.dt The Jolly Book Of Boxcraft, by Patten Beard-A Project Gutenberg eBook
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Transcriber’s Notes:
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Captions marked with the symbols “++” were created by the Transcriber.
Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_); text
that was bold by “equal” signs (=bold=).
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THE JOLLY BOOK OF BOXCRAFT
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Boxville.
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[Illustration: Boxville.]
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THE
JOLLY BOOK OF
BOXCRAFT
BY
PATTEN BEARD
With Sixty-eight Photographic Illustrations By G. S. North from
Models Made and Arranged by the Author and with
Twenty-three Diagrams by E. D. Pattee
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[++ Illustration: Publisher’s Logo]
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NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
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Copyright, 1914, by
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
All rights reserved
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[++ Illustration: FAS Co September, 1914]
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THIS BOOK
IS DEDICATED TO
ALL LITTLE CHILDREN
AND TO
“NIMBLEFINGERS,” “HAPPY THOUGHT”
AND “PLAY”
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
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“The Jolly Book of Boxcraft” has been enlarged
and rewritten from work started in May, 1909. This
work was purchased by St. Nicholas, Little Folks,
Good Housekeeping, The Congregationalist and
Christian World, The Designer, Holland’s Magazine,
The Housekeeper, The Ladies’ Home Journal,
The New York Herald, and The New York Tribune.
Thanks are due to them for the courtesy of
using material which was included in their articles.
The author feels that it is only right to acknowledge
her indebtedness to the children themselves who
have lent their toys and helped in many little ways of
their own toward the making of this book. Special
thanks are due to Elizabeth Hendricks, Raymon
Guthrie, Henry Jarrett, Stanley Hoyt, and Wesley
Meehan, playfellows.
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CONTENTS
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| PAGE
Introduction (Verse) | #XV:INTRO#
Boxcraft | #1:BOXCRAFT#
The Little White Cottage of Boxville | #9:COTTAGE#
The Boxville Store | #16:STORE#
The District School of Boxville | #19:SCHOOL#
The Little Church of Boxville | #27:CHURCH#
The Boxville Railway Station | #34:RAILWAY#
B. R. R. Freight Station and Shoe-box Tunnel | #40:FREIGHT#
Hotel Bandbox and How to Furnish It | #43:HOTEL#
The Shoe-box Apartment House | #50:APARTMENT#
A Boxville Residence | #53:RESIDENCE#
The Boxville Garage or Stable | #58:GARAGE#
Making a Boxville Garden | #60:GARDEN#
Boxville Boat-house or Yacht Club | #65:YACHT#
The Houseboat “Box Craft” | #68:HOUSEBOAT#
Camp Box on Mirror Lake | #70:CAMPBOX#
The Gipsy Cart of Boxville Highway | #73:CART#
The Shepherd’s Hut and the Sheepfold | #77:HUT#
Building a Box Bridge | #81:BRIDGE#
Building a Toy Windmill | #83:WINDMILL#
Boxville Barn and Farmyard | #86:BARN#
Box Brothers’ Animal Show | #89:ANIMALSHOW#
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Circus Tent and Circus Grounds | #92:CIRCUSTENT#
Boxtown Zoo Garden | #96:ZOO#
Boxtown Hose House | #98:HOSEHOUSE#
How to Make a Wigwam | #100:WIGWAM#
Fort Box | #102:FORT#
How to Build a Toy Castle and a Fairyland House | #105:CASTLE#
Boxes Used as Blocks | #110:BLOCKS#
Making a Noah’s Ark for Cracker Animals | #114:NOAHSARK#
Box Savings-bank for Pennies | #117:SAVINGSBANK#
How to Make a Toy Wagon and Sled or Sleigh | #119:WAGON#
The China Doll’s Crib, Go-cart, and May Basket | #122:CRIB#
The Toy Dog Kennel for a Toy Dog | #127:KENNEL#
How to Make a Teddy Bear’s Wheelbarrow | #129:WHEELBARROW#
Office Furniture for Little Dolls | #131:FURNITURE#
How to Make a Dolls’ Hammock | #134:HAMMOCK#
How to Make a Theater or Punch Show | #136:THEATER#
How to Make a Toy Merry-go-round | #140:MERRYGOROUND#
Making a Boxcraft Automobile | #143:AUTOMOBILE#
How to Furnish a Doll-house | #147:DOLLHOUSE#
How to Make the Boxcraft Game, “Ringfling” | #154:RINGFLING#
The Game of “Shoot the Chutes” | #157:CHUTES#
The Boxcraft Game “One-Two-I-Catch-You” | #159:GAME#
The Funny Game of “Mister Box” | #161:MISTERBOX#
How to Make a Magic Box | #163:MAGICBOX#
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NOTE
In view of the large number of illustrations
in this volume and of the necessity for grouping
them, it is necessary for an occasional illustration
to appear at the end of its chapter, or at the end
of the preceding chapter. It is desirable therefore
that the list of illustrations be consulted frequently.
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ILLUSTRATIONS
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| PAGE
Boxville, a Toy Town Made with Shoe-Boxes | #Frontispiece:i004#
Boxville Cottage (Outside View)—Boxville Cottage (Inside View) | #4:i027a#
Boxcraft Materials—An Unfinished Boxcraft Toy | #5:i028a#
The Village Store (Outside View)—The Village Store (Inside View) | #18:i043a#
The District School (Outside View)—The District School (Inside View) | #19:i044a#
Boxville Church (Outside View)—Boxville Church (Inside View) | #32:i059a#
Boxville Railway Station (Outside View)—Boxville Railway Station (Inside View) | #33:i060a#
B.R.R. Freight Station—Shoe-Box Tunnel | #42:i071a#
Bandbox Hotel (Outside View)—Bandbox Hotel (Inside View) | #43:i072a#
Boxville Apartment House—Box Furniture for the Apartment House | #52:i083a#
A Boxville Residence:—The Garage for Boxville Residence | #53:i084a#
The Greenhouse for Boxville Garden—The Pergola for the Garden | #64:i097a#
The Boat-House or Yacht Club—The Houseboat, “Boxcraft” | #65:i098a#
Camp Box on Mirror Lake—The Boxville Gipsy Cart | #70:i105a#
Shepherd’s Hut and Sheepfold—The Box Bridge | #78:i117a#
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The Toy Windmill—Boxville Barn and Farmyard | #84:i123a#
The Boxcraft Animal Show | #90:i131#
Box Brothers’ Circus Tent—Circus Cages and Booth | #91:i132a#
Boxtown Zoo—Boxtown’s Hose House | #96:i139a#
Indian Wigwam—Fort Box | #100:i145a#
The Fairyland Castle—The Fairy House | #108:i155a#
Box Building with Box Blocks—A Box Animal and Box Man | #109:i156a#
A Toy Train Built of Boxes—Boxes as Standards for Cut-Outs | #112:i161a#
A Noah’s Ark with Cracker Animals—A Penny Savings-Bank | #113:i162a#
Wagon and Sled—Sleigh | #120:i171a#
Crib, Go-Cart, May Basket—Express Wagon and Doll’s Sled | #121:i172a#
Toy Dog Kennel—Toy Wheelbarrow | #128:i181a#
Office Furniture for Dolls—A Doll’s Couch Hammock | #132:i187a#
Dolls’ Theater—The Toy Merry-Go-Round | #138:i195a#
Boxcraft Toy Automobile (With Top)—Boxcraft\
Automobile Without Top) | #144:i203a#
Doll-House Furniture\: Bedroom—Tables and Chairs | #148:i209a#
Doll-House Furniture\: Mantel and Settle—Piano and Clock | #149:i210a#
Doll-House Furniture\: Dining-room—Kitchen | #152:i215a#
The Game, “Ringfling”—The Game, “Shoot the Chutes” | #154:i219a#
The Game, “Mr. Box”—The Game, “One-Two-I-Catch-You” | #160:i227a#
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DIAGRAMS
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DIAGRAM | | PAGE
One | How to Make Windows | #166:diagram-01#
Two | How to Make Doors | #167:diagram-02#
Three, A | How to Make Side Walls Supports\
for a Sloping Roof. How to Cut a Hole for a Chimney | #168:diagram-03-1#
Three, B | How to Make a Gable Roof out of Two\
Box Covers | #169:diagram-03-2#
Three, C, CC | How to Make a Gable Roof\
out of Cardboard and a Building to Fit | #170:diagram-03-3#
Three, D, E | How to Make an Indian Wigwam or a\
Round-Pointed Roof. How to Make a Tent-shaped Roof | #171:diagram-03-4#
Three, F, G | How to Make Ramparts for a\
Castle or Fort. How to Make a Roof for a Porch | #172:diagram-03-5#
Four | How to Make a Bridge and a R. R. Tunnel | #173:diagram-04#
Five | How to Make a Pattern for a Windmill Sail | #174:diagram-05#
Six, A, AA | How to Make a Bench Form and\
a Bed | #175:diagram-06-1#
Six, B | How to Make a High-backed Bench | #176:diagram-06-2#
Six, C | How to Make a Chair | #177:diagram-06-3#
Six, D, DD | How to Make Tables | #178:diagram-06-4#
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Six, E, F | How to Make a School Desk and\
a Piano | #179:diagram-06-5#
Six, G | How to Make a Fireplace and a\
Mantel | #180:diagram-06-6#
Seven | How to Make a Pergola | #181:diagram-07#
Eight | How to Make a Zoo or Circus Cage | #182:diagram-08#
Nine | How to Make a Dolls’ Theater or Punch Show | #183:diagram-09#
Ten | How to Make a Sleigh or a Sled | #184:diagram-10#
Eleven | How to Make the Boxcraft Game, “Ringfling” | #185:diagram-11#
Twelve | How to Make the Boxcraft Game,\
“One-Two-I-Catch-You” | #186:diagram-12#
Thirteen | How to Make a Magic Box | #187:diagram-13#
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[++ Illustration: To Boxville]
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INTRODUCTION
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THE BOXCRAFT ROAD
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Near Jollyplay in Boxland, on Boxcraft Road to Fun,
There lies a children’s village—a very happy one.
Its buildings are all boxes—the hotel and the store,
The school-house and the station, and many others more!
The name of it is Boxville. Its villagers are toys,
And those who build in Boxville are merry girls and boys.
You, too, may go to Boxland to make a house for play—
Look! Here, you’ll see the guide-post! Before you lies the way.
Take cardboard boxes with you—maybe, some paste or glue,
A pencil, and a paint-box,—and take your scissors too.
I’ll tell you all about it. We’ll start—the turning’s here—
It was a fairy told me about this village, dear!
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THE JOLLY BOOK OF BOXCRAFT
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The Jolly Book of Boxcraft
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.h2 id=BOXCRAFT
BOXCRAFT
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Material Required to Make Boxcraft: cardboard
boxes, paste, scissors, crayons or water-color
paints; perhaps a ruler, and pencil will help.
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Do you believe in fairies? I do. I know three of
them, and they are quite as wonderful as Cinderella’s
fairy godmother. She could make a coach and pair
out of nothing at all but a pumpkin and some mice,
but the fairies that I know can do even better than
that! They can make a whole toy shop full of toys
from nothing at all but some cardboard boxes.
The fairies that I know are called Happy Thought,
Nimblefingers, and Play. They have so much magic
that they can transform even dull days and make
them jolly ones. All three of them came to see me
one very rainy day, and each of them sat upon a cardboard
box while they all told me in chorus about the
fairy art of boxcraft.
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“Have you ever noticed how much an ordinary
shoe-box looks like a little building with a flat roof?”
Happy Thought inquired.
“All you have to do to make it a house,” Nimblefingers
put in, “is to cut doors and windows in its
sides.”
“And then, when you have made the house, you
have all kinds of fun with it,” laughed Play.
“Boxes will make chimneys for your house,”
Happy Thought pursued. “Boxes will make furniture—beds,
tables, chairs, mantels, pianos, benches—everything!”
“You need only to cut the box rims to make them,”
Nimblefingers interrupted.
“And when they are made—oh, think of the things
you can use them for!” chuckled Play.
“A whole village can be made—cottages, school,
store, church, railway station, bridges, tunnels—everything,”
Happy Thought went on.
“And all that you need to do it will be a pair of
scissors, a pencil, some paints, and maybe some paste.
I’ll show you how,” Nimblefingers volunteered.
“When the village is made, all your toys can play
in it! Haven’t you some roly-poly tumble toys, and
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some penny dolls, and toy animals?” Play demanded.
“I know you must have.”
“And the village is not all that you can make from
nothing at all but some cardboard boxes. You may
make almost any kind of a toy: a theater for dolls, a
merry-go-round, an Indian wigwam, and games, and
games, and GAMES!”
So, the fairies, Happy Thought, Nimblefingers,
and Play, told me how to make all these magic toys
from nothing at all but cardboard boxes, and they
asked me to tell the children about it, so that they
might know how to change dull days into bright and
happy ones when they had learned of the magic.
Cardboard boxes are to be found everywhere.
They are in your home and in everybody’s home.
Butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, milliners, druggists,
jewelers, stationers, grocers, drygoods firms,
shoe stores, book stores, toy stores, all keep them.
Everywhere, everywhere there are cardboard boxes—big
boxes, little boxes, middling-sized boxes; wide
boxes, narrow boxes, deep boxes, shallow boxes;
round boxes, oblong boxes, square boxes! Boxes,
boxes, BOXES everywhere! All you need to do is
to ask for them.
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People at home are throwing them away. The
butchers, the bakers, the candlestick makers, the
milliners, the druggists, the jewelers, the stationers,
the grocers, and the dry goods firms, as well as all
the others, are constantly sending boxes to your home.
The shoe stores, and the book stores, and the toy
stores, and ever so many others, are throwing boxes
away just because nobody seems to realize what
magic there lies in them for the children.
When Happy Thought, Nimblefingers, and Play
first told me about boxcraft, I did not find any trouble
in securing the kind of box that I needed for the
toy-making. I found that the merchants were very
glad to give me boxes when I asked for them. They
smiled when I asked. They did not know that a toy
circus tent could be made from a round hat-box.
They did not know that a whole village might be
erected out of six shoe-boxes!
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Boxville Cottage is made from a shoe-box.
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Boxville Cottage is furnished with Boxcraft Materials.
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[Illustration: Boxville Cottage is made from a shoe-box.]
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[Illustration: Boxville Cottage is furnished with Boxcraft Materials.]
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Boxcraft Materials.
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An unfinished Boxcraft Toy.
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[Illustration: Boxcraft Materials.]
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[Illustration: An unfinished Boxcraft Toy.]
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Among the boxes given me were three very large
ones. One was deep and wide. It came from the
milliner’s. It was not a bandbox, but a box used to
pack hats away in. In it I kept all the boxes that
came to me. The small ones I packed inside the
large ones. It was a simple matter, after that, to find
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what I needed when I wished to make a table, or a
chair, or a punch show, or a school-house.
Another box that was given me was wide and flat.
Into it I put all pretty papers that came my way—lace-paper,
pinwheel paper, sheets of waxed sandwich
paper and glacine book covers, crape paper,
spools, cotton, pencils. Everything that could lie
flat went into this wide, flat box, to be stored till
needed. This box packed into the first box easily.
The third box was broad, and square, and deep.
Into it I packed the playthings I had made after I
had finished playing with them. It fitted into the
side of the first box above the wide and flat one. All
these could be put out of sight in my play-closet when
night came and it was time to pick up.
These boxes I called my treasure boxes. I hope
you will find three like them and keep your boxcraft
materials as I kept mine, for Happy Thought,
Nimblefingers, and Play told me about the plan, and
I think it is a splendid one.
If you have some pretty samples of wall-paper,
you can easily cover your treasure boxes with them.
There might be some wall-paper like that in your
play-room. If so, this would be the very thing.
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Then, the boxes may be placed anywhere you choose
in your room.
These treasure boxes are not meant to hold large
toys. It is the little toys that you will like best to use
in boxcraft play. The toy figures and the animals
will pack into very small space. The corrugated
cardboard for roofs, the green crape paper for grass,
the pretty shells, pebbles, and artificial flowers for
garden building, take but small space.
The tools for your boxcraft, scissors, and paste, and
paint-box, may go into the large, deep treasure box
too.
Here in this book you will find the toys that the
fairies have shown me how to make. There are
many, many more. You can try the magic craft of
the fairies for yourself in your own way. If your
boxes are not always exactly like mine, make them
answer by adapting the general plan of the toy to the
box which you have. Learn to make much out of
little. That is the motto of boxcraft play. THAT
is what Cinderella’s fairy godmother did when she
changed a pumpkin into a golden coach. That is
what fairies always do! They find magic in little
things—so suppose you try it too!
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.pm verse-start
Sing a song of boxes and busy fingers too,
Some scissors, and a paint-box, and just a bit of glue!
Sing a song of playtime for happy girls and boys,
A-snipping with their scissors, a-making boxcraft toys!
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List of Materials which May Be Used in Boxcraft
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Cardboard boxes. (To make buildings and toys.)
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Corrugated cardboard. (To make roofs and fences.)
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Plain cardboard. (To use in cutting side walls, roofs, wheels for carriages.)
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Glacine paper book-covers. (To use in making window-glass for buildings.)
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Colored pinwheel papers and tissue papers. (To use in decorating houses.)
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Spools. (To make standards for trees and
bushes in landscape building, to make flower-stands,
cannon, stools, tables, legs for dolls’
beds, men for playing boxcraft games.)
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Round-headed paper-fasteners of brass. (To
make door-knobs and door-latches for buildings.
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To fasten handles to baskets. To fasten
wheels to vehicles.)
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Pencils. (To use for pillars for buildings. To
use for making game-boards.)
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Tools Used in Boxcraft Play
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Just a pair of scissors, some paste, and a box of
crayons or water-color paints.
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.h2 id=COTTAGE
THE LITTLE WHITE COTTAGE OF BOXVILLE
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Material Required for Making a Little Cottage:
one shoe-box with its cover, a twelve-inch square of
cardboard, three small boxes, and a bit of glacine
paper to make window-glass.
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Here is the little Cottage of Boxville. I think
The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe might better
have chosen to live in a shoe-box like this than to
have made her home in an old boot! The cottage
certainly seems cozy, and far more comfortable than
a shoe would be. I know that her children would
have preferred a dwelling like this. I am sure you
like it better yourself, so I am going to tell you how
you may build one just like it.
Find a shoe-box and take its cover off. Set the box
upon its side with the bottom of the box facing you.
