchin Vase and Candlestick, [102]; How to Dry Starfish and to Polish Shells, [104].

CHAPTER IX.
A Girl’s Fourth of July[105]

Interior Decoration, [107]; In-door Illumination, [108]; Out-of-door Decoration, [109]; Fireworks, [111]; Parachute, [112]; Thunderbolts, [112]; Whirls, and Winged Fancies, [113]; Pin-wheels, [114]; Bombs, [115]; Declaration of Independence, [117]; Toss, [118]; Fourth of July Jackstraws, [119]; Progressive Mining, [119].

CHAPTER X.
Printing from Nature’s Types[123]

Impression Album, [123]; Winter Landscape, [127].

CHAPTER XI.
Picnics, Burgoos, and Corn-roasts[131]

A Burgoo, [132]; Burgoo Stew, [133]; A Corn-roast, [134].

CHAPTER XII.
Botany as Applied to Art[139]

The Peony Leaf, [140]; A Bunch of Turnips, [142]; Plant Cross-section Designs, [144]; Flower Sprays, [146]; Changing the Color, [146]; Burs, [147]; The Water-Lily, [148].

CHAPTER XIII.
Door-step Party and Quiet Games for Hot Weather[151]

Five Minutes’ Conversation, [153]; Blind Man’s Singing-school, [155]; A Game of Noted Men, [155]; What Will you Take to the Picnic? 156; Assumed Characters, [157]; Shadow Verbs, [157].

CHAPTER XIV.
How to Make a Hammock[159]

Materials, [161]; Barrel Hammock, [165].

CHAPTER XV.
(For Little Girls.)
Corn-Husk and Flower Dolls[169]
CHAPTER XVI.
How To Make a Fan[177]

Butterfly Fan, [178]; Mikado Fan, [180]; Daisy Fan, [182]; Cardboard Fan, [183].

————————————
AUTUMN.
——————
CHAPTER XVII.
All-Hallow-Eve[187]

Halloween Parties, [189]; Melted Lead, [190]; Nutshell Boats, [192]; “Three Luggies,” 193; Roasting Nuts, [193]; Kaling, [194]; The Magic Mirror, [194]; Three Tin Cups, [195]; The Ring Cake, [195]; Bobbing for Apples, [196]; The Ghostly Fire, [197]; The Fairy’s Gifts, [198].

CHAPTER XVIII.
Nature’s Fall Decorations and How to Use Them[201]

Fresh Autumn Wild Flowers, [202]; Buckeye Portière, [204]; Panel of Fall Decorations, [205]; Louis Quinze Screen, [206]; A Panel of Field Corn, [209]; Ornamental Gourds, [210]; Gourd-Dippers and Bowls, [211]; Vases, [212]; Small Decorations, [214]; Brackets, [214].

CHAPTER XIX.
Nutting-Parties[217]

“Little Brown Squirrel,” 218; Rules for Nutting-Parties, [221].

CHAPTER XX.
How to Make a Telephone[224]
CHAPTER XXI.
How to Draw[229]
CHAPTER XXII.
How to Paint in Water-Colors[238]

Materials for Water-Color Painting, [238]; Flowers, [239]; Landscapes, [241]; Painting from Notes, [244].

CHAPTER XXIII.
How to Paint in Oil-Colors[249]

Materials, [249]; Mediums, [251]; Canvas, [251]; The Light, [252]; Setting the Palette, [253].

CHAPTER XXIV.
How to Model in Clay and Wax[257]

Materials, [259]; How to Manage Clay, [260]; Hints for Modelling a Head, [262]; How to Model in Wax, [263]; Modelling-wax, [263].

CHAPTER XXV.
How to Make Plaster Casts[267]
CHAPTER XXVI.
China Painting[272]

List of Materials, [272]; A Monochrome Painting, [278]; Tinting, [278]; New Method of Decorating China, [279]; Tracing, [280]; Mottled Grounds, [281]; Snow Landscape, [281]; How to Paint a Head on China, [284]; How to Paint a Carp, Sea-weed, and Fish-net, on China, [287]; Foliage on China made with a Sponge, [289]; Mixing Colors, [289]; Royal Worcester Ware, [290].

