Chapter I: Preface

This new century, bringing with it the strong, healthy, independent, athletic American girl, makes a demand for new opportunities for the exercise of both mind and body. Resourcefulness and a wish to do things for one’s self are American traits strongly developed in the girls as well as in the boys; and, keeping step with their brothers, our girls are walking steadily onward, with new hopes and new ambitions in work and play, and are reaping new rewards.

This book is the result of the authors’ earnest desire to be of some assistance to their young friends by encouraging them in their wish to do things for themselves, and by pointing out some directions in which they may gratify this ambition. Within its covers are suggestions for a wide variety of things, useful, instructive, and entertaining, which a girl may make and do, with wholesome and genuine pleasure. The ideas that are worked out are essentially those of the authors, and are not, as is often the case, derived from other books. The drawings, too, are all original, as in “The American Girl’s Handy Book,” to which this is a companion volume.

In conclusion the authors wish to express their sincere thanks to the _Delineator_ and the _Woman’s Home Companion_, whose prompt and generous courtesy, in returning such original drawings and material as were used in their respective magazines, has greatly facilitated the preparation of this work and added to its interest.

FLUSHING, June 16, 1902.

CONTENTS

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WHAT A GIRL CAN MAKE

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CHAPTER I. PAGE

WHAT A GIRL CAN MAKE WITH HAMMER AND SAW 3

The Workshop, 4; Tools, 5; The Carpenter’s Bench, 9; A
Dressing-table, 11; A Wash-stand, 14; A Portable Corner
Clothes-press, 15; A Five O’clock Tea Table, 16; A Piazza
Flower-stand, 17; A Hooded Chair Made of a Packing-box,
21.

CHAPTER II.

POSSIBILITIES OF AN EASTER EGG 26

A Frog that Will Swim, 26; Spinning Egg, 30; The
Kaleidoscope, 31; Easter Hare, 32; Hares made of Eggs, 33;
The Brownie, 34; Fruits, Vegetables, Opera Glasses, and
Dishes, 36; The Radish, 37; Watermelon, Plum, Acorn, 38; A
Dainty Vase, A Unique Little Teapot, 39; The Sugar-bowl,
Egg Dippers, 41.

CHAPTER III.

A PAPER EASTER 45

An Ostrich, Rabbit, Penguin, and Rooster, 45; Changing an
Egg into a Rooster, 46; The Butterfly That Will Fly, 51;
The Easter Lily, 52.

CHAPTER IV.

VACATION WORK WITH NATURE’S MATERIAL 57

Cone Hanging-basket, 58; Sweet-grass Mats, 59; Corn-husk
Basket, 60; Lavender Sticks, 62; Braiding Palm-grasses and
Corn-husks, 64.

CHAPTER V.

COLLECTIONS 69

Mounting the Pictures, 70; Splitting the Paper, 72; Hanging
the Picture, 73; A Portfolio, 74; Sunshine Diary, 75; A
Guest Book, 78; Calendars, 80; Illustrating Books, 82;
Colored Pictures and Photographs, 83; A Photograph Book,
84.

CHAPTER VI.

ORIGINAL VALENTINES 89

Appropriate Valentines, 90; Four-leaved Clover, 90; Easel
Holding a Picture, 91; Heart-shaped Valentines, 93; The
Fire-cracker, 94; Pot of Growing Flowers, 95; Valentine
for Little Friend, 98.

CHAPTER VII.

VEGETABLE ANIMALS AND FRUIT LANTERNS 101

Potato Turkey, 102; A Shoat, 103; To Make a Turtle, Pumpkin
Lanterns, 105.

CHAPTER VIII.

PASTEBOARD MODELS FOR A HOME DRAWING CLASS 107

The Pyramid, 107; Pasteboard Model of a Church, 108; To Make
a House, 111.

CHAPTER IX.

QUICK INK PICTURES 118

Ink Landscapes and Marines, 119; An Ink Butterfly, An Odd
Design, The Fantastic Horses, 122; A Pair of Birds, Ink
Plant Sketches, 123.

CHAPTER X.

MOVING TOYS 125

The Merry-go-round, 125; The Flag Dance, 130; Button-mould
Tops, 132.

CHAPTER XI.

HOME-MADE PYROTECHNICS 135

Three-story Red, White and Blue Pin-wheel, 135; Fence
Pin-wheel, 137; The Sparkling Calumet, 140; Roman Candle,
142; Snap-fire, 142; Rushing Comet, 143; The Pistol, 144;
Sky-rockets, 145.

CHAPTER XII.

MONOTYPES 148

Materials, 148; How to Paint, 149; To Paint Heads, 149; The
Printing, 150; Monotone Monotypes, 151; Suitable Papers,
151.

CHAPTER XIII.

PRISCILLA RUGS 153

Color Schemes for Rugs, 154; The Fire Rug, 155; The Weight,
156; How to Cut and Sew the Rags, 157; Cotton and Wool
Rugs, 158; All-cotton Rugs, 158; Warps and Fringe, 159;
Dyeing the Cloth, 160; Wool Dyes, 160; Cotton Dyes, 162.

CHAPTER XIV.

A PEANUT NOAH’S ARK 163

How to Make a Pair of Wings, 165; To Make a Spider, 166; To
Make Rabbits and Camels, 167; To Make a Chick, an
Elephant, 168; an Owl, 169; Storks, Lobsters, 170; Noah,
171; To Make the Ark, 172.

CHAPTER XV.

A FLOWER FEAST 175

To Make the Pineapple, 175; A Fish, 176; Apples and Fruit
Salad, 177; The Cups and Saucers, 178; Snapping Bonbons,
179; Baskets of Green Burs, 180; Dandelion Amusements,
181.