This is to be the front of the cottage.
Upon the front you will need to draw two windows
and a door. Take your ruler and a pencil. Measure
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a window space two inches from either end of the
box. Make each window space two inches wide and
two inches high. Half-way between these, draw a
door space with its base at the base of the box. Make
the door space two inches wide and three inches and
a half tall.
Down the center of each window space from top
to base of the square, draw a line which divides it
into half. This forms the window-blinds, which
you will need to cut open. (To make window with
blinds, see #Diagram One, B:diagram-01#, page 166.) Cut top line.
Cut down the center line and cut across the base of
the square. Fold the sections of cardboard outward
against the sides of your box, and you will have made
a window with blinds.
Half-way between windows is the door space.
(To cut door, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.) Cut
across the top line of your square, down one side and
across the base. Fold the cardboard outward, and
you will have made a door that you can open and
close at will.
If you happen to have a round-headed paper-fastener
that has two pointed prongs that are meant
to press through papers to keep them together, take
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it and press its prongs through the little door where
a door-knob should be. Bend the prongs together to
one side and you will have a door-latch. By turning
the round knob, you may fasten the door or open it,
as you like.
The roof of the cottage is supported upon two pieces of cardboard
cut to fit each end of the box. (See
#Diagram Three, A:diagram-03-1#, page 168.) To make these,
take your cardboard and cut a piece the width of one end of your
box and four inches higher. Make a second piece of cardboard like
it to fit the other end of your box. Glue both on the box, one on
each end. Then, with scissors, cut each piece off diagonally
downward from the top at the rear of the box to the front of the
box. This cuts off a corner and makes a sloping rest for each end
of the cottage. Upon these the cover of the shoe-box is slipped
to make half of a sloping roof.
(See #Diagram Three, AA:diagram-03-1#, page 168, showing
box cover placed upon side-wall pieces.)
Slip your box cover over the two points, when
both are thoroughly dry. See, it makes the best kind
of a roof for your cottage!
If you wish to add a chimney, any long, narrow
box that is small enough to form the right proportion
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to the roof may be used. Measure its base upon the
cottage roof near the top. Cut the cardboard of the
roof so that the box end may be slipped through it
and stand erect, and you have a chimney. If you
use a box which has a sliding cover like a drawer,
its outside will be like a real little chimney. You
may mark off bricks upon it with a pencil, and color
it bright red. A wad of cotton will form the smoke
for a chimney.
I painted blinds and door of the cottage that you
see in the picture. Blinds were green and the door
was brown. You may use almost any kind of paint
to do this. The colors from your water-color painting-box
will answer. You may use crayons too, if
you like. Other paint takes somewhat longer to dry.
It is not so well adapted to the building.
In front of my cottage, I made a garden with some
artificial flowers that had once been on my summer
hat in a wreath. You may easily make a garden for
your cottage, or you may have tubs of flowers like the
one in the picture. It is the lower half of a pill-box
filled with forget-me-nots.
The cottage is furnished with furniture cut from
small boxes. These may be three inches long or
.bn 037.png
.pn +1
smaller. My furniture is all painted, but you need
not paint yours unless you care to do so.
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:diagram-06-1#, 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,
.bn 038.png
.pn +1
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:diagram-03-3#, 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:diagram-06-4#, 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:diagram-03-5#, 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.
.bn 039.png
.pn +1
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.
.pm verse-start
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—
I’ll tell you how to make it, so that you can make one too!
.pm verse-end
.bn 040.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=STORE
THE BOXVILLE STORE
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Boxville Store:
one shoe-box with two shoe-box covers, two long
pencils, two spools, waxed paper, and small boxes.
.sp 2
The village store of Boxville is made from a shoe-box.
One shoe-box cover makes the porch it rests
upon. Another forms the roof of the store.
If you wish to make a village store, also, place a
shoe-box upon its side, and then the bottom of the
box will become the front of your store.
You will need to have a large shop window in
front. Make this first. Two inches from the right-hand
end of the box, mark with your pencil a wide
oblong space five inches by three. Cut out this
window space on all four sides. (For cutting a
window space, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.)
Cut a piece of waxed paper a little larger than
the size of your window. Paste this inside the box
building over the window space to make glass. Cut
strips of pinwheel paper and paste them around the
.bn 041.png
.pn +1
window on the outside of the box to make window-casings.
Now you are ready to make a door for your store.
Draw a door space on your box with your pencil.
Make it two inches from the left-hand end of the
box. Make it four inches high and two inches wide.
(To cut single door, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.)
Cut across the top line, down the side line that is
next the window, and across the base. When you
bend the cardboard you have cut, you will have a
door that will open and close. Color the door, if
you like. It may be painted brown.
After this, you are ready to place the roof on your
store; but first, lay one of the box covers upon its rims
on your work-table and put the little store upon it,
well back, so there will be a porch in front. Then,
take your other shoe-box cover and fit it over the top
of the box building so that it projects over the porch
in front. Two long pencils, with ends run into the
openings of two spools, make pillars to place at either
corner of the porch.
The step up to the porch is any small box you may
have.
Inside the store, a long hat-pin box makes a
.bn 042.png
.pn +1
counter. Flowers, leaves, pretty pebbles, shells, and
little toys such as you may find among your own playthings
may be displayed upon the counter.
A roly-poly tumble toy will make a clerk for the
store, or, if you like, you may find both clerk and
customers in magazine pictures, and you can mount
them on thin cardboard and cut them out. There is
no end to the plays you can invent when your store
is finished. Polly Ann of shoe-box cottage, Boxville,
has just come to the store to buy a loaf of bread.
There it is—that pretty brown pebble! Those green
leaves are vegetables! The beads in that box are
apples! The shells are little cakes!
.pm verse-start
To Boxville! To Boxville! To have a lot of fun!
I’m going to the general store to buy a penny bun!
The bun is just a pebble on the counter of the store,
And the penny’s made of paper, so, perhaps, I’ll make some more!
.pm verse-end
.bn 043.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i043a.jpg w=600px id=i043a
.ca
The Village Store made of a shoe-box and two shoe-box covers.
.ca-
.il fn=i043b.jpg w=600px id=i043b
.ca
Inside view of the Village Store. The counter is a hat-pin box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Village Store made of a shoe-box and two shoe-box covers.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Inside view of the Village Store. The counter is a hat-pin box.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 044.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i044a.jpg w=600px id=i044a
.ca
The District School of Boxville. It is made from a shoe-box.
.ca-
.il fn=i044b.jpg w=600px id=i044b
.ca
Inside view of the Boxville School. The desks are all cut from small
oblong boxes. The benches are boxes also; and the stove is a spool
with a pencil for a stovepipe.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The District School of Boxville. It is made from a shoe-box.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Inside view of the Boxville School. The desks are all cut from small
oblong boxes. The benches are boxes also; and the stove is a spool
with a pencil for a stovepipe.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 045.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=SCHOOL
THE DISTRICT SCHOOL OF BOXVILLE
.sp 2
Material Required for Building a Toy School:
one shoe-box with its cover, a half-sheet of cardboard,
three small boxes about three inches long, the cover
of some narrow little box which has an inner drawer,
a pencil, a spool, and a box two inches long.
.sp 2
Did you ever before see a toy school-house? I
don’t believe you have ever seen anything like Boxville
School, so I am going to tell you how you may
build one like it.
First, you will need a shoe-box to form the house
itself. Its cover is the roof. To this, at either end
of the box, are glued two side walls which hold the
roof in place, slanting. The cover of some tiny narrow
box which is made with an inner drawer is the
chimney. Inside, the desks are made from the lower
parts of three boxes about three inches long. Their
three covers make the benches. A teacher’s desk may
be made from any small box you have. Its cover is
.bn 046.png
.pn +1
teacher’s chair. A spool forms the stove, and a pencil
is the stovepipe.
Begin by taking the cover from your shoe-box.
Place the box upon the table before you so that it
stands upon one long side, with its bottom part facing
you, open at the back. The base of your box, which
now faces you, will be the part of the school which
will need to have windows made in it.
These two windows must have blinds. The
window spaces must be located on the face of the
box, which fronts you. From these the blinds are
cut. Two inches from either end of your box, mark
upon the part which faces you two oblongs, each
three inches high and two inches wide. Mark a vertical
line down the center of each window space.
This forms the blinds, which you will need to cut.
(For cutting blinds, see #Diagram One, B:diagram-01#, page 166.)
Cut the top line, down the center line, and across
the base line. Press the two sections of cardboard
outward against the sides of the box building, and
you will have made the window with blinds. Color
these blinds, if you choose. Use crayons or water-color
paints.
Next, you will need to make the cardboard side
.bn 047.png
.pn +1
walls which support the box-cover roof. Take your
sheet of cardboard and measure with pencil outline
upon it the shape of one end of your box. Add to this
four inches at the top, and cut this piece from the
cardboard with its added height.
Make a second piece of cardboard identical with
the first. Glue each to one end of the box upright.
Cut from each the front upper corner point. (See
#Diagram Three, A:diagram-03-1#, page 168, which shows the shape
of the side walls when cut.)
Cut a door in one of these side walls, near its central
part, where you see the door in the picture of
Boxville School. To make this, first take pencil and
ruler and make an oblong four inches high and two
inches wide. (To cut door, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#,
page 167.) Cut top line, down one side line, and across
the base line. Fold the door outward. The cardboard
under the door in the side wall may be cut out
the shape of the door space. If you do this, your
door will bend open more easily.
If you happen to have a round-headed paper-fastener,
press its pointed prongs through the little door
where a door-knob should go. The round head of
the paper-fastener will form a door-knob. Its prongs,
.bn 048.png
.pn +1
bent to one side, form the latch. It will catch the
door securely when the “door-knob” is turned.
Now that the lower part of the school building is
finished, you may begin upon the roof. This is the
box cover. Place it upon the points of the side walls
so that it fits down upon them. You will readily see
how this is. (For placing a roof on a shoe-box building,
see #Diagram Three, AA:diagram-03-1#, page 168.)
When the roof is placed, you will be able to judge
where the chimney-hole should be cut in the box-cover
roof. It should go near the top at the end of
the box that is opposite the door. The cover of
some narrow box which has a sliding inner drawer
will make the chimney. It will be just the right
shape, square and hollow.
Mark off upon the sides of this box the bricks of
the chimney. Color them red, if you like. If you
use a ruler, the work is easily and quickly done. You
do not need to mark the bricks unless you like. Your
box may be painted merely.
To place it on the roof, you will need to cut out of
the school-house roof a piece of cardboard the size
of the end of your box. Decide where the chimney
should go. Mark the end of it with pencil upon the
.bn 049.png
.pn +1
roof at this point. Cut the cardboard out. (For
cutting hole for chimney in a box-cover roof, see
#Diagram Three, AA:diagram-03-1#, page 168.) Press the end
of the chimney
down through this hole. Press the chimney backward to make it
stand straight, and glue it. Some tiny bit of cotton stuffed into
the upper hole of the chimney box will form smoke.
Of course, you will be anxious to furnish your
school-house inside. You may make it like a real
district school such as you see in the country. It will
have desks, benches, a stove, and a blackboard—to
say nothing of a teacher’s desk and chair!
The lower halves of the three small boxes form
desks. It is really a simple matter to make these.
They are the kind that have a shelf beneath the top.
They are open.
Take the lower half of one of these boxes. Place it upon one of
its long rims. The upper rim will be the top of the desk. The
ends of the box will need to be cut the shape of the sides of a
desk. (For cutting a desk out of a small oblong cardboard box,
see #Diagram Six, E:diagram-06-5#, page 179.)
Fit a bit of box rim beneath the top of the desk
where the shelf should go, and glue its ends to the box
.bn 050.png
.pn +1
desk. The desk may be painted black, if you choose.
Make the two other desks like this one.
The benches are next cut from the box covers.
To make a bench, make a cut with scissors in each
box rim at the center of each end of the box. Cut
each as far as the upper part of the cover. Half the
box will be the back of the bench. Half will be the
seat and legs.
First, cut the legs. Then bend the other half of
the box upward, cut off the side piece at either end
of the box, bend the long rim upward. This will
make a bench with high back. (For cutting the legs
of bench and its high back, see #Diagram Six, B:diagram-06-2#, page
176.) In following diagrams, always cut where you
see the heavy black line. Bend where you see a
dotted line. The bench may be painted to match the
desks. Make other benches like the first one.
The teacher’s desk is made from the lower half of
another box—one about two inches long. It is made
like a table, except that no legs are cut in its end
rims. (For cutting a bench form for the teacher’s
desk, see #Diagram Six, A:diagram-06-1#, page 175.) The desk may
be painted, if you like.
The chair for this desk is cut from the cover of
.bn 051.png
.pn +1
the same box that made the desk. Cut the cover’s rim
half off the box, beginning at the center on one long
side. The part of the cover left without rim will be
the back of the chair. Cut legs at the corners of the
other half of the cover and at each side on the rim.
Remove the surplus cardboard from between them.
(To cut chair, see #Diagram Six, C:diagram-03-3#, page 177.) Color
the chair to match desks and benches.
Your school is almost done. The stove will need
to be put up—I’m quite sure that you never heard of
a district school-house without a stove! It is as much
a part of a district school as the dipper and the waterpail
used to be. The stove of this toy school is just
a spool painted black. Place it under the chimney,
with the point of a long pencil run into its upper hole
to represent a stovepipe. There! That is easy to
do, I am sure!
The blackboard is a piece of black pinwheel paper
cut oblong and pasted between the windows. If you
have some old time-table in your home, perhaps you
will find in it a small map that may be cut out and
pasted to the walls of the school.
You can make text-books by folding pieces of
paper together. These can be placed inside the desks.
.bn 052.png
.pn +1
Penny dolls make excellent scholars. A tumble
toy figure may make a schoolmistress or a schoolmaster.
In the picture of Boxville School, you can see three
penny dolls and my tumble toy schoolmistress. The
dolls are at recess. Violet is trying to do a sum at the
board. Pansy is pretending to be “teacher.” Lily
has just finished her luncheon.
When does your school open? Now! The scholars
will have to hurry or they’ll be late!
.pm verse-start
I made a little Boxville School, and now in it each day
I’m educating penny dolls, and it is splendid play!
I teach them all my lessons every day when I am through—
They have finished with my reader, and can divide by two.
.pm verse-end
.bn 053.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=CHURCH
THE LITTLE CHURCH OF BOXVILLE
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Boxville
Church: one shoe-box with its cover, one narrow
box about six or seven inches long, one oblong box
cover three or four inches long, three small box
covers of about the same size (three inches), a
twelve-inch square of cardboard, and some colored
tissue-paper, with a spool.
.sp 2
Ding! Ding! Can you hear the bell in the steeple
of the Boxville Church ringing? It does not ring
very loud, because it is such a small bell, but it does
ring beautifully! You can try it yourself. Suppose
that you make a little church like this for your
village!
Take a shoe-box. Remove its cover. Lay the shoe-box
upon one long side rim. The bottom of the box
will become the side of the church. It will need to
have three long windows cut in it.
Draw these window spaces long and narrow, about
.bn 054.png
.pn +1
one inch wide and three inches high. Cut the two
end windows equally distant from the ends of the
box, and draw the outline of the center window mid-way
between these two. Cut the cardboard at the
top of the window spaces to a point. (For cutting
windows, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.)
If you have some colored tissue-paper, you may
cut three pieces the same shape as the window spaces
you have cut out. Let them be a little wider and
longer, however. Paste each inside the box right over
the open window spaces. This will make stained-glass
windows. You can paint the window-casings
with black ink, or paint on the outside of the box
around the windows.
If you prefer, you can make the window-casings
by pasting narrow strips of pinwheel paper around
the windows, instead of using the paint.
The Boxville Church, as you can see, has a sloping
roof. This roof is the cover of the shoe-box supported
on two side walls, which are made of cardboard and
glued to each end of the box. You will need to cut
these side walls. (See #Diagram Three, A:diagram-03-1#, page 168.)
Measure the exact width and height of your box
on the twelve-inch square of cardboard. Measure
.bn 055.png
.pn +1
one end only, and place the end of the box so that it
comes at the edge of your cardboard. At the top, add
four inches to the height, and cut out this oblong piece
you have drawn. Make another like it. Next, cut off
the two front upper corners diagonally down to the
mark you first made, showing the height of your box
building at the front of your box.
Cut a church door in one of these sides. Make it
rather high—about the height of the church windows.
Let the base of the door come at the lower edge of the
side wall. Cut up through the cardboard vertically
for about three inches. Then cut the arch of the door
and bend as if it were on a hinge. (See
#Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167, for cutting door.)
Paste each side wall in place on the box building
so that the points of each come at the rear of the box.
When the side walls are firmly dry, cut out the cardboard
that is under the door space of the side wall.
The roof is not quite ready to go on yet, however. You
will first need to arrange for the steeple or bell-tower.
Take the cover of your shoe-box and also the oblong
box you intend to use for a steeple. This may be either
a long candy box, such as chocolate peppermints
are often sold in drug stores, or it may be a box
.bn 056.png
.pn +1
such as jewelers use for hat-pins. The tower of the
church should come over the door. Near the top
corner of the shoe-box cover which is to be the roof
of the church, mark off the shape of one end of the
oblong box which is to be the tower. Cut out this
square from the shoe-box roof, and cut out about a
quarter of an inch more at the bottom, otherwise your
steeple will not stand exactly straight.
Now, slip the roof over the points of the side walls.
See! that is it! And, next, slip the tower in place
down through the opening which comes in the roof
over the door. (See #Diagram Three, AA:diagram-03-1#, page 168.)
If your tower is to have a bell, you can buy a bell
at almost any toy store. It will probably cost you a
penny. You will need to cut openings in the upper
part of the bell-tower box. Cut one on each side, as
you see it in the picture of my Boxville Church. The
belfry windows will be cut like ordinary square windows,
except for a point at the top. (For cutting
plain windows, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.)
The bell is next tied like a locket to a double cord
or bit of string. One end of this string is used to
fasten the bell to the top of the tower. It is sewed,
with the help of a large darning-needle, to the cardboard
.bn 057.png
.pn +1
top of the belfry. The other end of the cord
will be the bell-rope, and this goes down through the
cardboard at the base of your tower box and through
the cardboard at the top of the shoe-box building. It
can be threaded to the darning-needle and pressed
through the holes made by the needle till its end hangs
down into the church vestibule, as you see it in the
picture. When you let the sexton pull this bell-rope,
ding, ding goes the bell, and the noise that it makes
is just the right size for a Boxville Church!