CHAPTER XXVII.
A Chapter on Frames[295]

Marine Picture Frame, [296]; Decorated Frame, [297]; Frame Covered with Tin-foil, [298]; Cork Frame, [299].

CHAPTER XXVIII.
Thanksgiving[302]

Impromptu Burlesque Tableaux, [304]; Landing of the Pilgrims, [305]; First Harvest, [307]; Devastation by the Indians, [308]; The Revolution, [309]; Slavery, [310]; Rebellion, [310]; Peace and Plenty, [310]; The Game of the Headless Turkey, [312]; A Suggestion, [313].

————————————
WINTER.
——————
CHAPTER XXIX.
Christmas Festivities and Home-made Christmas Gifts[317]

Julklapp, [319]; Polish Custom, [320]; The Bran Pie, [321]; The Blind Man’s Stocking, [321]; Home-made Christmas Gifts, [322].

CHAPTER XXX.
Amusements and Games for the Christmas Holidays[334]

New Game of Bubble Bowling, [335]; Biographical Nonsense, [339]; Comic Historic Tableaux, [341]; Living Christmas Cards, [342].

CHAPTER XXXI.
New Year’s and a Leap Year Party[347]

Pantomime of an Enchanted Girl, [348].

CHAPTER XXXII.
Home Gymnasium[353]

Course of Exercises, [356].

CHAPTER XXXIII.
A Decorative Language[364]

The Field and the Points of Heraldry, [366]; Divisions, [367]; Colors, [369]; How to Make a Design in Decorative Language, [371]; Book-plates, [377]; Floral Vocabulary, [377].

CHAPTER XXXIV.
A Few Items on Old-fashioned Needlework, with Some New and Original Patterns[380]

Plain Sewing, [380]; Button-holes, [383]; How to Patch, to Sew on a Button, and to Mend a Kid Glove, [386]; Fancy Stitches, [387]; Drawn Work, [389]; Applique and Original Designs for Portières, [391]; Lace, [393]; Ribbon Embroideries, [393].

CHAPTER XXXV.
Scrap-book and Home-made Book-covers[395]

Mother Goose Scrap-book, [395]; Transformation Scrap-book, [398]; An Album, [400]; Home-made Book-cover, [401].

CHAPTER XXXVI.
A Heap of Rubbish and What to Do with It[403]

The Mirror, [404]; The Table, [406]; Lantern, [408]; A Music Roll, [410]; Work-basket, [411]; Key and Button-hook Rack and Paper Weight, [412].

CHAPTER XXXVII.
How to Make Attractive Booths at a Fair—A New Kind of Grab-bag[413]

The Tables, [413]; Flowers for Decorations, [417]; The Months, [420]; The Five Senses, [421]; Walls, [423]; Grab-bags, [423]; The Lady of the Lake, [425]; Fortune’s Wheel, [426]; Rag-balls, [427].

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Window Decoration[429]

Oriental Window-shade, [430]; Ribbon-curtain, [430]; Drapery of Very Small Scraps, [431]; Painting Window-panes, [432]; Painting on Lawn, [434]; To Imitate Stained Glass, [435]; Windows of Imitation Ground Glass, [436].

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Furniture, Old and New[438]

The Bookcase, [439]; The Chair, [441]; The Bedstead, [444]; A Dressing-table, [444]; Washstand, [446]; A Hall Seat, [447]; Window Seat and Book-shelves, combined, [448].

CHAPTER XL.
Something about Mantle-pieces and Fire-places[451]
CHAPTER XLI.
Home-made Candy[458]

Peanut Candy, Butter Scotch and Molasses Candy, [459]; Walnut and Fruit Glacé, [460]; Marsh-mallow Paste, [460]; Chocolate Caramels, [461]; Pop-corn Balls, [462].

CHAPTER XLII.
Saint Valentine’s Day[464]

Valentine Party, [465].