CHAPTER XVI.

BASKET-WEAVING 185

Materials for Weaving, 185; To Prepare the Reeds, 186;
Weaving the Basket, 186; Covers and Fastenings, 191; To
Make a Hinge, 192.

CHAPTER XVII.

AN “ABE” LINCOLN LOG-CABIN 194

Material, 196; The Door, 200; The Chimney, 201; To Make a
Pond, 204; The Walk, 205; A Well, 206; Acorn Bucket, 207;
The Trees, 208; The Grass, 209; The Fence, 210; A Little
Turnstile, 212; Birch-bark Canoe, 212; Wood-pile, 213; A
Sawbuck, 213.

CHAPTER XVIII.

QUEER THINGS ON PAPER AND BLACKBOARD AND HOW TO PUT THEM THERE 215

A Funny Little Pig, 215; A Hen, 217; A Rose, 218; A Head,
220; The Three Blind Mice, A Fish, 221; Turtles, 222; To
make a Duck, 223; The Tulip, 224; Common Daisy, 225.

CHAPTER XIX.

HOME-MADE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 227

How to Make a Harp, 228; A Dulcimer, 229; Music from
Finger-bowls, 230; A Willow Bugle-horn, 231; Bones, 232;
Crystal Flute, 232; Music from a Comb, 233; Grass-blade,
Sea-shells, Musical Fountain, 234.

CHAPTER XX.

WHAT TO MAKE OF EMPTY SPOOLS 236

To Build the Parthenon, 236; To Make a Set of Furniture,
238; The Lamp, 239; A Wagon, 239; A Memorial Arch, 240; To
Blow Bubbles with a Spool, 241; Cannon, 243.

CHAPTER XXI.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 244

Effective Portière, 246; Star and Shepherd’s Crook, 246; A
Sconce, 248; Tin-foil Christmas-tree Festoon, 248;
Tin-foil for Fringe Ruching, 249; Fancy Boxes, 252;
Cornucopias, Christmas Stockings, Bobbinet Bags, 253;
Holly-leaved Festoons, 254; Pop-corn Balls, 255; Strings
of Red Cranberries, Peanuts, 256; Jewelry for the Tree,
257; Gilded English Walnut, 258.

CHAPTER XXII.

CHRISTMAS DEVICES 260

An All-day Christmas Pie, 260; The Magic Fireplace, 263;
Christmas Tray, 265; A Santa Claus House, 266; Serving
Toast, 267; _Pièce de Résistance_, 268; Jelly, Apples,
269.

CHAPTER XXIII.

PICTURE WRITING AND SIGN LANGUAGE 271

Symbols, Flower Writing, 273; Indian Powwow, 274; A Letter
of Colors, 276.

CHAPTER XXIV.

STATUARY TABLEAUX 281

The Stage, 281; Lights, Pedestals, and Costumes, 282;
Make-up, 284; The Armless Bust, 285; Portrait Medallion,
286; An Egyptian Statue, 287; Pygmalion and Galatea, 288.

CHAPTER XXV.

WITCHERY 292

Feather Tests, 293; Touchstone Charm, 294; Naming the
Bedposts, 295; Witch Writing, 295; Home or Travel, 297;
Dreams, 298; Ghost Ideas, 299; Fortune’s Wheel, 300.

CHAPTER XXVI.

LIVING ALPHABET 303

Directions for Drill, 308; The Shields, 308; The Letters,
309.

CHAPTER XXVII.

ODD GARDENS 310

A Country Garden in the City, 310; The Boxes, 313; The
Flowers, 313; A Water Garden, 314; The Soil, 315; Water
Plants, 316; Simpler Water Gardens, 317; Plants Grown
Artificially in Water, 317; The Green Sponge, 318;
Vegetables, 319; Friendship Garden, 320; Memory Garden,
321

CHAPTER XXVIII.

ACTIVE GAMES 322

Weavers and Weft, 322; Hoop Dance, 324; The Figures, 326;
Hoop Tag, 327; The Circus-hoop Game, 328; Hoop-race Game,
329; Jumping Rope Conquer Game, 330; Going to Market, 332;
Passing By, 332; Red, White, and Blue, 333.

CHAPTER XXIX.

EXPENSIVE GAMES WITH LITTLE OR NO EXPENSE 334

Ping Pong, 334; The Rules, 337; Scoring, 338; Terms Used in
Ping Pong, 339; A Make-believe Sewing-machine, 340; A
Parlor Croquet Set, 341; Rules for Croquet, 343.

CHAPTER XXX.

BASKET BALL 346

Cost of an Outfit, 346; Baskets, 348; The Ball, 348; Set of
Players, 349; Referee, 350; Umpire, Scorer, 351;
Time-keeper, Linesmen, 352; Centres, Forwards, 354; Guard,
355; Rules, 360; General Fouls, 362; Disqualifying Fouls,
363; Playing Suit, 364.

CHAPTER XXXI.

SOME OF OUR OUT-DOOR NEIGHBORS AND WHERE TO LOOK FOR THEM 365

Observation Book, 366; The Squirrel, 367; The Red Squirrel,
The Chipmunk, 368; The Weasel, 369; Salamander, 370; The
Cicadas, 371; Insect Music, 373; The Indian Pipe, The
Moccasin Flower, 374; Engraver Beetle, The ’Coon, 375; The
Flying Squirrel, Luna Moth, 377; Woodchuck, 380; The
Sea-shore, 381; The Jelly-fish, Sea-anemones, 382;
Sea-urchins, 383; Starfish, 384.

PART I
WHAT A GIRL CAN MAKE