Now you are ready to furnish the inside of your
church. Begin with the platform for the pulpit. This
is the box cover you have—the one about three or
four inches long. Place it where the platform should
go, opposite the door. The spool will be the pulpit.
Paste a little round cardboard disk over the opening
at one end of the spool, and this will be the top of the
pulpit. Paint the spool black.
Use a long, narrow box cover for the pulpit chair.
(See #Diagram Six, C:diagram-03-3#, page 177.) Cut the rim from
box cover, beginning near the center on one long side.
Cut till you have reached the point opposite. The
part of the cover from which the rim has been removed
will be the back of the chair. Bend it forward.
.bn 058.png
.pn +1
The other half of the cover will be the seat of the
chair. Legs are cut in the front rim and in the side
rims that remain. To make front legs, keep the corners
of the box, and cut up to the part which is the
seat, the upper part of the cover. Remove the cardboard
from between these two cuttings. Then, make
the back legs of the chair in the box rims at side.
Place the little chair back of the pulpit, and color it,
if you wish, to match.
At least three pews will be needed for the church.
They are to be made from the three small box covers.
(See #Diagram Six, B:diagram-06-2#, page 176, for making high-backed
benches.)
With a pencil or pin-point, mark the center of each
short rim on these box covers. Then, taking one
cover, cut through the rim at the two points till you
have reached the top of the cover. Half of the
division made will be for the back of the bench and
half for the seat and the legs. Cut the legs in one half
as you cut the legs for the pulpit chair. Remove
from the other half of the cover the remaining end
rim. Bend the rim that is left at the top upward, to
make the high back of the bench, and color the bench
to match the pulpit and chair.
.bn 059.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i059a.jpg id=i059a w=600px
.ca
Boxville Church is made from a shoe-box. Its bell-tower is an oblong
box. It has stained-glass windows of red tissue-paper.
.ca-
.il fn=i059b.jpg id=i059b w=600px
.ca
Boxville Church has a pulpit, a reading desk, and pews that are made in
boxcraft style from boxes and a spool.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: Boxville Church is made from a shoe-box. Its
bell-tower is an oblong box. It has stained-glass windows of red
tissue-paper.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxville Church has a pulpit, a reading desk, and
pews that are made in boxcraft style from boxes and a spool.]
.sp 2
.if-
.sp 2
.bn 060.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i060a.jpg id=i060a w=600px
.ca
Boxville Church is made from a shoe-box. Its bell-tower is an oblong
box. It has stained-glass windows of red tissue-paper.
.ca-
.il fn=i060b.jpg id=i060b w=600px
.ca
Boxville Church has a pulpit, a reading desk, and pews that are made in
boxcraft style from boxes and a spool.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: Boxville Railway Station is built from a shoe-box
and four shoe-box covers. Pencils are used for pillars that hold
the long roof of the platform in place.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Inside view of Boxville Railway Station. This
shows the ticket booth made from a shallow box about four inches
square.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 061.png
.pn +1
Place the benches one behind the other inside the
church. Let the sexton ring the bell for Sunday-school
to begin. What was the lesson you had last
Sunday? Do you remember about it? Perhaps you
might not so easily forget next Sunday’s lesson, if you
taught it yourself to a class of penny dolls in a Boxville
Church like this. Anyway, you can try!
.pm verse-start
Boxville dolls on Sunday go
To this Boxville Church, just so!
Two by two, as couples should,
Boxville dolls are always good!
Little Boxville, as you see,
Is as good as it can be:
Little girls and little boys,
Learn this text from Boxville toys!
.pm verse-end
.bn 062.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=RAILWAY
THE BOXVILLE RAILWAY STATION
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Boxville Railway
Station: one shoe-box and four shoe-box covers,
one small box about four inches square and without
a cover, the shallow covers of two small boxes
three inches long, two long pencils, and a small square
of waxed paper.
.sp 2
Boxville’s Railway Station is a real railway station.
It is not a tin thing such as you buy ready-made in a
toy shop. Boxville Station has a waiting-room with
a real ticket booth and benches. You can make just
the same kind of little station as you see in this picture.
It is easy to make.
The building itself, you see, is the lower half of a
shoe-box placed upon its side. The platform is made
of two shoe-box covers placed end to end upon the
floor, and the roof of the station is one shoe-box cover.
The other shoe-box cover is the roof of the platform,
and this is supported by two long lead-pencils.
Do you want to make a Boxville Station? To
.bn 063.png
.pn +1
begin, you must make two doors and a window on
the part of your box that is the front of the station.
About an inch and a half from either end of your
box, mark a door space four inches high and two
inches wide. Use a pencil and ruler for the work,
so that it will be even. Half-way between the door
spaces you have drawn, mark off an oblong window
space two inches high and three inches wide. Now,
you can take your scissors and cut the doors in the
box. (To cut doors, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page
167.) Cut the top line of each door space. Cut the
bottom line also. The doors must open toward each
other, so cut each door space down the side next to the
window space. Push each little door inward.
Next, cut out the window space. Cut it around
on all four sides, and keep to the line you have drawn
with pencil. (To cut window, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#,
page 166.) When you have finished this, take a piece
of the waxed paper you have and paste it inside the
station building over the window space to make window-glass.
The waxed paper should be cut a bit
longer and wider than the opening of the window.
You can measure it by the cardboard piece you cut
from the box.
.bn 064.png
.pn +1
If you wish, you may color the doors of your
station building green or brown. Use whatever colors
you have, but if you use your water-colors, keep the
work as dry as you can. If you do not, the doors will
not be straight. They will curl.
Place two shoe-box covers end to end upon the floor
or table, for you can put the building upon them now.
See, it is placed far back, so that there will be a platform
in front. Place the building at the left of the
platform made of the shoe-box covers.
The third shoe-box cover is the roof of the station
building, and you must fit it down over the station.
If you wish to have a roof over your station platform,
you will need the fourth shoe-box cover to make this.
To secure it in place, just cut two end corners on
the box rim as far as the top of the cover. Then,
turn this end rim upward and slip it under the right-hand
rim of the cover which forms the roof of the
station building itself. You will need two pillars at
the right-hand end of your platform to keep the long
roof up. These pillars are long lead-pencils. Press
the point of a pencil down through each right-hand
top corner of the long station platform’s top, and
secure the points below by running them into standards
.bn 065.png
.pn +1
made of spools. The pencil point will be firm
when run into the upper hole of a standing spool, and
when both pillars are so fixed, the roof will be quite
firm. (See #Diagram Three, G:diagram-03-5#, page 172.)
Next, make a signboard for your station, and glue
it to the roof.
You will need to have a bench or two and a ticket
office in your station building. A little doll can be
placed in the ticket office. If you look at the picture
of my Boxville Station, you will see a lady buying
her ticket of the ticket agent.
The ticket booth is the lower half of a box that is
about four inches wide and an inch or so deep. You
will need to stand it on its rim and cut a window in
the part of the box that is the front of the ticket office.
You do this just as you cut the window for your
station, only you must make the ticket-booth window
smaller. Draw the outline of the window first with
help of pencil and ruler. Then cut it out. To cut
window, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.) When
window is cut, paste some waxed paper over the window
opening on the inside of the box. Cut a round
opening in this, near the bottom. The ticket agent
will need this, you see. Now, the ticket booth is
.bn 066.png
.pn +1
finished! Place it between the doors where it should
go.
You will need a bench at either end of the station
waiting-room. Cut these from covers of two boxes
three inches long. (For cutting benches, see
#Diagram Three, AA:diagram-06-2#, page 176.) With pencil
or pin-point mark
a dot at the center of each short end rim of the covers, and cut
through each rim thus marked till you have reached the top of the
cover. Half of each division so made will be the high back of the
bench. Half will form the seat and legs. Cut legs in the rim of
one end. Leave the corners at the front of the bench and remove
the cardboard that is between them, making your cutting to the
right and left of each front corner. Then cut the rear legs in
both side rims. Bend the other half of each box upward. This is
to be the high back. Cut off the little pieces of cardboard that
are left on the narrow end rims. Bend what is left of the cover’s
rim upward to make the rest of the high back for each bench.
Color the benches black or brown.
Toot-too! Don’t you hear the whistle of the toy
train? The baggage, that is made up of boxes, is
.bn 067.png
.pn +1
waiting on the station platform, and the little dolls
are ready to start on their travels.
Miss Doll is waiting on the station platform. She
has just purchased her return ticket to Boxtown.
Boxtown is the next stop. Everybody goes there
on Circus Day—Mr. Doll, Mr. Mulligan, Mr.
Swartzenheimer, Polly Ann, Susan Smith, all the
Noahs! The station platform is crowded!
.pm verse-start
When all the sky is dark with storm,
Then with my train I play.
I build a Boxville Station,
And I stay indoors all day.
It is always pleasant weather
When you’re happy as can be;
And when I’m playing Boxville,
There’s no storm that I can see!
.pm verse-end
.bn 068.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=FREIGHT
B. R. R. FREIGHT STATION AND SHOE-BOX TUNNEL
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Boxville Freight
Station: one shoe-box cover, one shallow cover of
a box about eight or nine inches long and seven or
eight inches wide, and the lower half of a deep box
about six inches long and four or five inches wide.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Dark Tunnel for
B. V. R. R.: the lower half of an ordinary shoe-box.
.sp 2
After you have built your Boxville Railway Station,
I am sure you will like to build a Freight Station
for your railway system. You will have so much
freight to go from Boxville! There is no end to the
little boxes! It will take you about five minutes, or
less, to build the freight station. It is so simple that
you can almost see how from looking at the picture.
The shoe-box cover is the platform. The lower half
of the deep box you have is turned upside-down and
placed upon the left end of the shoe-box cover. A
.bn 069.png
.pn +1
double door is outlined with pencil at one end of this
box. (See #Diagram Two:diagram-02#, B, page 167, for double
door.) Mark a square three inches wide on the end
of the box where the door should come. Draw down
the center of this from top line to lower line. This
gives the two divisions of the door. Cut the top line
of the door space. Cut down the center line of it and
across the lower line. Bend the two doors of the
doorway outward. Color them, if you like.
To make the square flat roof, take the box cover
and place it down over the freight building at the
top. That is an easy way to make a roof, isn’t it?
And now that the freight office is made, I am sure
you will agree that it is a very fine one indeed. Isn’t
it fun to build your own?
Do you want to have me tell you how to make a
tunnel too? It will be fine to have one for your railway
system. To make one you will need a box—almost
any that is deep, like a shoe-box, will answer.
How high is the smoke-stack of your train? Two
inches? Well, how high is it from the ground? Five?
Then, the holes made for the tunnel opening in either
end of the box will need to be higher still by an inch
or a half-inch. (For cutting a tunnel, see
.bn 070.png
.pn +1
#Diagram Four, B:diagram-04#, page 173.) Turn your box
over. The lower half is the only part you will need to use, so
put aside the cover. In either end of the box cut out a round
opening large enough for your toy train to pass through at a
sixty-miles-a-minute rate. There is your tunnel!
If you have any crape paper, you can cover the
sides and top of your box so that it will look like a
big square hill. The ends of the box should be painted
with black paint to look like stone masonry.
Let’s see how well your train goes through the
tunnel—toot-too! Here it goes! Isn’t that the nicest
toy you ever saw?
.pm verse-start
Little bits of boxes make a pile of freight
For my Boxville Railway. It is simply great!
Just a cardboard shoe-box makes a tunnel too—
Very black an’ spooky when my train goes through!
.pm verse-end
.bn 071.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i071a.jpg w=600px id=i071a
.ca
The B.R.R. Freight Station. It is a small oblong box with a cover
of another box for its roof. The platform is a shoe-box cover and
the freight is little boxes.
.ca-
.il fn=i071b.jpg w=600px id=i071b
.ca
Shoe-box Tunnel may be made of almost any long box. To make it, cut
rounded openings in the end rims of the box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The B.R.R. Freight Station. It is a small oblong
box with a cover of another box for its roof. The platform is a
shoe-box cover and the freight is little boxes.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Shoe-box Tunnel may be made of almost any long
box. To make it, cut rounded openings in the end rims of the box.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 072.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i072a.jpg w=600px id=i072a
.ca
Bandbox Hotel is made of a square hat-box.
.ca-
.il fn=i072b.jpg w=600px id=i072b
.ca
Bandbox Hotel has an opening at the back so that one may play inside
easily. Partitions of rooms are made with shoe-boxes from which
end rims have been removed.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Bandbox Hotel is made of a square hat-box.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Bandbox Hotel has an opening at the back so that
one may play inside easily. Partitions of rooms are made with
shoe-boxes from which end rims have been removed.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 073.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=HOTEL
HOTEL BANDBOX AND HOW TO FURNISH IT
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Hotel Bandbox:
one large bandbox with its cover, the cover of another
square bandbox that is larger. These make the building
and its roof. A shallow box cover will make the
roof over the front door. Two long pencils are
pillars. The hotel is furnished with furniture cut
from small boxes. Spools, lace-paper, pinwheel paper,
bits of wall-paper, and the glacine paper covers from
books may all be used.
.sp 2
Did you ever before hear of a dolls’ hotel? If you
look at the picture of Hotel Bandbox, you will see
one that may be made from a square hat-box. Its
porch is a large hat-box cover. The building is a
hat-box, smaller than this cover. The roof of the
hotel is the cover of the hat-box itself.
Windows and front door are cut in the rims of the
bandbox.
.bn 074.png
.pn +1
In starting to make a hotel, begin by marking off
windows. Each window must be two inches wide
and three inches high. It will help you to place
windows evenly if you mark a horizontal line around
three sides of your bandbox about three inches from
the top of the box. Use a ruler, and make all marks
as light as possible. They are only intended to guide
you, and must be rubbed out after you have cut out
the window spaces.
Below the line you have drawn, make another,
three inches farther down the sides of the box. This
line forms the base of windows.
Next, make the windows that come nearest each
corner of the box. Measure two inches from each
corner. This gives the right spacing from the corner.
Measure two inches more on your horizontal line at
the top of the building, and this will give the width
of a window. Make the end windows first. Then
make the ones that come between. Space evenly, so
that windows may come at regular intervals. Cut
out each window on all four sides. (For cutting a
window, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.) Arrange
your lower story windows as you have the upper ones.
At the center upon the front of your building outline
.bn 075.png
.pn +1
a large double door four inches square. It should
come at the very base of bandbox. (To cut double
door, see #Diagram Two, B:diagram-02#, page 167.) Cut its top
line. Cut its base line. Cut the cardboard between
these two lines in half vertically to make the door.
When windows and door are made, then you may
paste some three-inch squares of glacine paper back
of each window inside the box. The window-glass
is made this way. If you like, you may leave some
windows open.
The building is ready, now, to stand upon the
larger bandbox cover. As you see, this makes a porch.
Place the smaller bandbox cover over the upper
part of your hat-box to make a flat roof.
Over the front door you may make a flat roof. (See
#Diagram Three, G:diagram-03-5#, page 172.) Use for it a narrow
box cover. Glue one long rim of this cover to the
cardboard over your doorway. Press a pencil point
downward through each forward corner of the cover
to make a pillar. The pencil points may be secured
in the holes of two spools and thus keep the roof
upright. If you wish, you may glue the spools where
they should go.
Cut a narrow strip of cardboard and write the
.bn 076.png
.pn +1
name of your hotel upon it. Glue this over the doorway.
Flower-stands for the hotel veranda are simple
things to make. One spool will be needed for each
flower-stand. Press the stems of some artificial flowers
into the hole of the spool. If you have gilt paint, you
can gild the stands. I painted mine with black water-color
paint.
Penny dolls make guests for the hotel. They come
already dressed, but you can take one or two of yours
and dress them like men dolls. I inked mine. You
can see them in the picture.
How are you going to play inside the hotel? If
you look at the second picture of the hotel, you will
see that it is the back of the box, and that each corner
at the back of the box has been cut. When this is
done, the back lets down. You can cut your hotel
building this way. As you see, it may be closed up
again, when you are not playing inside.
Partitions for downstairs rooms are made with two
shoe-boxes—just their lower half is used. Cut the
ends off each box. Place each lengthwise inside the
hotel so that there is a space between them. This
space forms the hotel hallway.
.bn 077.png
.pn +1
Cut a piece of cardboard to fit into your box and
put it over the top of these two shoe-boxes. It forms
the floor for the second-story rooms. Another shoe-box—or
two, if you prefer—makes partitions for
second-story rooms.
Doors may be cut in these partitions. (For cutting
a single door space, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.)
Samples of wall-paper make good carpet for the
hotel. You may cut it into squares to make rugs.
Window curtains may be made from tissue-paper
or lace-paper.
The furniture, itself, is cut from very small boxes.
Tables are made with spools.
The lower half of a small oblong box may be cut
to form a chair by removing its rim, half-way around—beginning
to cut the rim at the center of one long
side of the box. The part from which the rim is removed
is the back of the chair. Press its cardboard
upward. The part that has the rim left upon it is the
seat of the chair, and legs are cut at its two front
corners and in each side at the rear. (See #Diagram Six, C:diagram-06-3#, page 177, for making a chair.)
Place a pill-box over an upright spool to make a
table. Round pill-boxes make round tables. Square
.bn 078.png
.pn +1
boxes make square tables. (See #Diagram Six, DD:diagram-06-4#,
page 178.)
An oblong pill-box rested on its side will form a
doll’s bureau. Mark off the drawers upon its front,
and glue a strip of cardboard, upright, at its rear.
Paint a mirror frame on the strip of cardboard.
Beds for the hotel chambers may be made of small
oblong boxes and their covers. To make the upper
part of the bed, cut off the long rims on each side of
the cover. This leaves headboard and footboard to
be glued to the lower half of the box when this has
been turned over to rest upon its rims. At each corner
of the lower half of the box, cut a leg for the bed
to stand upon. Remove the cardboard from between
each. (To cut bed, see #Diagram Six, AA:diagram-06-1#, page 175.)
Little dolls touring through Hat-box County stop
at the hotel overnight. Drummer dolls, on their
business trips to Boxville General Store, find comfortable
accommodations at Bandbox Hotel too. As
soon as the toy train stops at Boxville Station, you may
see them making a bee-line for the hotel.
