Did you ever see a better model of

=A Baby Carriage= than that shown in Fig. 299, with its rounded ends, arched bottom, and adjustable hood? It is easy to make.

Figure 300 shows the details for constructing the carriage body. Cut four wooden pegs to fit loosely in the holes of four spools of equal size, and make them of the right length so when slipped into the holes their ends will project about 1/4 inch beyond the spool ends. Then cut the bottom strip _B_ 5 inches long by the width of the spools, bend it slightly as shown, to give a curve to the carriage bottom, and tack the ends of the strip to two of the spools (_A_).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGS. 300-302.--Details of Doll Carriage.]

The sides _C_ are of cardboard and should be 1-1/2 inches wide at the widest point, by the length of the carriage body. Punch holes through these side pieces in the right places for the ends of the pegs in spools _A_ to stick through.

Before fastening the side pieces to spools _A_, you must attach the wheels (Figs. 301 and 302). Cut the cardboard uprights _D_ 3-1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide; then after cutting holes through each near the ends, for the spool pegs to slip through, cut down the width between the holes to about 1/4 inch (Fig. 302). Slip the lower ends of uprights _D_ over the pegs in spool wheels _E_, then the upper ends over the pegs in spools _A_. Glue the upper ends to the ends of spools _A_, then slip the carriage sides _C_ over the pegs of spools _A_, and glue them in place.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 303.--Baby Carriage Hood.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 304.--Diagram of Hood.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 305.--Carriage Handles.]

The carriage hood (Fig. 303) is made of a piece of stiff paper about 4-1/2 inches square (Fig. 304), slashed in three places along two opposite edges for a distance of about 1-1/2 inches, and then folded over as indicated by dotted lines. Bring together the ends of the slashed edges of the piece of paper, as shown in Fig. 303, coat them with glue, and press together until the glue has dried. Punch a hole through each side of the top, as shown, for the projecting ends of the spool peg to slip through.

The carriage handle is made of two cardboard strips (_F_, Fig. 305), and a match (_G_). Stick the match through holes made near the ends of strips F, and glue the lower ends of the strips to the inside face of the sides (Fig. 299). This completes the carriage.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 306.--The Two-wheel Cart.

FIG. 307-309.--Details of Cart.]

=The Two-wheel Cart= (Fig. 306) is made of a small box cover, and one of the spools on which crochet-cotton comes. Prepare a bent piece of cardboard like that shown in Fig. 308, with ends _A_ turned down at the proper points so there will be only room enough between them for the spool to turn freely. Punch a hole through each turned down end for a stick axle to run through.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 310.--Merry-go-round.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 311.--Teeter.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 312.--Cardboard Strip for Merry-go-round and Teeter.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 313.--Boy and Girl Riders for Merry-go-round and Teeter.]

Then cut two slots through the box cover the same distance apart as ends _A_ (Fig. 307), centering the pair both crosswise and lengthwise of the cover, and stick ends _A_ through the slots and glue portion _B_ to the cover. Cut the wheel axle enough smaller than the spool hole so the spool will turn easily, then push it through the hole in the spool and the holes in ends _A_.

Glue the end of a cardboard strip to the under side of the cover for a shaft.

=The Toy Merry-go-round= in Fig. 310 consists of a strip of heavy cardboard turned up at its ends (Fig. 312), tacked at its center to the end of a stick cut small enough to turn easily in the hole in a spool.

The spool slipped over the stick is grasped by the right hand, and the left hand starts the merry-go-round and keeps it in motion by twirling the stick to which the cardboard strip is fastened.

The boy and girl riders, shown in Fig. 313 are of the right size so you can trace them off upon a piece of tracing-paper and then transfer to cardboard. After cutting them out of the cardboard, color both sides with crayons or water-colors, and glue them to the turned-up ends of the cardboard strip.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 314.--Doll Swing.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 315.--Detail of Swing.]

=The Teeter-Board= (Fig. 311) is made of the same kind of a strip as that used for the merry-go-round (Fig. 312). Tack this strip at its center to the side of a spool, and mount the spool in a cardboard frame in the same way that the spool wheels of the cart are mounted (Figs.

308 and 309); but make the peg axle to fit tight in the spool hole.

Prepare a boy and girl rider similar to those made for the merry-go-round (Fig. 313).

The teeter is operated by turning the end of the spool axle first one way then the other.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGS. 316 and 317.--Details of Swing Seat.]

=The Doll Swing= shown in Fig. 314 has a cardboard base, with two spools fastened to it 4 inches apart to support the framework. Tack the base to the ends of the spools. The framework uprights are tightly rolled tubes of paper 10 or 12 inches long, and the top crosspiece is another paper tube 4 inches long. Stick the lower ends of the uprights into the spool holes; then fasten the crosspiece to their tops by running pins through it and into the upright ends (Fig. 315), and then lashing the connections with thread as shown in Fig. 314.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 318.--Sofa.]

The swing seat is made of a spool with a cardboard back fastened to it (Figs. 316 and 317). Suspend the spool with thread from the top of the swing crosspiece.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGS. 319-321.--Details of Sofa.]

=A Sofa= with arm rolls, like that shown in Fig. 318, is a good example of what can be made in spool-and-cardboard doll furniture. Prepare the seat and back out of a single piece of cardboard, curving the top and ends of the back as shown, and making the width of the seat the same as the length of the spool arms. Fasten the spools by means of a strip of paper bent over them as shown in Fig. 320, and glued to the seat. Use small silk-thread spools (Fig. 321) for feet, and glue them to the seat at the four corners.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 322.--Chair.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 323.--Square Center-table.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 324.--Round Center-table.]

=The Chair= (Fig. 322) has a seat and back made out of a single piece of cardboard, with one-third of its length bent out for the seat. Glue the seat to a spool base.

=The Square Center-table= (Fig. 323) has a crochet-cotton spool pedestal, and its top is a square piece of cardboard. Glue the spool to the exact center of the top.

=The Round Center-table= (Fig. 324) is made similarly. Use the rim of a cup for marking out the circular top.

With a little ingenuity you will be able to devise a great many other pieces of doll furniture, and other toys as well.

CHAPTER XX

A HOME-MADE TOY MAIL-BOX

Who wants to play at being Uncle Sam, and have a postal system right in the house, or out on the front porch where it will be convenient for the children next door to enjoy it, too? Every small boy and girl loves to play postman, collect mail from the toy mail-box, cancel the stamps, sort out the letters into the proper routes, and then deliver them to those whom they are addressed to.

The mail-box shown in Figs. 325 and 326 is easily made, and with

=The Working Material= on hand can be completed in an evening. Two sheets of cardboard, a piece of muslin, some silver paper or paint, a piece of tape about 2 yards long, and a needle and thread, are required.

The cardboard should be stiff enough to hold its shape, and yet be of light enough weight to cut and fold easily. Sheets 22 inches by 28 inches can be bought at any printing-shop, and at some stationery stores, and will not cost more than 10 cents a sheet at the most. If you have some large cardboard boxes, however, you can use them instead by so laying out the different parts that the corners of the boxes will come in the right places for the corners of the mail-box.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 327.--Diagram for Making Sides, Ends, and Bottom of Mail-box.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 328.--Diagram for Making Top.]