The bed is made from a box and its cover. To make it, first take the lower half of your box and turn it over so that its rims are below instead of on top. At each corner cut a leg for the bed, and remove cardboard from between these cuttings, so that it leaves at each corner of the rim a two-sided leg. (To cut bench form, see [Diagram Six, A], page 175.) When you have cut this lower half of the bed, take the cover of your box and turn it so that its rims come upward instead of downward. Remove the rims from each long side, and you will have left the head and footboard of the bed. Glue this piece to the lower half you first cut, and the bed will be finished. Sheets and pillow may be cut from tissue or lace-paper.
A chair is made from the lower half of any small box. Beginning at the center of one long rim of the box, cut the rim off half-way around. The part with rim removed will be the back of the chair. The other will be the seat and legs. Legs are cut to right and left of each forward corner. Cardboard is evenly removed from between them. Rear legs are cut in each rim at the side of the box in the same way, except that these rear legs have but one cut needed. They are not cornered as the front legs are. (For cutting a chair, see [Diagram Six, C], page 177.)
A table for the cottage is made from a spool by standing the spool on end. Over its top is placed the half of a small round box. (A square box cover may answer quite as well.) The table may be made from an ordinary spool, or two twist spools glued end to end. (For table, see [Diagram Six, DD], page 178.)
A mantel with fireplace for the cottage may be cut from a small box three inches high. Stand the box on end and cut from its rear, near the base, an opening like that of a fireplace. (For cutting a mantel with fireplace, see [Diagram Six, G], page 180.) Use the back of the box, as it has no printing upon it. If your box is painted, it will not matter whether or not you make your cutting in the front, as the print will not show when cleverly painted over.
In my cottage there lived a tumble toy lady. Her name was Polly Ann. You can see her in the picture with her china dog. You may use roly-poly tumble toys or penny dolls to play with in the cottage. Figures cut from magazine pictures are fun to use, too. Color them with your paints or crayons.
Besides tumble toys, Noah’s Ark figures, and picture people cut from magazines, villagers for Boxville cottages may be found at any penny store where children trade. These are small dressed dolls, one cent apiece!
In candy shops where party favors are sold, all manner of small figures may be bought. These are odd little men or women—just the very ones to use in playing Boxville plays. At every holiday season, new ones appear! You can always find them.
I built a tiny cottage with two windows and a door,
I called it Boxville Cottage and I placed it on the floor:
All ’round about my cottage, a cardboard village grew—