There are splendid accommodations at Hotel
Bandbox. The meals are always good. You only
need to pretend what the dolls want and then give it
.bn 079.png
.pn +1
to them. Some want their steak well done and are
very particular about it, but the waiter always does
right and everybody is always satisfied. After dinner
the guests take a walk over to Mirror Lake and watch
the man who is fishing on the bridge there. Or else,
perhaps, they sit on the hotel piazza and watch the
people come to the Village square to get water at the
town pump.
.pm verse-start
Hurry, hurry with the scissors!
Bring the glue-pot or some paste:
We must make a Hotel Bandbox,
The proprietor’s in haste!
Touring through the Boxland Country,
Penny dolls may wish to stay
In this splendid Hotel Bandbox
That we’re building here to-day!
.pm verse-end
.bn 080.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=APARTMENT
THE SHOE-BOX APARTMENT HOUSE
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Shoe-box Apartment
House: one shoe-box with the whole of its
cover, one small box about two inches long, and small
boxes and spools for furnishing the apartment house.
.sp 2
You may make a whole row of apartment houses.
They are shoe-boxes that are placed to stand on end.
Windows are drawn upon the fronts of the boxes as
they stand. Each apartment house must have a porch
and front door as well.
Would you like to erect an apartment house? Find
a shoe-box, then.
Take its cover off. Stand your box on end with
the opening at back. Let the bottom of the box face
you. Mark off upon it three window spaces, each
With its base five inches from the top of your box.
See that end windows are equally distant from the
sides of your box. Make each window two inches
high and one inch wide.
Arrange second-story windows evenly between top
.bn 081.png
.pn +1
and base of your box, and place below them the first-story
window. Leave a place for a door just above
the base of your box at the left, as the picture of Shoe-box
Apartment will show you. Make the door a
little larger than your window spaces—about three
inches high and two inches wide. Next to it, draw a
Window space for the first-floor window.
The windows may be cut out, if you like. (For
windows, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.) Cut out
the squares you have drawn on top, side lines, and
base. Back of each window opening, paste a bit of
waxed sandwich paper to form glass. Outline on
the front of the box around the windows, the window-sashes.
Use black ink or water-color paints to do
this work. Paste tissue- or lace-paper curtains over
the waxed paper inside the apartment house to make
the windows trim.
Cut the door of the apartment house out. (For
door, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.) Cut the top
line, down the side next to the window, and across the
base line.
The porch roof is half of a small box glued over
the doorway. The porch itself is the half of a box
glued below the doorway.
.bn 082.png
.pn +1
Now, put the finishing touch to the building by
adding a flat roof. Take the cover of your shoe-box.
Cut off all its rims except at one end, a third of the
way around. This end is the roof. Cut it off with
rims and fit it down over the building. Paste it in
place.
The floors of the apartment are made by pasting
the rest of the cover into the inside of the box, horizontally.
Cut the remaining part of the cover in
half. Fit each section into the box where the floors
should be. Glue the edges that are fitted into the
box. Let them dry thoroughly. Then, you may
furnish the interior with boxcraft furniture such as
is used in arranging Hotel Bandbox.
Penny dolls and Noah’s Ark ladies will surely take
up light housekeeping there, if their husbands approve.
In the picture, you will see the janitor, Mr.
Jinks. The Noah’s Ark ladies have come to look at
the rooms.
.pm verse-start
There is a fine apartment “To Let” in Shoe-box Flat—
But those who wish to rent it may not own a dog or cat!
When Mrs. Noah came there, the Janitor said, “No!
We cannot take your animals! We cannot have you—go!”
.pm verse-end
.bn 083.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i083a.jpg w=536px id=i083a
.ca
Boxville Apartment House. This is made from a large shoe-box.\
Its roof is the end of the cover.
.ca-
.il fn=i083b.jpg w=600px id=i083b
.ca
Here is furniture for the Apartment House and for Bandbox Hotel.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: Boxville Apartment House. This is made from a
large shoe-box. Its roof is the end of the cover.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Here is furniture for the Apartment House and for Bandbox Hotel.]
.sp 2
.if-
.sp 2
.bn 084.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i084a.jpg w=600px id=i084a
.ca
A Boxville Residence which is made from a deep letter-paper box and its cover.
.ca-
.il fn=i084b.jpg w=600px id=i084b
.ca
The Garage is made from a deep square letter-paper box. The cover of the box is its roof.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: A Boxville Residence which is made from a deep letter-paper box and
its cover.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Garage is made from a deep square letter-paper box. The cover of
the box is its roof.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 085.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=RESIDENCE
A BOXVILLE RESIDENCE
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Boxville Residence:
a deep, square letter-paper box with its cover,
the cover of a flat letter-paper box about ten inches
long, the cover of a drawer-like pill-box, some glacine
or waxed paper, some artificial flowers, lace-paper
cut from candy boxes, and some box rims.
.sp 2
See what a darling little house I have made for a
Boxville Residence! The husband of Mrs. Doll,
who owns the house, goes in his motor car to Boxville
Station every morning. He commutes to Boxtown.
You can see Mrs. Doll and her sister in the picture.
Mr. Doll has gone to Boxtown, but in the picture
of the garage that goes with the Boxville Residence
you will see Mr. Doll’s motor and the chauffeur.
Don’t you think it would be fun to make a Boxville
Residence like mine? I will tell you how to do it.
First, of course, you will have to hunt for a deep,
square letter-paper box, and the other materials that
are needed to use in building. When you have found
.bn 086.png
.pn +1
your box, turn it over so that it stands upside-down.
Take off the cover. That will be the roof, but you are
not ready yet to put the roof on to the building.
Upon two opposite sides of the box, mark off two
window spaces. (For windows, see
#Diagram One AA:diagram-01#, page 166.)
Each window space measured off, with
help of ruler and pencil, must be an inch and a half
square. Have the bases of the windows, as well as
their tops, made a uniform distance from the base
of the box building. Each window should be an
equal distance from the corner of the box nearest it.
When the two sides of the box are marked out with
window spaces, you can begin upon the front of the
house. Draw a door space about four inches high
and two inches broad, and let it come an inch from
the right-hand side of the box building that faces
you. (For front door, see #Diagram Two C:diagram-02#, page
167.) Let the base of your door space come on the
very outer rim of the front of the box. When you
have outlined the door, draw a square in its upper
part to indicate where the plate-glass window is to
be in the door. Cut the top line of your door and
down its right side. Then cut out the square you
made for the window in it. There, the door will
.bn 087.png
.pn +1
open and close, you see, when you bend it on the side
where the hinge should be! Waxed paper pasted
in a square under the window opening will make
the glass window. Lace-paper makes curtains. A
round-headed paper-fastener with its prongs pushed
through the cardboard door and bent to one side will
make a door-knob with a latch. By turning the knob
you can open or fasten the front door tight.
After the door is finished, draw a window space
half-way between the door and the corner of the
building on the front of the house. Now, you can
begin to cut out all the windows. Cut each one
evenly, and paste a square of waxed paper or glacine
paper back of each, inside the box, to make window-glass.
You can outline the window-frames on the
outside, using black ink or paint.
Doesn’t the box begin to look like a real house?
Yes! But it has no roof yet! Where is the cover of
your box? Slip it down over the building. There
you are! The cover of a small drawer-like pill-box
will make a fine chimney. Glue it on end to the top
of the roof at the center.
Where is the flat letter-box cover? That is to be
the porch. Place it on the floor or table, and then
.bn 088.png
.pn +1
brush the rims of the box that is your Boxville Residence
with paste or glue so that it will stand well
back upon this veranda. Be careful not to have any
paste under the door. See, there is the front porch.
The veranda railing is just a box rim cut from a box
and pasted to the edge of the veranda on the cover
of the letter-paper box.
If you wish to have a step up to the front porch, a
small box or its cover will make this.
My Boxville Residence has a garden. Mrs. Doll
is very fond of gardens, and so is Mr. Doll also. I
made the garden from a wreath of flowers that was
on an old summer hat. I made an arbor. It was easy
to make that. The arbor is cut from a candy box.
It is just half the rim. I stood it up on its ends and
trimmed it with the flowers. Of course, if you play
out-of-doors with your Boxville Residence, you can
have real flowers to play with. You can lay out walks
with pebbles and gravel when you do not play in the
house. I made a fountain or a pool for the garden
from a hand-glass. At almost any penny store you
can buy a little round mirror that will make a garden
pool. You can make a sun-dial also. It is a spool
with a pill-box placed over one end of it. You will
.bn 089.png
.pn +1
have to mark off the face of the sun-dial with pencil.
Don’t you think that this makes a comfortable home
for a Boxville resident? I do. I almost wish I were
a little doll, so that I might open the front door and
begin furnishing the inside of the house with box
furniture and spools.
.pm verse-start
’Mid pleasures and palaces where’er you may roam,
There is no place like Boxville for a little doll’s home!
A charm from the fairies seems magic play there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne’er met elsewhere.
.pm verse-end
.bn 090.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=GARAGE
THE BOXVILLE GARAGE OR STABLE
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Boxville Garage
or Stable: one deep letter-paper box with its cover.
.sp 2
Here is a toy garage. It belongs to the residence
of Mr. Doll of Boxville. Would you like to make
a garage like it?
The box you will need to use for making a garage
must be deep and square. Place it upon the table
standing upon its rims. Then, the bottom of the box
will become the top of your building, and you may
place the cover over this and glue it to make a flat
roof.
Upon the front of your box, draw a large square
four inches in size. Let the base of this square come
upon the outer rim of the box. The square is to be
the large double door of the garage. (To cut the
door, see #Diagram Two, B:diagram-02#, page 167.) Cut the top
line. Cut the base line. From top to base line cut
.bn 091.png
.pn +1
another line dividing the doorway into halves to form
the doors.
The doors will fold outward when you have
finished cutting them. Paint them green, if you wish.
On each side of your box, you may draw a window with blinds. The
window should be two inches square, and should be placed in the
center of each side. Draw a line vertically from top to base of
the window space to make the divisions for the blinds. This line
should divide the window space evenly into halves. (To cut window
with blinds, see #Diagram One, C:diagram-01#,
page 166.) Cut across the top of each window you have marked out.
Cut down its center line, and cut its base line. Press the
cardboard outward against the sides of the little building to
make blinds. Color the blinds to match the door.
There! The garage is finished. Wind up your
toy automobile, and let us see how nicely it runs right
through the doorway!
.pm verse-start
Here is Boxville Garage—just the very toy
For an automobile owned by a small boy!
Takes a half a second just to cut a door
And two little windows. There is nothing more!
Anyone can make it, for the garage here
Is a box of cardboard. Isn’t it just dear!
.pm verse-end
.bn 092.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=GARDEN
MAKING A BOXVILLE GARDEN
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Greenhouse: the
half of some deep box from five to seven inches long
and about five inches deep (the half of a box such as
is usually to be found at a hardware store), about
twelve square inches of cardboard from which to cut
a roof, and a sheet of waxed sandwich paper.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Pergola: half of a
ordinary white shoe-box, and a strip of cardboard
about thirteen inches long and seven inches wide.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make the Garden Itself:
artificial flowers, some spools for flower-stands, sand
paper for roadway and gravel walks, a penny mirror
for a sunken-garden pool, boxes for benches, green
crape paper for grass, a long box to make a hedge,
moss, pebbles, shells, and pretty twigs from out-of-doors.
.sp 2
It is such fun to play in a garden that I made one
for Boxville. It belongs to Mr. Penny Doll’s residence.
.bn 093.png
.pn +1
It has a pergola and a greenhouse, a sunken
pool, flower-stands, gravel walks, benches, and everything
that a garden should have.
Green crape paper placed upon the floor will make
the garden lawn. Sandpaper cut in strips and laid
upon it forms the garden paths. A roadway may be
made from sandpaper too. If you have none, ordinary
brown paper will answer. A long box covered over
with green crape paper looks just like a garden hedge.
The paper should be pasted over the sides of the box
quite flat. Garden stands are made by gilding spools
and then poking into each spool, as it stands upright,
some artificial flowers.
Greenhouse for the garden is made from the deep
half of some box about seven inches long and five
inches deep. If you like, your greenhouse may be
made smaller, but this size is an easy one to handle.
The box itself forms the greenhouse building. Its
roof is of bent cardboard, and the glass in it is waxed
sandwich paper.
Shall I tell you how to make the greenhouse so that
you may make one like it? First, take the half of
the box you intend to use and place it upon its rims,
open at base.
.bn 094.png
.pn +1
Next, one inch above the base, on each corner make
a pencil dot.
Cut the top off the rims of your box.
On each end rim, at center, make a pencil dot to
indicate the middle top of each box end. (Leave
sides without marks.)
From the center top point on each end cut down
diagonally to right and left, to form the peaked part
of the building under the roof. (See
#Diagram Three, CC:diagram-03-3#, page 170.)
Then, cut the long sides of the box to meet these,
lengthwise. Remove the cardboard at the top of
each long side.
Now, in the point at one end of the lower half of
the greenhouse building, cut out windows. Cut them
to fit your box building. (See #Diagram One:diagram-01#, A,
page 166, for windows.) Back of each, paste some
transparent waxed sandwich paper. If you like,
cut a triangular window in the point of the building
which is to be under the roof.
Between the lower two windows, cut a door to fit—one inch wide
and two inches high should be a good size. (For cutting a door,
see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.)
.bn 095.png
.pn +1
You may make the roof two inches longer and four
inches wider than the size of the base of your box.
Cut this roof from your cardboard. Fold it through
the center of its long sides to make a gable roof. (See
#Diagram Three, C:diagram-03-3#, page 170.)
In each side of this roof, cut out windows. Paste
back of their openings some waxed sandwich paper.
Glue the roof to the lower half of the building.
Any small boxes that you have will form flower-boxes
when filled with small artificial flowers. They
may go into the greenhouse.
To make the pergola, you will need the lower half
of a white shoe-box. Take the box and stand it upon
its rims, base at top, opening below.
Cut out the cardboard that was the bottom of the
box, leaving a narrow rim around this between corners
on the side that was this box bottom.
Then, cut off each end of the box, leaving the
margin around corners and top rim like this first cutting
in the box.
In the two long rims of the box cut pillars on each
side. (See #Diagram Seven:diagram-07#, page 181.)
Cut two long cardboard strips from some Bristol-board—each
two inches longer than the length of
.bn 096.png
.pn +1
your box. Glue one strip each over the top of the
pergola, lengthwise, over the long sides of the box.
Cut five inch-wide strips of cardboard two inches
longer than the width of your box, and glue each
across the opening made by cutting the top from the
pergola box. Each strip should be evenly crossed
between opposite pillars.
If you have any pretty artificial flowers left from
your garden and greenhouse, twine them around the
pillars of your finished pergola.
I have a gardener for my garden. His name is Karl
Shepherd. He came to me in a box of toy lambs that
I bought at the ten-cent store. I called him Karl
because he looked so German. Perhaps, among your
playthings, you have a little figure like him. Look
and see. I am sure you will find a gardener.
.pm verse-start
Here’s the little Boxville Garden,
Just as cunning as can be;
Bring your scissors and the paste jar!
It is made with boxes—see!
There shall be a pretty greenhouse,
There shall be an arbor, too;
Paths and flower-beds we’ll lay out—
Oh, there will be fun for you!
.pm verse-end
.sp 4
.bn 097.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i097a.jpg id=i097a w=600px
.ca
Boxville Greenhouse is cut from the half of a deep box such as hardware
merchants use on their shelves. It has a roof made from cardboard.
The glass is waxed paper.
.ca-
.il fn=i097b.jpg id=i097b w=600px
.ca
The Pergola is made from the lower half of a white shoe-box. Strips of
white cardboard are glued across the top.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: Boxville Greenhouse is cut from the half of a deep
box such as hardware merchants use on their shelves. It has a
roof made from cardboard. The glass is waxed paper.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Pergola is made from the lower half of a white
shoe-box. Strips of white cardboard are glued across the top.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 098.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i098a.jpg id=i098a w=600px
.ca
The Boat-house or Yacht Club is made from the half of a deep box
about eight inches long. Its roof and floor are shoe-box covers.
The flagstaff is a pencil.
.ca-
.il fn=i098b.jpg id=i098b w=600px
.ca
Boxcraft Houseboat is made from the lower half of a plain shoe-box.
Two shoe-box covers make the rest of the boat.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: The Boat-house or Yacht Club is made from the half
of a deep box about eight inches long. Its roof and floor are
shoe-box covers. The flagstaff is a pencil.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxcraft Houseboat is made from the lower half of
a plain shoe-box. Two shoe-box covers make the rest of the boat.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 099.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=YACHT
BOXVILLE BOAT-HOUSE OR YACHT CLUB
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Boxville Boat-house:
the lower half of a deep box about six inches
long, and also two shoe-box covers.
.sp 2
Boxville Boat-house is made from an oblong box
about two-thirds the size of a shoe-box. Its wharf is
a shoe-box cover, and its roof is another shoe-box
cover.
If you wish to cut a lake from a sheet of silver
paper, the boat-house or yacht club is the very thing
for this play. Any water toys, such as swans, ducks,
fish, or frogs, may swim on Silver Paper Lake, and
from your yacht club, parties of fishermen may angle
for magnetized fish. The boat-house may be a part
of the summer attractions of Hotel Bandbox in season.
To make a boat-house building, you will first need
to turn your box over upon its rims so that its bottom
becomes its top.
Draw a three-inch square on one short end of your
box. Let its base come to the extreme edge of the
.bn 100.png
.pn +1
box rim. This square is to be the door you see in
the picture. Draw a vertical line down the center
of this square. This gives two doors for the doorway.
(To cut double door, see #Diagram Two, B:diagram-02#, page
167.) Cut across the top line and down the center to
the outer rim. Bend outward the two halves of the
doorway.
The boat-house is to have windows, and each window
is to have an awning over it. To make windows
with awnings, first draw on each long side of your
box, two one-inch squares. Each square should be
drawn about an inch and a half from a corner of the
box. Each square should be half-way between top
and bottom of the building. (For windows with awnings,
see #Diagram One, C:diagram-01#, page 166.) Cut down both
side lines and across the base line. Bend the cut cardboard
outward and upward to form an awning. Color
this awning with red stripes, using your crayons or
water-color paints.
When all windows are cut, then you may place
your little building at the rear of the shoe-box cover
which forms the wharf.
Over the top of your building, fit another shoe-box
cover to form a projecting roof over the wharf.
.bn 101.png
.pn +1
A long pencil will be a fine flagstaff. Run its
point through the front of the boat-house roof, and
glue to the top of the pencil a triangular piece of
colored paper to make the pennant.
.pm verse-start
My little Boxville people
Have a club-house where they go
When they want to do some fishing,
Or they want to take a row.
It stands beside a paper lake,
Upon my play-room floor;
It has some pretty awnings,
And a dock, beside a door!
Upon the lake float water toys.
I put moss by the shore
And pebbles: they make splendid rocks!
Some day I’ll find some more!
.pm verse-end
.bn 102.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=HOUSEBOAT
THE HOUSEBOAT “BOXCRAFT”
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Houseboat: the
covers of two large shoe-boxes, and the lower half of
a child’s shoe-box.
.sp 2
Here is a jolly houseboat, the very thing to sail on
Silver Paper Lake. Little dolls may spend their
vacation upon it. Would you like to make a houseboat
to play with? It is not difficult.
First, take the two shoe-box covers and glue them
top to top. Place them on the floor flat. There is the
lower half of the houseboat.
Upon both long sides of your small shoe-box, draw
three one-inch squares, keeping the two at either end
of the same side equally distant from the nearest
corner of the box, and making the third window on
each side half-way between them. (To cut windows
with awnings, see #Diagram One, C:diagram-01#, page 166.) Cut
the window squares at both sides and along their base
lines. Bend the cardboard outward and upward to
make the awnings. Color these with red stripes,
using either chalks or water-color paints.
.bn 103.png
.pn +1
On the front and rear ends of the houseboat, you
will need a door and window. Make an upright
oblong space for the door. Mark it out with pencil
about three inches high from the rim of the box.
Make a window beside each door. (To cut door
space, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.) Cut top line
and down one side. Bend the door outward on the
third side as if it were on a hinge.
A flagstaff for the houseboat is made by pressing
the point of a long pencil down through the top of
the houseboat in front. A paper pennant may be
glued to the side of the pencil.
A piece of string will make a tow-line for the
houseboat. Fasten it to any little donkey or toy horse
you have, and start penny dolls on a voyage around
the play-room floor. The houseboat, of course, is not
meant to sail upon dangerous water. It might be
safely anchored on the shore of Mirror Lake or Silver
Paper Lake.
.pm verse-start
I built a little houseboat with some windows and a door,
And I made an inland voyage all around the play-room floor!
At last I moored my houseboat beside my little chair:
There was a carpet hassock that was an island there.
.pm verse-end
.bn 104.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=CAMPBOX
CAMP BOX ON MIRROR LAKE
.sp 2
Material Required to Make Camp Box: a yard
or two of green crape paper for grass and foliage of
trees, two or three clothes-pins to make tree-trunks,
a sheet of silver paper or a cheap ten-cent mirror to
form a “lake,” the halves of shallow letter-paper
boxes to make tents, and any pebbles, moss, or shells
you have among your treasures.
.sp 2
It is great fun to make a Mirror Lake Camp—almost
as much fun as being in a real camp! Mirror
Lake Camp may be made on the play-room floor.
First, if you have some green crape paper, lay it
flat on the floor. This is the grass.
Next, if you have some silver paper, cut out a circle
of it, and paste it to the crape paper to form a lake.
Instead of the silver paper, you may substitute a
cheap mirror. Place this under the crape paper and
cut out a circle above it.
.if h
.il fn=i105a.jpg w=600px id=i105a
.ca
Camp Box on Mirror Lake. Its tents are made from the halves of shallow
boxes. Trees are made of clothes-pins.
.ca-
.il fn=i105b.jpg w=600px id=i105b
.ca
The Boxville Gipsy Cart is made from a correspondence-card box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Camp Box on Mirror Lake. Its tents are made from the halves of shallow
boxes. Trees are made of clothes-pins.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Boxville Gipsy Cart is made from a correspondence-card box.]
.sp 2
.if-
You will need a grove of trees near the shore of
.bn 105.png
.pn +1
.bn 106.png
.pn +1
.bn 107.png
.pn +1
your lake. These trees are made by standing some
clothes-pins on end with forks in the air. Cut some
green paper and press it in between the forks. It
makes the foliage of trees.
The tents are made from the half of a shallow white
box like a letter-paper box. To make a tent, cut
through each long side rim of your box as far as the
top or bottom of the cover, as the case may be. Bend
the box downward to each side of this cutting, making
a tent roof, slanting to each side downward. (For
cutting a tent, see #Diagram Three, E:diagram-03-4#, page 171.)
You may have as many tents in your camp as you
like. Perhaps your tin soldiers might like an encampment
on the shores of Mirror Lake. Small oblong
box covers will make smaller tents for these. When
it is summer, maybe it would be nice, on some warm,
sunny day, to take the tents outdoors under the trees
on the lawn and make a really true camp on the really
true grass, with real growing things for trees in a
woods. Perhaps so!
Cut bits of twigs and use these for trees. Pebbles
will help to make a rocky shore for a real water lake
that is a shallow pie-plate filled with water. Its sides
should be covered with moss or short grass. Of
.bn 108.png
.pn +1
course, after playing out-of-doors with the camp
buildings, you will have to pick them up, when playtime
is over, for the cardboard tents will be spoiled if
you let them stay out over night. I know it because
I tried it! I had a really darling little doll and I let
her stay out in a tent after my play was finished. It
rained in the night and she was all spoiled—and I
had to make a new tent, too. I think you’ll like to
know about this so you won’t try it. It really is better
to pick up after play, I think!
.pm verse-start
I made a grove of clothes-pin trees,
And had a splendid time with these!
My china rabbits ran in play
Beneath the trees the whole long day!
I made some little camp tents, too—
It was a jolly thing to do!
Some penny dolls a picnic laid
Beneath the green crape-paper shade.
.pm verse-end
.bn 109.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=CART
THE GIPSY CART OF BOXVILLE HIGHWAY
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Toy Gipsy Cart:
a deep oblong box such as correspondence cards are
packed in, also five square inches of cardboard, four
round-headed paper-fasteners, and two small boxes.
.sp 2
Do you think it would be fun to make a gipsy
wagon like the one in the picture? It is a very simple
thing to make.
First, find a box such as correspondence cards come
in from the stationery store. Take its high cover off,
and cut from the lower part of the box almost all of
the deep inner rim, leaving only about a half-inch
of it all around. Put the cover back over this, and
glue the two parts of the box together. The box is
to be the gipsy wagon now. A door will need to be
cut at one end of the box, and windows will need to be
made on the sides of the box rim.
Turn the box over so that its base becomes the top
.bn 110.png
.pn +1
of your wagon. Make the outline of a door with pencil on one end
of the box. To make it, mark off an upright oblong space an inch
wide and two inches and a half high. Have its base come at the
very edge of box rim. (To cut door, see
#Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.)
Cut one side line from the base of the box up to the top line,
and cut along the top line of the upright figure you have drawn.
Bend the cardboard outward to make a little door. See, it will
open or close as you bend it.
Next, make the windows on the sides of the cart.
You may make these with or without shutters. If
you make them without shutters, you will only need
to cut two one-inch squares in each side of your box.
Each should be evenly distant from a corner. (To cut
plain windows, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.)
If, however, you wish to have shutters on the
windows of your wagon, cut these squares at top and
base. Then cut a line through each center, vertically,
from top to base. This gives you the shutters. Press
them back against the outside of the cart. (For
making blinds, see #Diagram One, B:diagram-01#, page 166.)
Window-shutters and door may be painted. Dry
them while you make wheels for the cart. Color
.bn 111.png
.pn +1
them with water-color paints. Make them green or
red.
The wheels are circles cut from stiff cardboard.
Find your compass to help draw them round. If you
have no compass, use the outline of a small round
saucer about two inches and a half in diameter to
guide you in drawing the four wheels in outline.
Draw a hub and spokes on each, if you like.
When you have drawn them, cut each out, and
press through the axle of each one a round-headed
paper-fastener. Bend its prongs to either side after
you have pressed the wheel into place on the cart.
The wheels may be glued, if you have no paper-fasteners
to use for making axles.
Your cart will need a seat for the driver. This is
made from the lower half of a small, narrow box
about two inches in length. Cut off the short end
rims, and glue one long rim to your wagon in front,
so that it makes the dashboard and floor of the front
of the cart under the seat. Paste a small pill-box on
this to make the seat itself.
At the rear of your cart, you may make some steps
by folding a strip of box rim twice and fastening it
under the door with mucilage.
.bn 112.png
.pn +1
Shafts for the cart are two narrow strips of cardboard
pasted to the forward part of the wagon.
There! The gipsy cart is finished. Penny dolls
or tumble toys will be the gipsies.
.pm verse-start
Here come the gipsies a-jogging up the road!
They’re going up to Boxville. The horse has quite a load!
Good fortune’s coming to you, and it isn’t far away:
We’re going with the penny dolls a-gipsying in play!
.pm verse-end
.bn 113.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=HUT
THE SHEPHERD’S HUT AND THE SHEEPFOLD
.sp 2
Material Required for Making the Shepherd’s
Hut: a yard or two of green crape paper, some corrugated
cardboard, half a small square box about four
inches high, and, if you have it, silver paper to make
a lake.
.sp 2
Here in the picture you see the shepherd’s cottage.
I had a little flock of white woolly lambs given me.
They came in a box, with a shepherd boy and his dog
to tend them.
One day, I decided to build a cottage for the shepherd
and make a sheepfold for his flock. You can
make one for your toy lambs, too, and, if you like, I
will tell you how to do it.
First, lay some green crape paper upon the floor
to make grass. There must be grass, you know. Of
course, if you have no green crape paper, you will
need to pretend that the carpet of the floor is grass.
.bn 114.png
.pn +1
Perhaps it will answer just as well. But, if you have
the paper, you can make a hill or two behind the
place where you intend to build. It is made by putting
some blocks or books under the paper.
Next, I made a long fence by cutting some corrugated
cardboard into long strips. Three rows made
the width of this long fence. After you have cut
your fence, stand it upon its rim. By bending the
strip at one end, you can make a gate. The fence is
made of very heavy corrugated cardboard, such as
comes wrapped around very heavy things. There is
a lighter kind that you may also use. From this kind,
I made my sheep-pen. It came wrapped around a
small glass jar.
To make the sheep-pen, cut a long strip of the
corrugated cardboard. Cut it crosswise instead of
lengthwise, and slip through each undulation in the
cardboard the end of a toothpick. This gives the
effect of a picket fence.
The shepherd’s but is made from the lower half
of a deep box. Its roof is a piece of corrugated
cardboard cut long and bent through the middle
downward.
To make the house, turn your box over so that the
.bn 115.png
.pn +1
bottom becomes the top and the box rests upon its
rims.
Measure the size of its ends, and cut two triangular
pieces of cardboard to fit over them and form gables.
Glue each to an end of the house. (For cutting
triangular roof supports, see #Diagram Three, BB:diagram-03-2#,
page 169.)
Cut a door and a window in the front of your house.
Both must first be outlined on the box in pencil.
Mark the door an inch wide and two inches high, an
oblong with base at the edge of the box rim. (For
door, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.) Cut the top
line and down one long side. Bend the door outward
as if it were on a hinge. One-inch squares may be
cut in the box rim to make windows. (For cutting a
window, see #Diagram One, A:diagram-01#, page 166.) Cut the
square on all four sides.
Place a window under the roof in the point of the
gable, if you like.
The roof of the cottage is made by measuring, first,
the size of the building you wish to cover. Measure
this on your corrugated cardboard, and add three
inches to its length and breadth. Fold the corrugated
cardboard together to make a pointed roof. (See
.bn 116.png
.pn +1
#Diagram Three, C:diagram-03-3#, page 170.) Glue this to the building,
and the little shepherd’s hut is finished.
You may make a landscape of mountains behind it,
where the sheep may go to graze. These are blocks
or boxes covered with crape paper. Do not use glue
or paste in doing this. The paper is merely folded
over them.
A pretty stream may be made from an irregularly
cut strip of silver paper. The woolly sheep love to
drink at a stream, I am sure. You can see the lake
I made for my landscape. It was a mirror. A rocky
ledge on the mountain-side or by the lake is made
with pretty pebbles such as you may find in the
country.
.pm verse-start
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow;
A little shepherd guarded it in sheepfold, don’t you know!
It didn’t go to Boxville School, it grazed about in play
Upon the green crape-paper field that Mary made one day.
.pm verse-end
.sp 2
.bn 117.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i117a.jpg id=i117a w=600px
.ca
Sheepfold and Shepherd’s Cote. Corrugated cardboard is used for roof
and fences.
.ca-
.il fn=i117b.jpg id=i117b w=600px
.ca
The Bridge over Mirror Lake. It is made from a
long shallow box with a cover.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: Sheepfold and Shepherd’s Cote. Corrugated
cardboard is used for roof and fences.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Bridge over Mirror Lake. It is made from a
long shallow box with a cover.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 118.png
.pn +1
.bn 119.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=BRIDGE
BUILDING A BOX BRIDGE
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Box Bridge: a
long cardboard box with cover, a strip of cardboard
about ten inches long.
.sp 2
When you look at the picture of Box Bridge, you
will easily see, I think, how it is made. It may be
used in many ways for play. Your toy railway system
may have a bridge as well as a freight station and
tunnel. A box bridge may connect opposite shores
of Silver Paper Lake, and the delivery wagon from
Boxville’s General Store may jog happily over the
bridge to deliver goods at Boxville Cottage. Guests
from Hotel Bandbox may fish from the bridge. I
am sure you will find many other things to play with
it, so I will tell you how to make one, even though
it does seem as if you might almost make one without
directions!
Take the box that you wish to use for a bridge.
Remove its cover.
.bn 120.png
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Turn the lower half of the box over so that the
bottom of the box becomes top. Cut a semicircular
piece from each long rim. This makes the long arch
of the bridge. (See #Diagram Four, A:diagram-04#, page 173.)
Next, take the box cover and turn it so that its top
is next to the top of the bridge. The lengthwise rims
of the box will be a railing for the roadway over it.
Cut each end rim at the corner, and let these end rims
be pasted each to a strip of cardboard cut to fit the
width of the box, and join the bridge roadway to the
road along the floor where you are playing. Each
strip of cardboard glued to an end of the bridge may
be about five inches long.
If you wish to make more than one bridge, you
may easily do so. The shape of your box, whether
deep or shallow, will make a different kind of bridge.
The landscape of your Boxville may be as full of
silver paper streams and foot-bridges, railway
bridges, covered bridges, toll-bridges, as you please!
.pm verse-start
London Bridge may fall down,
But my Box Bridge stands true!
I’d rather own a Boxville Bridge
That stands up—wouldn’t you?
.pm verse-end
.bn 121.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=WINDMILL
BUILDING A TOY WINDMILL
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Windmill: a
box made with curved sides about five inches deep,
a half-sheet of cardboard, and a long pencil.
.sp 2
From any deep box with round sides, you may
make a windmill. You will not need the cover of
the box. Remove it, and turn the lower half of the
box over to stand upon its upper rim so that its top
becomes its base.
Cut a small door about an inch high in the edge
of the lower box rim, just as you see it in the picture
of my box windmill.
On its rim, farther up, cut a narrow window. A
half-inch square cut out in the box rim will make this.
The roof of the windmill is round and pointed. It
is to be made from cardboard. To make it, take your
compass and draw a circle twice the size of the round
base of your box—or about that. Cut this circle out
of the cardboard, and from it remove a quarter piece
.bn 122.png
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like a large slice cut from a pie.
(See #Diagram Three, D:diagram-03-4#, page 171.)
Next, lap one edge of your three-quarter circle
over its opposite side. Glue it so. This gives the
round, pointed roof. Paint it, if you wish, with your
paints. Color it bright red or brown.
Sails for windmill need to be cut from a paper
pattern. This pattern must be made from soft paper
that may be folded easily. Pad paper will answer.
Cut a square of pad paper that is half the height of
your windmill. Fold this square together to make
halves—then again to make quarter-sections. Cut in
the folded quarter-section the figure shown for shaping
windmill sails. (See #Diagram Five, Z:diagram-05#, page
174.) Then unfold your paper, and, placing it upon
cardboard, outline all around its edge with pencil.
Then, cut the outline out. This is the sail piece for
your windmill. (For shape of pattern for windmill
sails, see #Diagram Five, ZZ:diagram-05#.)
Make a hole through its center. Press through it
the point of a long pencil.
Make two holes in your box, near the top, below
the roof—one hole exactly opposite the other. Run
the pencil point through these holes. There! The
sails are in place!
.bn 123.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i123a.jpg w=600px id=i123a
.ca
The Windmill is made from a round box. Its roof and sails are
cardboard.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Windmill is made from a round box. Its roof and sails are
cardboard.]
.sp 2
.if-
.if h
.il fn=i123b.jpg w=600px id=i123b
.ca
The Boxville Barn and Farmyard. The roof of the barn is made of two
shoe-box covers. The fence for the Barnyard is made of a box rim.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Boxville Barn and Farmyard. The roof of the barn is made of two
shoe-box covers. The fence for the Barnyard is made of a box rim.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 124.png
.pn +1
.bn 125.png
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Where is your toy cart? Shall it go cantering over
Box Bridge to the mill with some corn from Boxville
Farm? What a windy day it must be when the windmill
sails turn so fast!
.pm verse-start
I built a little windmill,
Its sails went round an’ round;
The miller was a tumble toy,
The mill, a box I found.
The roof is made of paper,
The sails are paper, too:
It is easy work to make one,
And it’s lots of fun to do!
.pm verse-end
.bn 126.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=BARN
BOXVILLE BARN AND FARMYARD
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Barn and Farmyard:
the lower half of a large shoe-box and two
shoe-box covers that fit it, a ten-inch square of cardboard,
and the rims cut from a shallow box.
.sp 2
Farms are such very interesting places that I am
sure you will enjoy knowing how to make one with
a big barn and a farmyard where your toy animals
may be kept.
You may easily make a barn like the one in the
picture. You will need to have a shoe-box to make
the building. Two shoe-box covers make its gabled
roof. Some cardboard is needed from which to cut
supports for the roof.
Begin by turning your box over upon its rim so
that its top becomes the base of the barn.
In one end of the barn, cut a double door. To make
this, first mark a three-inch square upon an end of
your box. Draw a line down its center, vertically.
.bn 127.png
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(For double door, see #Diagram Two, B:diagram-02#, page
167.) Cut the top line and down the center line. The base of your
door should be at the edge of the box rim. The two sections cut
in the cardboard make the doors. Press each outward.
Next, you will need to make the two triangular
supports for the box-cover roof. These supports must
be cut from cardboard, and each must be the width
of an end of your box, and be made as high as your
box is wide. (For cutting these supports for a gabled
roof, see #Diagram Three, BB:diagram-03-2#, page 169.) Glue one
to each end of your box, at the upper part.
The roof is made from your two box covers lapped
one rim under the other, lengthwise, to form a gabled
roof shape. The upper part is glued rim under rim.
(See #Diagram Three, B:diagram-03-2#.) Let the roof dry, and then
slip it over the triangular supports pasted at each end
of the box building to hold the roof in place.
Cut a little weather-vane from a strip of cardboard,
if you like, and paste it to the front of the barn roof.
The farmyard is made from box rims cut from any
shallow cardboard box you have. The box rims
stand if you cut them with corners. They make a
good enclosure.
.bn 128.png
.pn +1
A small box, placed on end, will make a shed.
The cover of a small box will make a drinking-trough.
Little boxes make chicken-coops.
Mrs. Tumble Toy lives on my farm. You see her
in the picture. Her husband’s name is Bill. He is
chasing the pig. You can see him, too.
Have you some toys that would like to live on your
farm?
.pm verse-start
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Just run and fetch some glue,
Some scissors, and a shoe-box:
We’ll make a farm for you!
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
When all the work is through,
We’ll have a little farmyard
With a fence around it, too!
.pm verse-end
.bn 129.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ANIMALSHOW
BOX BROTHERS’ ANIMAL SHOW
.sp 2
Material Required to Make an Animal Show:
small boxes of all shapes and sizes, spools, and candy-box
favors, a round bandbox cover to make a circus
ring.
.sp 2
The cover of a round bandbox will make a splendid
circus ring. Any small boxes and spools you may
have can be the benches for your trained animals to
perform upon. A really good circus may be made
with Noah’s Ark animals, or with the candy-box
favors that come to one at Christmas and other holiday
times.
Shall I tell you how I made my circus? You can
make one like it.
First of all, I collected animals. At a small candy
shop, I found a polar bear, a rhinoceros, a fox, and a
pig. Each came with a loose head, because the
animals were supposed to be filled with candy, but I
glued the heads on tight. I bought these animals
because they were so cheap.
.bn 130.png
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They could stand upon spools to make acts for the
circus ring. I painted each spool red, and pasted
over its hole a disk of colored cardboard.
From round box covers I made pyramids, and from
square ones I cut benches. (To cut bench for animal
show, see #Diagram Six, A:diagram-06-1#, page 175.) Cut a leg
at each corner of the box-cover’s rim. Remove the
cardboard from between cuttings.
Swartzenheimer and Mulligan were my animal
trainers. Each came to me as a dinner favor. They
were both little figures of toy men that stood upon a
cake of sweet chocolate. You can easily see what a
splendid clown Mulligan made.
The animals performed all kinds of tricks. They
could stand upon each other’s backs. I had two or
three tumble toys, besides. They performed splendidly.
I am sure you will have a good time making a
circus. It is ever and ever so much fun, I think.
You can use any animals that you happen to have
among your playthings.
.if h
.il fn=i131.jpg w=600px id=i131
.ca
Benches for performing animals at Box Brothers’ Circus are made\
from an assortment of cardboard boxes and spools. The cover of a\
large round bandbox makes a circus ring.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Benches for performing animals at Box Brothers’\
Circus are made from an assortment of cardboard boxes and spools.\
The cover of a large round bandbox makes a circus ring.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 132.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i132a.jpg w=600px id=i132a
.ca
This is Box Brothers’ Circus. It is made from the lower part of a round
white bandbox.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: This is Box Brothers’ Circus. It is made from the lower
part of a round white bandbox.]
.sp 2
.if-
.if h
.il fn=i132b.jpg w=600px id=i132b
.ca
A view taken inside the Circus Grounds. The walls are corrugated\
cardboard. The cages are boxes with covers; and the booth is the\
lower half of a candy box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: A view taken inside the Circus Grounds. The walls are
corrugated cardboard. The cages are boxes with covers; and the booth
is the lower half of a candy box.]
.sp 2
.if-
At some toy shops, you will find celluloid animals.
At Japanese shops, you will find cotton animals.
In your own Noah’s Ark there will be wooden animals
.bn 131.png
.pn +1
.bn 133.png
.pn +1
and your Boxville people—tumble toys, jointed
dolls, Halloween figures, and favors will form the
trainers and performers for the “Show.”
Wild animals and domestic animals may be bought
at candy stores as favors. They also come in boxes at
the shops where toys are found. These animals should
be small—never over four or five inches in length.
.pm verse-start
My animals are very good:
They do their tricks just as they should!
When I have trained them all, you’ll see
What a fine show this one will be!
I’m making benches for it now,
And, if you like, I’ll tell you how.
.pm verse-end
.bn 134.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=CIRCUSTENT
CIRCUS TENT AND CIRCUS GROUNDS
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Circus Tent: a
round bandbox and a sheet of cardboard.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make Circus Cages: three
or four hardware boxes from three to five inches long.
A booth may be made from half of a flat letter-paper
box. Some cotton mosquito-netting will be the cage
bars.
.sp 2
A circus tent is a very easy thing to make. It needs
nothing but a sheet of cardboard and the lower half
of a round bandbox to make it. The lower half of the
bandbox must be turned over to stand upon its rims.
This forms the sides of the circus tent. The roof is
cut from a large circle of cardboard.
First, arrange the box to make sides for the tent.
Then, cut the roof.
In the edge of the bandbox rim, cut out a piece of
cardboard the shape of tent canvas looped back to
make an entrance. Draw some folds upon this with
.bn 135.png
.pn +1
blue pencil. If you prefer, use your water-color
paints instead.
When this is done, glue across the top of your bandbox
some strips of string to form tent ropes. The
roof of the tent, round and pointed, may next be
made.
Take a large sheet of cardboard and draw upon it
a circle that is half again as large around as the base
of your bandbox. Cut this out. Cut from the circle
a quarter piece like the slice of a pie.
(See #Diagram Three, D:diagram-03-4#, page 171.) Lap the
cut sides of this three-quarter circle, and glue together to make
a pointed roof like that of a circus tent. When the roof is dry,
slip it upon the top of the hat-box, and your circus tent is done.
If you find some corrugated cardboard, it may be
slightly curled and pressed so that it will stand on its
rim, to make a board fence for the circus enclosure.
Of course, you must have a fence! Of course!
Hardware boxes that come with covers double and
close telescope fashion make very good circus cages.
To make these cages, you will need to cut top and
bottom from the boxes, leaving rims only. You may,
if you wish, keep a very narrow margin of rim around
.bn 136.png
.pn +1
the top and bottom cutting of your box. Paste strips of coarse
netting, like cotton mosquito netting, over each opening of the
box. It should be glued inside the box from side to side. This
makes bars for the cages. (For cutting a box to make a cage, see
#Diagram Eight:diagram-08#, page 182.)
Wheels may be added to the cages, so that the
animals may go out on parade. The wheels are
small circles cut from cardboard. There should be
four for each cage, of course. When they are cut out
from the cardboard, fasten each through its center
to the base of a cage by a round-headed paper-fastener.
The prongs of the paper-fastener should be
bent to right and left inside the covers of the box.
This holds wheels firm. If you have no paper-fasteners,
sew the wheels to your box with raffia, or glue
them to your box.
A booth for the circus grounds may be made from
a box about three or four inches in size. Stand the
box on its long side. Cut in its back an awning. The
awning is made first by drawing an oblong space upon
the back of the box, cutting this outline down at each
side line and across its base. The cardboard is then
pressed outward and upward to make the awning.
.bn 137.png
.pn +1
(See #Diagram One:diagram-01#, C, page 166, for cutting awning.)
Color the awning with red stripes.
Side-show tents for circus grounds are made like
the tents of Camp Box. (See #Diagram Three, E:diagram-03-4#,
page 171, for cutting the rim of a shallow box and
bending it to make a tent.)
All toy figures that you can muster—tumble toys,
wooden dolls, penny dolls, Noah’s Ark ladies, shepherds
and shepherdesses, should go to Box Brothers’
Circus on the play-room floor. If you look among
your toys, you will find animals for the circus, I
know. They may even be animals cut from old
magazine pictures.
.pm verse-start
One day I made a circus
(A bandbox was the tent),
I advertised in Boxville,
But it didn’t cost a cent!
The penny dolls of Boxville
Turned out on Circus Day!
I made pretend sell peanuts,
And I tell you, it was gay!
.pm verse-end
.bn 138.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ZOO
BOXTOWN ZOO GARDEN
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Boxtown Zoo:
some shoe-boxes, their covers, strips of cardboard or
toothpicks to make bars for cages.
.sp 2
A zoo is really a splendid thing to make. You can
cage all your wild animals—Noah’s Ark animals,
or whatever other ones you may happen to have. The
cotton animals that are bought in Japanese stores,
“three for five,” are just right for zoo animals. You
can buy chenille monkeys, one for a penny, at the toy
shops.
.if h
.il fn=i139a.jpg id=i139a w=600px
.ca
This is Boxtown Zoo. Its cages are cut from shoe-boxes. Box rims are
used to make enclosures for the animals.
.ca-
.il fn=i139b.jpg id=i139b w=600px
.ca
Boxtown’s Hose House. It is made from a deep square box. The roof is
the cover of another box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: This is Boxtown Zoo. Its cages are cut from
shoe-boxes. Box rims are used to make enclosures for the animals.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxtown’s Hose House. It is made from a deep
square box. The roof is the cover of another box.]
.sp 2
.if-
When you start to build your zoo, the cages will
be made from boxes. Cut out a large square from
each side of the rim. Toothpicks make bars for cages.
They will need to be pressed down: through the top
of the box over openings you cut in the box rims. If
you have no toothpicks, you may make bars for the
cages by pasting very narrow strips of paper or cardboard
inside the box cages over the openings in the
.bn 139.png
.pn +1
.bn 140.png
.pn +1
.bn 141.png
.pn +1
box rims. (For cutting a zoo cage, see #Diagram Eight:diagram-08#, page 182.)
Dens for animals are boxes that have their covers
taken off. These boxes must be turned over to stand
on their upper rims. Doors are cut in the edge of
box rims, as you see them in the picture.
Rims cut from box covers make fences for enclosures.
Little box covers make feeding-troughs.
“Do not worry the animals!” This is the rule of
all zoos.
.pm verse-start
I have a lion, and a bear,
I have a tiger, too!
A monkey, and a “nelephant,”
And so I made a zoo!
I put a tiger in a cage,
An’, if you’re good to-day,
I’ll show you how I made it,
For it’s lots of fun to play.
.pm verse-end
.bn 142.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=HOSEHOUSE
BOXTOWN HOSE HOUSE
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Hose House:
a box deep and square, about six or seven inches long,
and the shallow square cover of some larger box.
.sp 2
If you own a toy fire-engine or a hook and ladder,
there is every reason why it should have a home.
The engine-house that you see in the picture is made
from a deep, square box. It is quickly made by cutting
a square doorway in one side of the box rim
and by adding a flat roof.
Turn your box over so that it rests inverted upon
its rims. Outline a three- or four-inch square on one
end of your box. Its base must come at the edge of
your cardboard box rim.
Draw a line down the center of this square, vertically.
Cut with scissors up this line and across the
top line. This gives two doors, that should be pressed
outward against the sides of your box. (See
#Diagram Two, B:diagram-02#, page 167, for making the
double doorway.)
Place over the top of the box the cover of a larger
.bn 143.png
.pn +1
box, and the hose house will be finished. Why, it
took you no time at all to do that, did it? Let’s see
how the toy engine looks inside its new building!
.pm verse-start
I have a little engine,
And it clangs across the floor
Right into Boxville Hose House,
Where they’ve opened wide its door.
.pm verse-end
.bn 144.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=WIGWAM
HOW TO MAKE A WIGWAM
.sp 2
Material Required to Make the Wigwam: half
a round bandbox cover and a few small sticks or
pencils.
.sp 2
Why, of course, you may make an Indian wigwam!
It will take about two minutes to make one like this
one in the picture. With it, you may play all kinds
of Indian plays. It will be ever such fun! You will
need half an old bandbox cover to help make the
wigwam. The cover must be a round one.
One bandbox cover will make two wigwams. Cut
the cover into halves. Take one of these and lap its
edges to form a cone. Glue or sew these edges together.
Cut off the point of the cone. This makes the
opening at top of the wigwam.
.if h
.il fn=i145a.jpg w=600px id=i145a
.ca
The Indian Wigwam is cut from half of a round bandbox cover.
.ca-
.il fn=i145b.jpg w=600px id=i145b
.ca
This is Fort Box. It is made from a deep box and its cover.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Indian Wigwam is cut from half of a round bandbox cover.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: This is Fort Box. It is made from a deep box and its cover.]
.sp 2
.if-
In the rim of the bent bandbox cone, cut a flap,
and bend this back against the outer side of the tent.
Stand the tent up upon its broad base, and there will
.bn 145.png
.pn +1
.bn 146.png
.pn +1
.bn 147.png
.pn +1
be its entrance. Small sticks or thin pencils may be
thrust through the top to make tent sticks. Indian
symbols may be painted on the sides of the tent.
I had an Indian doll, Big Chief Ten-Cent Store.
He came in a canoe made of wood. I made a green
woods for him out of crape paper, and he lived near
a silver paper spring upon my play-room floor in his
home.
All the toy animals that I have played in the
woods and Big Chief Ten-Cent Store hunted them.
There was a deer that came off our Christmas tree,
and a whole family of china bunnies, and—and you
just ought to see him on the trail of Noah’s Ark
animals! And—and you ought to see the lovely mats
that are inside the Indian’s tent. I made them at
Kindergarten myself.
.pm verse-start
By the shores of Abigmirror,
By the shining of its water,
Stood the wigwam of Big Box Chief,
Builded from a half a bandbox.
Dark behind it rose a mountain
Made of paper-covered boxes:
There were pebble rocks upon it,
Caverns where Big Box Chief hunted.
.pm verse-end
.bn 148.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=FORT
FORT BOX
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Box Fort: a deep,
square box with its cover. A round hair-pin box and
a spool will make a cannon for the fort.
.sp 2
Would you like to make a fort for your leaden
soldiers? Shall I tell you how to do it? If your
soldiers are small, a box three inches deep may answer
for the building. Its cover forms ramparts of the
fort.
To start the building of your fort, turn your box
over upon its rims so that its base becomes the top
of the building. Take the box cover off and lay it
aside.
Find a pencil and mark the openings for guns.
They are made like windows upon the box front.
Draw each about a half-inch square, and use your
ruler to make each opening even. Cut these squares
out, if you wish. They may also be painted black,
should you prefer not to cut them out.
.bn 149.png
.pn +1
To add ramparts to the building, take the cover
of your box and make a pencil mark upon its rim
every half-inch all the way around. Cut sections
from the rim, as marked, every other half-inch. Turn
the box with its rim upward and glue it to the top
of your box. (For making ramparts, see #Diagram Three:diagram-03-5#, page 172.)
At the back of the fort, you may easily devise a
sallyport by cutting the cardboard door shaped. (For
cutting a door, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.)
A toy cannon may be made with a small round
hair-pint box by pasting it upon the side of a spool
between the wheels of the spool. A thumb-tack
pressed beneath one wheel of the cannon will keep it
upright and prevent rolling. I painted my guns
black. If you like, you may easily do this with water-color
paints.
An encampment of tents may be made from small
white box covers cut through each long side rim up
to the top of the cover and bent, to each side of the
center downward. (See #Diagram Three, E:diagram-03-4#, page
171, for making a tent.)
If you happen to have a penny flag, it will be just
the very thing to wave over Fort Box.
.bn 150.png
.pn +1
You can arrange your fort upon a sheet of crape
paper and make streams and woods all about it. The
streams will be strips of silver paper pasted onto the
green crape paper. The woods will be bits of twigs
pressed into the holes of spools so that the trees stand
upright. Bushes are just bits of twigs that may be
laid down flat. Rocks and mountains may be made
from stones.
.pm verse-start
I had a leaden soldier,
His name was Tommie Tin!
Oh, he was brave in battle,
And always fought to win!
I made him into general,
And he is in command
Of all my Boxville Army
At Box Fort in Boxland.
.pm verse-end
.bn 151.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=CASTLE
HOW TO BUILD A TOY CASTLE AND A FAIRYLAND HOUSE
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Castle: any box,
either round or square—one at least six or seven
inches deep is best.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Fairyland House:
an oblong box deep enough for door and windows
to be cut in its sides, a few little crackers or “goodies”—possibly
some gilt or silver paper in place of these.
.sp 2
Have you ever played in fairyland? Well, if you
have not been there, you can very well make a fairyland
upon the play-room floor, and in it you may
gather together all the people of your Red, and Blue,
and Green, and Yellow Fairy Books. These people
will be Knights, and Princesses, Witches, Goblins,
Fairies. All are toys, and it is an easy matter to get
them together—quite as easy as it is to make a fairyland
castle.
.bn 152.png
.pn +1
I will tell you how. First, you may like to build
the castle, for that is all-important. There never yet
was a fairyland without that!
Find some deep box with its cover. It really matters
little whether the box is round or square-sided.
A round box will make a high tower-like castle
similar to the one in the picture. A square one will
make one more like a fortress. It scarcely matters
which you choose. Take the cover from your box.
This is to form the castle ramparts later. High up
in the box rim cut one or two long tower windows.
Cut a door at the base of the rim. Next cut the ramparts
in the box cover. (For cutting ramparts, see
#Diagram Three, F:diagram-03-5#, page 172.) Glue these to the top
of your castle box—and the castle is made!
The Princess who lives in the Castle is a penny doll
dressed in a silver robe (made of tinfoil). My Princess
has golden hair. It is long and beautiful. You
can see it in the picture.
The Knight is a leaden soldier. His spear is a bit
of wire. His shield is a brass button, polished and
shining.
You can easily find the proper kind of dragon at
a little Japanese shop. Mine was made of crockery
.bn 153.png
.pn +1
and cost ten cents, but you will surely find among the
cotton animals that are sold three for five cents something
far better than my crockery dragon. There are
the most dragon-like of cotton animals at the Japanese
stores where I buy penny toys. Sometimes they
are spidery and sometimes they are like crocodiles—only
they aren’t crocodiles but DRAGONS. When
you go to a Japanese shop and look for penny animals
you will know exactly what I mean. They are all
queer, and will work into any fanciful fairy tale that
you wish to play with your castle.
Don’t forget to make the dragon a lair, when you
have bought him. It may be just a box with a hole
in it for the mouth of a den, but if you have some
pretty stones and pebbles, you can build a real lair
on the play-room floor with these.
Almost any fairy tale may be acted out with the
Knight and the Princess. Little toys which you have
among your playthings may help out. I know you
will have a good time playing at fairyland. I did.
I built me a Hansel and Gretel house, too. This
was to help with my fairyland play.
Hansel and Gretel were two tumble toys—a boy
and a girl. Their home was in a Boxville Cottage.
.bn 154.png
.pn +1
When they went to the woods and found the Witch’s
House, I made that. It was in a forest of clothes-pins
like the trees made for Camp Box.
I made the fairyland house of the Witch from a
deep oblong box. I cut two windows in one rim and
a door between them, as you see it in the picture of the
fairyland house.
To the sides of the house, I pasted some little
crackers and goodies. The roof of the house was of
crackers. It was very fairy.
I used some pretzels for a fence around it.
There were some small celluloid dolls among my
playthings, and I made fairies of them. You can see
one that is a Daisy. Her dress is an artificial flower
off my old hat. I took the center out of the daisy
and made a skirt of the petals. The fairy’s wings
were cut from white tissue-paper. They were glued
to the back of her body.
All kinds of Halloween figures that are little
favors will answer splendidly for this fairy boxcraft
play. You can easily find dwarfs, gnomes, goblins,
witches, elves. Oh, it will be fun, I know!
.if h
.il fn=i155a.jpg w=600px id=i155a
.ca
A Fairyland Castle made from a round box and its cover.
.ca-
.il fn=i155b.jpg w=600px id=i155b
.ca
A Fairy House made of a box covered with goodies.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: A Fairyland Castle made from a round box and its cover.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: A Fairy House made of a box covered with goodies.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 156.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i156a.jpg w=600px id=i156a
.ca
Building Blocks and Box Building with small boxes.]
.ca-
.il fn=i156b.jpg w=600px id=i156b
.ca
Building Animals and Box People from a collection of boxes.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Building Blocks and Box Building with small boxes.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Building Animals and Box People from a collection of boxes.]
.sp 2
.if-
In summer you can go out into the garden and
gather hollyhocks. The flowers make real little flower
.bn 155.png
.pn +1
.bn 157.png
.pn +1
ladies—just like fairies dressed up in red, and pink,
and white dresses to go to a party. The buds of the
hollyhocks make the heads for the ladies, and you just
stick a pin through these and press it down at the base
of the full blown flower to make the fairy lady.
Acorns make fairy dishes too—did you ever happen
to know that!
.pm verse-start
Once there lived a dolly princess, with soft, flaxen, curly hair,
By a cruel spell imprisoned near a Chinese dragon’s lair.
Day and night her pasteboard tower, dragon-guarded, you’ll agree,
Offered ill to those in Toyland who would set the Princess free.
Many little dolls essayed it—in a truly frightful way
They were gobbled by the dragon one and all, I hate to say!
But there came a leaden soldier, all in tinfoil armor dressed;
Bravely on his steed he bore him, valiant, in his chosen quest.
At his blow, the green tin dragon toppled over, vanquished quite,
And the rescued dolly princess was set free, then, by her Knight.
King and Queen, they reign in Playtown even to this very day,
And they live forever happy, as the fairy stories say!
.pm verse-end
.bn 158.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=BLOCKS
BOXES USED AS BLOCKS
.sp 2
Material Required for Block Building: an assortment
of boxes varied in size and shape.
.sp 2
Building with blocks is always fun, as you know.
You have tried it with cubes, and with dominoes, and
with cards—but did you ever try to build with boxes
in the same way?
The boxes do not need to be glued. Their covers
may or may not be used. Small boxes make walls,
and box covers form roofs. You will see a tall block
building in the picture. It was made from small
drug-store boxes. There is really no end to the ways
in which you may build with these.
From boxes of uneven size, men and animals may
be made. Round boxes or small oblong boxes form
heads. Larger boxes make bodies. Legs and arms
are boxes of equal size.
The faces are drawn with pencil upon the back
of boxes where there is no print. A wire hair-pin
.bn 159.png
.pn +1
will keep the arms in place. It will need to be
pressed through the box sides and bent so that the
arm boxes may be slipped upon it. Men of all sorts
may be made. There is great variety, as forms vary
with the shape and size of boxes that you use.
If you are playing with some other child, you will
find that it is amusing to divide your store of boxes,
each choosing one at a time till the supply is exhausted.
Then, you may each see how many different
things you can build. It will be a game, and the
winner will be the one who can make the most with
his store.
It is entertaining to play with box animals and box
men when you have to spend a day in bed. They
may be placed upon a table near the bedside. They
are light to handle, and they require no cutting or
pasting to muss you up. If you decide to have measles
or mumps, the little boxes may be disposed of easily
after you have played with them. You can always
find new ones to take their place when you are well
again.
You may make a puzzle for yourself out of a large
box and a number of smaller boxes of varied size.
Try to pack as many boxes as you can into the large
.bn 160.png
.pn +1
box. Make them come as evenly as you can in packing.
There will be some space at sides, but with care
and thought you will be surprised to see how small
a space they may be packed into. Try them in various
forms, till you are sure you have reached the best way
to arrange them. Then, give the box puzzle to some
friend to see if he can do with one or two attempts
what you have accomplished. When you give some
person this puzzle, mix your boxes well so there is
no clue to their proper arrangement inside the larger
box.
Toys like trains may be built with little more than
a long cracker box for a coach and some oblong box
for engine. The engine’s smoke-stack is a round box.
Its coal-car is a cover taken from a candy box. Its
wheels are buttons or button molds placed on the
ends of wire hair-pins that have been pressed through
the sides of the cardboard boxes. A bit of wax or
plasticine will keep the wheels in place.
Paste boxes to the back of your cut-outs when you
buy these sheets at the penny store. The Indians,
cowboys, soldiers, and animals will then stand erect
by themselves.
.if h
.il fn=i161a.jpg w=600px id=i161a
.ca
A Toy Train that is built from boxes. Its wheels are button molds.
.ca-
.il fn=i161b.jpg w=600px id=i161b
.ca
Cut-out Pictures may be made to stand when glued to small boxes.
.ca-
.if-
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.sp 2
[Illustration: A Toy Train that is built from boxes. Its wheels are button molds.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Cut-out Pictures may be made to stand when glued to small boxes.]
.sp 2
.if-
You will have an interesting time, I am sure, in
.bn 161.png
.pn +1
.bn 162.png
.pn +1
.bn 163.png
.pn +1
finding new ways to use your boxes in this kind of
play. It is always new, for you may always find
different kinds of boxes to adapt to the building. And
the nice thing about it is that you can make almost
anything you choose.
.if h
.il fn=i162a.jpg w=600px id=i162a
.ca
A Noah’s Ark with cracker animals.
.ca-
.sp 2
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: A Noah’s Ark with cracker animals.]
.sp 2
.if-
.if h
.il fn=i162b.jpg w=600px id=i162b
.ca
A Savings-bank made to hold pennies. The pennies are dropped down its chimney.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: A Savings-bank made to hold pennies. The pennies are dropped down its
chimney.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 163.png
.pn +1
.pm verse-start
I never knew before—did you?—
How much a cardboard box could do!
I can make buildings, now and then
I make some animals and men!
Indeed, it’s wonderful to play
With little boxes in this way!
.pm verse-end
.bn 164.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=NOAHSARK
MAKING A NOAH’S ARK FOR CRACKER ANIMALS
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Noah’s Ark:
a child’s shoe-box without a cover, the cover of a large
shoe-box, and some shallow box with cover about ten
inches by four.
.sp 2
Next time that you have cracker animals to play
with, build them an ark! It is splendid fun. I will
tell you how to do it.
Find the materials needed to build with—a shoe-box
cover, the lower half of a child’s shoe-box, and
the whole of some very shallow box about ten inches
long and at least four inches wide.
To make the base of the Noah’s ark, use the large
shoe-box cover. Cut its rims off. Cut each end
pointed. The ark building is placed on this.
The ark building is made from the small shoe-box.
Place it upon its rims so that its bottom becomes top.
Cut a door in one end of the box on the edge of the
.bn 165.png
.pn +1
box rim. To make this, cut up from the edge of the
rim two inches near the center of the box end. Then
cut horizontally across the box two inches more.
(To cut door, see #Diagram Two, A:diagram-02#, page 167.) After
cutting, bend the door as if it were on a hinge. A
round-headed paper-fastener will make a door-knob
and latch. Press the points of the fastener through
the cardboard door and bend the prongs, or points,
to one side together. In this way, animals may be
securely locked into the ark.
Cut two triangular supports for the roof of the
ark. They should be cut in heavy cardboard and
made equal-sided. The width of one end of your
box will give you the dimensions to make these. (See
#Diagram Three, BB:diagram-03-2#, page 169.) Paste one of these
cardboard pieces to each end of the ark building near
the top part of the box. Let both dry well before
attempting to put a roof upon them.
The roof is made of the two parts of the shallow box. Lap the
long rim of one part over the long rim of the other. Glue the two
rims together, one over the other. (For making a gable roof from
two box covers or from the halves of a shallow box, see
#Diagram Three:diagram-03-2#, page 169.) When the glue is dry, slip
.bn 166.png
.pn +1
the roof over the gabled points of the ark building.
Now, when the rains descend and floods come and
there is a RAINY DAY ahead of you, just summon
the cracker animals from the pantry. Arrange them
in pairs. Find a doll for Mr. Noah and a piece of
paper to make the dove. A footstool will be Mount
Ararat, and the ark may voyage all the whole day
upon the play-room floor. When the sun comes out,
you will have been so busy all day that you will have
quite forgotten about the rain.
.pm verse-start
Two by two! Two by two!
Elephant and kangaroo!
Box and box covers to-day
Make a Noah’s Ark for play.
Maybe, later, you may feast
On an unpaired cracker beast!
Two by two! Two by two!
Elephant and kangaroo!
.pm verse-end
.bn 167.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=SAVINGSBANK
A BOX SAVINGS-BANK FOR PENNIES
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Savings-bank: a
box in which correspondence cards have been packed,
a small box with a sliding cover, and another similar
to it.
.sp 2
When I began to make boxcraft toys, I used to save
my pennies to buy pinwheel paper, cotton animals,
and little figures to use in Boxville. Then, when I
found that I should need crape paper or silver paper,
or a mirror for a pool, I had money to buy it.
Perhaps you would like to know how to make a
Savings-bank for pennies too?
You will need some small box like that in which
correspondence cards come packed at stationery
stores. It has a double cover.
Turn the box over so that the printing on its top
is hidden. Make the top of your box the bottom by
turning it over.
Draw two windows and a door on one side of the
box. Paint them, if you like.
Paste over the door a porch roof made from half
.bn 168.png
.pn +1
of one small box. The floor Of the porch is pasted
under it.
Remove the drawer from the little box with sliding
cover. The outside of the box, as you may have
noticed, is like a tall chimney.
Take this and stand it on end at the top of your box.
Draw its outline with pencil on the cardboard. Then
remove the box and cut out the outline just inside the
lines you made.
When this is done, you must glue the chimney over
the open hole. Glue it tight and let it dry well. The
pennies, dimes, and nickels may be dropped down this
chimney into the bank.
There is one rule which governs this savings account
in my bank—five cents must always stay in the
bank to be “a nest egg.” I made this rule myself.
.pm verse-start
I made a little penny bank,
I’m saving pennies now!
It takes a lot of patience,
But I’m doing it, somehow!
My bank has a tall chimney,
The pennies drop down through:
It’s really fun to drop them
And hear them jingle, too!
.pm verse-end
.bn 169.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=WAGON
HOW TO MAKE A TOY WAGON AND SLED OR SLEIGH
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Toy Wagon: the
half of any oblong cardboard box. A few square
inches of cardboard will be required, from which to
cut cardboard disks for the wheels of the cart.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Sleigh: one oblong
cardboard box with its cover. A sled may be
made from the cover or lower half of any long box.
.sp 2
If you wish to make a toy wagon, find the half of
some cardboard box. Turn this upward if it is the
cover. Keep the lower half, if you use that, as it is,
upright, open at the top. This is the body of the
wagon.
Take your compass and with it draw on some cardboard
four circles of the same size. These are the
four wagon wheels. Cut each out.
Find two small sticks in the garden. They must
.bn 170.png
.pn +1
each be a trifle longer than the width of your box.
Press each through the end of the box where wheels
should come—press clear through both opposite rims
of your box. Then press a wheel upon each end of a
stick, and put a bit of wax or some glue where the
linchpin should come. Let the glue dry thoroughly
before you attempt to play with your toy.
A strip of cardboard cut to fit the width of the cart
and glued across its upper forward rims will make
the driver’s seat.
The shafts are two strips of cardboard pasted to
the forward sides of the cart. Cut each about half the
length of your box.
Whoa there! Back up—back! There is your toy
horse in the shafts. He is waiting for you to tie his
string harness. He will be ready then to go on a
trot round the floor.
If you wish to make a sled, take the lower half of
a box and turn it over. Its long side rims will become
the runners of the sled. Cut the end rims off the box.
Then, cut off each corner of the side rims of the box,
slanting your corner cuttings in the same direction.
There you have the runners of your sled! (See
#Diagram Ten:diagram-10#, A, page 184.)
.bn 171.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i171a.jpg w=600px id=i171a
.ca
Toy Wagon made from half of an oblong box. A Sled cut from the lower
half of a box; the runners are made from the box rims.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Toy Wagon made from half of an oblong box. A Sled cut from the lower
half of a box; the runners are made from the box rims.]
.sp 2
.if-
.if h
.il fn=i171b.jpg w=600px id=i171b
.ca
A Sleigh made from the cover and the lower half of a box. It has been
painted.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: A Sleigh made from the cover and the lower half of a box. It has been
painted.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 172.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i172a.jpg w=600px id=i172a
.ca
Doll’s Crib made from the lower half of a box, with pill-box legs. The
Go-cart is cut from half of an oblong box. The Basket is half a box.
.ca-
.il fn=i172b.jpg w=600px id=i172b
.ca
The Express Wagon is the cover of a candy box. Its handle and its
wheels are cut from cardboard. The Little Doll may have a sled
cut from a candy box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Doll’s Crib made from the lower half of a box, with
pill-box legs. The Go-cart is cut from half of an oblong box. The
Basket is half a box.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Express Wagon is the cover of a candy box. Its
handle and its wheels are cut from cardboard. The Little Doll may have
a sled cut from a candy box.]
.sp 2
.if-
.sp 2
.bn 173.png
.pn +1
To make the sleigh, you will need to use the cover
of your box. Turn it so that it opens at top. Cut the
side rims the shape of the upper portion of a sleigh,
and glue the cover to the runners. A small box will
make two seats for the sleigh. Fit the cover into the
back of the sleigh and the lower half into the forward
part. (See #Diagram Ten:diagram-10#, page 184, for making
sleigh. A, runners; B, top.)
When it is winter in Boxville, cotton-batting makes
snow, and my horse, harnessed to the sleigh, with a
sleigh-bell on his neck, goes jingling through Main
Street. The boy dolls catch their sleds to the back
of the sleigh.
.pm verse-start
My Teddy Bear, he likes to play
With little toys I make this way:
The cover of a box may be
A wagon like the one you see.
Or, maybe, I may make a sled
For little Teddy Bear, instead!
.pm verse-end
.bn 174.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=CRIB
THE CHINA DOLL’S CRIB, GO-CART, AND MAY BASKET
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a China Doll’s Crib:
the lower half of some oblong box, and four small
oblong pill-boxes of equal size to make the legs of
the bed.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Doll’s Go-cart:
the lower half of an oblong box about seven inches
in length, and some cardboard to make wheels.
Wheels may also be made from top and base of a
small round box three inches in diameter.
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Doll’s May Basket:
the cover or top of any small box you may have;
also a small strip of cardboard and two round-headed
paper-fasteners.
.sp 2
See, here is a china doll’s crib in the picture. You
can see how easy it is to make it. I hardly need to
tell you. Just take the cover or the lower half of the
.bn 175.png
.pn +1
box you wish to use, and cut off a part of each long
rim—there is the top of the crib with its head and
foot.
To each corner below its base glue the end of a
small oblong pill-box. There! Isn’t that an easy
and quick way to make a toy crib for a doll?
If you wish to make a cradle, cut the box in the
same way, and cut a circle once again as wide as the
width of your box. Cut this circle into half, and
each half will be a rocker for the cradle. Glue one
to each end of the box. That is all!
To make a doll’s go-cart like the one in the picture,
take the cover or the lower half of any oblong box
similar to a candy box, one-pound size. Cut the rim
from it half-way around, beginning in the center of
one long side. Next, cut from the part that is without
rim the handle of the cart, as you see the box cut
in the picture.
Next, cut two circles from cardboard to make the
wheels of the go-cart. Each circle must be of equal
size. Make each about three inches in diameter,
unless your box is more than eight inches long. In
this case out your cardboard circles to correspond,
larger.
.bn 176.png
.pn +1
Run a stick or a long pencil through one circle, and
press the point of the stick through a lower corner
of the box through to the other side, where you put
on the other cardboard circle for the other wheel.
Your stick or pencil must be one inch longer than the
width of your box. Place a blob of glue over each
end of the axle and let it dry well, to keep the wheels
on. When you have fitted the end of a little box
into the lower half of the go-cart to make a seat,
all is done. You may use a piece of folded cardboard
to make the seat, if you prefer. I painted the handle
of my go-cart, but it is not at all necessary to do this.
The go-cart is great fun to use when you play house
and go out marketing. Then you can take your doll
baby with you in the go-cart. You can tie the doll
baby into the cart with a piece of string.
The basket that you see in the picture is very easy
to construct. You can use it for many different
things, and as long as you have small boxes—or even
large ones—you may make baskets out of them. You
will need some round-headed paper-fasteners or glue
to help make them. (The paper-fasteners are stronger
and better than the glue.)
Take the lower half of a box, or the upper half,
.bn 177.png
.pn +1
as you like, and cut a strip of cardboard twice again
as long as the width of your box. This is the basket’s
handle. Glue it inside the inner rim on either side
of the box, or, better still, run the prongs of a paper-fastener
through the side of your box and through
the end of the cardboard strip on both sides of the
box. There is the handle—just see what a cunning
basket you have made!
In spring, May baskets can be made this way.
Filled with wild flowers, they are very cunning—just
the thing for a May Day gift.
If you have some pretty shells that you have picked
up at the shore, they may go into a little box basket
and be given to some little sick child, who will love
to handle them and keep them in their basket by his
bedside.
At Easter, fill box baskets with moss or green raffia
cut to represent grass. Glue the raffia to the box.
Then ask cook if she will give you some white beans
like those that are baked with pork in a pot. Place
three or four of these in the moss or raffia cuttings,
and you will have made a cute little basket of eggs
to give as an Easter gift. When your water-color
paint-brush is moistened with blue or brown paint,
.bn 178.png
.pn +1
make tiny specks on the beans and they will look
like wee little birds’ eggs.
The box baskets make good Christmas-tree decorations,
too. They may be suspended from branches
by colored paper chains, or be tied on with raffia or
tinsel. Each basket may be filled with candies or with
pretty berries you have found out-of-doors, holly or
bright wintergreen.
They may be used as place favors for a Valentine
party when filled with red paper hearts.
.pm verse-start
Little cardboard boxes
Are useful every day.
They make ’most any kind of toy
That you can use in play.
I made a little go-cart,
A basket, and a bed,
And there are many other toys
I might have made, instead!
.pm verse-end
.bn 179.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=KENNEL
A TOY DOG KENNEL FOR A TOY DOG
.sp 2
Material Required to Construct a Toy Kennel: a
small box without its cover, the cover of some larger
box that is square, and cardboard.
.sp 2
Here is a picture of Fido, my little dog. I made
him a kennel so that he could stay near the doll-house
at night and be a watch-dog. Perhaps your dog would
like one, if he is a play dog.
If you do want to make one, I will tell you how.
Take the lower half of your box. This is to be the
building. Turn it over and stand it on end upon the
piece of cardboard you have. Draw the shape of this
end. Add to it about four inches in height. Cut this
piece out and cut another like it. Glue one to each
end of your box. Be sure your box is inverted before
you begin. It should rest upon its rim.
Next, cut each end piece glued to the box to a point
at the top. This makes the point of each gable side
under the roof. These are the points that come under
the roof to support it.
.bn 180.png
.pn +1
Cut an opening under one of these at one end of
the box. It should be shaped like the door of a dog
kennel.
Where is a large flat box cover? It is to be the
roof. It ought to be about four inches wider than
the width of your first box. (For making the kennel
roof, see #Diagram Three, E:diagram-03-4#, page 171.)
Fold this cover downward in equal halves to make
a slanting roof, and place it over the points of the
dog kennel that come front and back of the little
building. There is the kennel all finished! Whistle
to Fido! Come here, Fido, to see the nice kennel
made for you. Don’t you think that it would be fun
some day to make a smaller one for the little china
dog?
.pm verse-start
Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone!
Oh, he hasn’t gone far, for you see
I built him a kennel from out of a box,
And now he stays home here with me!
.pm verse-end
.bn 181.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i181a.jpg w=600px id=i181a
.ca
Toy Dog Kennel with cardboard end pieces glued to it to hold a bent
box-cover roof in place.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Toy Dog Kennel with cardboard end pieces glued to it to hold a bent
box-cover roof in place.]
.sp 2
.if-
.if h
.il fn=i181b.jpg w=600px id=i181b
.ca
Wheelbarrow cut from the lower half of an oblong box.
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.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Wheelbarrow cut from the lower half of an oblong box.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 182.png
.pn +1
.bn 183.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=WHEELBARROW
HOW TO MAKE A TEDDY BEAR’S WHEELBARROW
.sp 2
Material Required for Making a Toy Wheelbarrow:
the lower half of a candy box or a similar
shaped box, one round pill-box for the barrow’s
wheel.
.sp 2
The Teddy Bear’s wheelbarrow that you see in the
picture was made from half of a candy box; some
strips of cardboard made the legs and wheel supports,
and a round pill-box made the wheel.
Do you wish to make a wheelbarrow to play with?
Perhaps your Teddy would like one. I will tell you
how to make it, shall I?
First, take the lower half of your box and take one
end rim off. Then, from the upper part of the rim
next to this side, cut out the handles of the barrow.
Next, cut out the cardboard half-way around the
lower part of the box between the handles. This is
the frame of the wheelbarrow.
Cut two short cardboard strips each a half-inch
.bn 184.png
.pn +1
wide and each three inches high. These are the rear
legs. Glue them to the toy at either side at the back.
After this, cut two strips of cardboard a half-inch
wide and five inches long. Glue these to the forward
part of the wheelbarrow’s frame.
When all are well dry, press the point of a pin
through one of these wheel supports, through the
cover of a round pill-box, on through its other side,
through the other strip of cardboard in front. Then,
if you like, you may put a toothpick in place of the
pin, with a small blob of glue at either end, after you
have cut the hub of the wheelbarrow off to make it
a correct size. Let the glue dry well, and then Teddy
may have his toy to play with.
My Teddy and I play at gardening with artificial
flowers on the floor. Sometimes, I make flowers from
tissue-paper to use. Can’t you make them, too?
.pm verse-start
One day I cut for Teddy Bear
A wheelbarrow with greatest care.
It is a box, as you can see:
It made a ’barrow splendidly!
Some artificial flowers made
A little garden that we laid;
It was a very happy day
The time we made this garden play.
.pm verse-end
.bn 185.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=FURNITURE
OFFICE FURNITURE FOR DOLLS
.sp 2
Material Required to Make the Office Furniture:
the end of the lower half of a shoe-box makes the
desk, a spool with a round box cover makes the desk-stool,
a high round box four inches high makes a
flower-stand, the cover of a box nine inches long
makes a chair.
.sp 2
My dolls thought it would be fun to have an office.
I had a little favor that was made like a tiny typewriter,
and a telephone that came as a favor, too.
You can buy these at any caterer’s or at a candy store.
One of my dolls was a stenographer. You can see
her in the picture. Her name is Dosia—Miss Dosia.
The other doll is the bell boy or errand boy.
To make a desk for the office, take the half of your
shoe-box. Cut legs in its forward rim, leaving each
corner. From the side rims cut the two rear legs.
(To cut table or flat office desk, see #Diagram Six, D:diagram-03-4#,
page 178.) Paint the desk with India ink and it will
.bn 186.png
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look like the one in the picture. If you prefer, use
paint, but be careful not to use the paint too moist.
The spool makes the desk-stool. Paint it to match
the desk, and stand it on end. Over the top, glue a
round pill-box. Paint this also. It makes a very
cunning stool for a doll eight inches in height.
The stand is easy to make. The plant on it was a
favor, too. The stand is just a box about five inches
high. It is put on end and painted.
The chair takes no time at all to cut. Just find
the cover of a box about eight or nine inches long.
Cut the rim off from it half-way around, starting at
the center of one long side. Bend the part that has
no rim left on it upward to make the back of the
chair, and cut the legs from the lower rim of the rest
of the cover as you cut legs for the desk. (To cut
a chair, see #Diagram Six, C:diagram-03-3#, page 177.) It is fun to
have a doll’s office. With it you can play at business.
What is your business going to be? Are you going to
be a lawyer, or the principal of a little doll’s school?
Maybe yours will be a real estate office for Boxville!
.if h
.il fn=i187a.jpg w=600px id=i187a
.ca
Office Furniture for Dolls. This is made from boxes, box covers, a spool
and a wooden box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Office Furniture for Dolls. This is made from boxes, box covers, a spool
and a wooden box.]
.sp 2
.if-
.if h
.il fn=i187b.jpg w=600px id=i187b
.ca
The Doll’s Couch Hammock. It is cut from the cover of a hardware box.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Doll’s Couch Hammock. It is cut from the cover of a hardware box.]
.sp 2
.if-
You can see my office boy in the picture. His
hat ought to be taken off his head, but it was glued
on, so he had to be impolite—though I made him
.bn 187.png
.pn +1
.bn 188.png
.pn +1
.bn 189.png
.pn +1
say, “Excuse me!” for doing it. I hope when you
engage an office boy, you will get the kind whose
hat will come off! But mine is really quite a nice
boy, and his name is Bobbie. (He’d rather be called
Bob.) I wish that his hat would come off!
.pm verse-start
I make believe, when I’m at play,
There is an office far away,
And Mister China Doll goes there
And sits and dictates in his chair.
I made the office by the door,
It’s right upon my play-room floor.
.pm verse-end
.bn 190.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=HAMMOCK
HOW TO MAKE A DOLLS’ HAMMOCK
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Dolls’ Couch
Hammock: the lower half of any oblong box that
is deep. One seven or eight inches long will make
a hammock for a doll the same length. Larger boxes
may also be used. Some string is needed to make
ropes.
.sp 2
The dolls’ couch hammock in the picture is easily
made. Your large dolls as well as the very small ones
may have hammocks. Shall I tell you how to make
one?
Take the lower half—that is usually the deeper
half of a box—and turn it so that it opens at top.
From the front rim, cut out a long lengthwise section
of the rim.
At each end of the box, run a string through a corner.
Knot the two end strings that come on the ends
of the box. Knot them together or tie them, so that
the hammock may be suspended wherever you wish
to place it.
.bn 191.png
.pn +1
You may make a mattress for the couch by folding
tissue-paper over brown paper cut to fit the shape
of your box. Better still, you may make a real little
mattress from some canvas or cloth. Cut the cloth
a little larger than twice the size of your box. Fold
it and sew it. Then stuff the mattress with bits of
paper torn to shreds. Pillows for the hammock may
be made in the same way, using smaller dimensions.
You can hang the hammock under the railing on
the porch, or fasten it to the rungs of a chair when
you play indoors with it. I am sure your dolls will
be delighted to have you make this for them. If you
are a boy, you can make one for your sister. Boys
ought to know how to use needle and thread as well
as girls. Soldiers and sailors know how to sew. (I
know a man who can do embroidery, but, of course,
that is going pretty far.) A boy ought to be able to
sew a mattress, anyhow. It is as easy as making a
marble-bag.
.pm verse-start
I made a dollie’s hammock,
It’s an easy thing to do:
Just find an oblong cardboard box
And you can make one, too!
.pm verse-end
.bn 192.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=THEATER
HOW TO MAKE A THEATER OR PUNCH SHOW
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Theater or Punch
Show: a deep, square letter-paper box and its cover,
and some postal cards with colored views.
.sp 2
Would you like to make a toy theater or Punch
Show to play with? Shall I tell you how to make
one out of some deep, square box about eight inches
square and eight inches high?
First, take the cover off your box and lay it aside.
Next, turn your box over so that it rests upon its
four rims and the bottom of the box is made the top.
Upon the upper part of the box, near the top, outline
an oblong about two inches from each corner of
the box. Measure it with your ruler. Its top should
be two inches from the top rim of the box. The
whole should be about five inches wide and three
inches tall. (To guide you in drawing this, refer to
#Diagram Nine, A:diagram-09#, page 183.)
Cut this oblong you have drawn at both sides and
.bn 193.png
.pn +1
along its top line. Bend the cardboard inward toward
the center of the box. This will make the
“stage.” (See #Diagram Nine, A:diagram-09#, page 183.)
Just over the stage, in the upper rim of the box,
cut a two-inch wide opening the same length as you
cut for the length of the stage below. Cut this out
entirely, so that the little dolls you intend to use for
actors may be dropped on black strings through the
opening and made to walk and dance on the stage.
(See #Diagram Nine, B:diagram-09#, page 183.)
Behind the opening over the stage, cut a slit in the
rim of the box long enough to slip through a fancy
postal card. Slip some pretty colored view through
it, and there will be the scenery for your stage. You
may have pictures of interiors as well as views of
out-of-doors and houses. (See #Diagram Nine, C:diagram-09#,
page 183.)
Now, cut a piece of cardboard the right size for a
sign for your theater, and print its name on the cardboard.
Glue the sign over the stage as you see it in
the picture. It will serve to hide the little dolls’
entrance to the stage on their strings.
Last of all, place the cover of your letter-paper
box, face down, on its rim on the table or floor, and
.bn 194.png
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put the theater or Punch Show well back upon it so
that there is place for an audience of little dolls in
front. (See #Diagram Nine, D:diagram-09#, page 183.)
Benches for the audience of little dolls may be cut
from covers of boxes two and three inches long. (For
cutting benches, see #Diagram Six, A:diagram-06-1#, page 175.)
Your actors may be penny dolls, or any jointed
wooden dolls such as you will find in toy row-boats
at the ten-cent store.
I used to collect fancy postal-card views of all
kinds of interesting places and give lectures on them
at my theater. It was most fun of all, I think. I had
performing Noah’s Ark animals in vaudeville there,
too. There is no end to the games you can play with
the theater.
.pm verse-start
I made a lovely theater for little dolls to-day.
If you would like, I’ll tell you how. You make it in this way:
Right on the bottom of a box—a pasteboard box, you know—
You draw a square with space each side; that’s where the stage should go.
Now cut the square right at the top, and cut it down each side.
Upon the base, you bend it in. It cannot be denied
This makes a “really truly” stage! For scenery you use
Some pretty colored postal cards of houses, and some views.
To put these in, you cut a slit upon the box’s top,
And through a wider one, in front, the dolls on threads you drop.
.pm verse-end
.bn 195.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i195a.jpg id=i195a w=600px
.ca
The Punch and Judy or Little Dolls’ Theater is made from a deep
letter-paper box and its cover. The scenery is a fancy postal
card and the actor is a doll.
.ca-
.il fn=i195b.jpg id=i195b w=600px
.ca
The Merry-go-Round is made from the covers of two round
bandboxes, a cardboard roll and penny cut-outs purchased at the
children’s “penny store.”
.ca-
.if-
.if t
[Illustration: The Punch and Judy or Little Dolls’ Theater is
made from a deep letter-paper box and its cover. The scenery is a
fancy postal card and the actor is a doll.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Merry-go-Round is made from the covers of two
round bandboxes, a cardboard roll and penny cut-outs purchased at
the children’s “penny store.”]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 196.png
.pn +1
.bn 197.png
.pn +1
.pm verse-start
This must be just above the stage, and wide and long, you see,
The actor dolls, held in the wings, can enter easily.
You move the thread and walk them round. Mine act all kinds of things:
The fairy stories that I know; my sailor doll, here, sings.
And you can use the theater for fun in lots of ways:
Give lectures on the postal views as well as acting plays.
.pm verse-end
.bn 198.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=MERRYGOROUND
HOW TO MAKE A TOY MERRY-GO-ROUND
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Toy Merry-go-round:
two round bandbox covers, or the two halves
of some large round box, a sheet of penny cut-out
pictures of horses or animals, and a cardboard mailing-tube
or a hoop-stick.
.sp 2
Everyone may own a merry-go-round. It is made
from two large round bandbox covers and a mailing-tube.
You will also need some pictures of animals
or horses to use on the merry-go-round. Four or five
animals are enough to use. A small box will require
less.
Cut-out pictures of Indians or cowboys may be
used on the merry-go-round. If you cannot have
these, horses cut from cardboard will answer. To
do this, find a clear outline of a horse in some magazine
picture and trace it upon your cardboard. Then,
when it is cut out, you will have a pattern to help
you make the other horses by drawing around its
edge.
.bn 199.png
.pn +1
In the picture, the horses were each a penny cut-out.
They came as race-horses. They exactly fitted
the bandbox merry-go-round that I made.
If your cut-outs are upon thin paper, paste them
upon thin cardboard before you start the work of
making the toy itself. Let them dry while you are
making the merry-go-round.
To construct this, first take the cardboard mailing-tube
that you have (or the hoop-stick), and run it
down through the center of one bandbox cover as the
bandbox cover stands on its rims like a platform.
Cut a small hole in the center of your other bandbox
cover, and press this down over the cardboard
mailing-tube, a third of the way down its length, just
as you see it in the picture.
Now, take your animals mounted on thin cardboard
and cut each out.
Cut narrow half-inch strips of cardboard for the
poles of the animals. Glue them at equal intervals
around the rim of the upper bandbox cover, inside.
To their bases, glue the animals.
When you turn the top of the mailing-tube, the
merry-go-round will twirl.
Paper figures cut from colored magazine pictures
.bn 200.png
.pn +1
may ride on the merry-go-round. When it is made
in a smaller size, china dolls may ride on it, and
wooden Noah’s Ark animals may be glued to the
cardboard strips to make very lifelike chargers.
.pm verse-start
With just two bandbox covers,
I built a carousel;
I cut some picture horses out—
For chargers they did well!
I gave some paper dolls a ride—
I tell you, it is fun!
I make believe a pleasure park
Is right here in the sun!
.pm verse-end
.bn 201.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=AUTOMOBILE
MAKING A BOXCRAFT AUTOMOBILE
.sp 2
Material Required to Build a Box Automobile:
a one-pound candy box with cover, a sample candy
box (oblong ten-cent size), one round box three
inches in diameter, about ten inches of cardboard
from which to cut wheels, four round-headed paper-clips
for wheel-hubs, a toothpick and a round cardboard
key-tag for steering gear, two metal buttons for
lamps.
.sp 2
It is not difficult to make a box automobile, for
nobody needs knowledge of mechanics to do it. Paste,
scissors, boxes—and a pair of hands to do the work,
these are all that you will need.
The lower half of the large oblong box forms the
body of the car. Take the cover of the box off. This
will be used later for the hood, if you care to put
one on.
Cut off each long inner side rim of the box
except for a corner at each end. Leave the inner rim
.bn 202.png
.pn +1
of both ends on the box untouched. This forms
the windguard in front and the back of the rear
seat.
Paste the cover tight on your small sample candy
box, and paste the box end to one end of the body of
the car you are building. This completes the shape
of the automobile.
Next, take your round box. Remove its cover.
Cut the cover in half. This forms the wheel-guards
for rear wheels. Paste each where the rear guards
should go.
Cut the lower half of the box in half also. These
halves are wheel-guards for front wheels. Paste them
to the forward part of the automobile.
Cut four circles from your cardboard. Use your
compass to outline them in pencil first. Make each
with a diameter of two inches.
When these are cut, run the points of a round-headed
paper-fastener through the center of each,
and fasten the pointed prongs of the paper-fastener
to the cardboard of the wheel-guards. This secures
the wheels. If you prefer, you may glue the wheels
to the guards. They should be painted with spokes
and tires.
.bn 203.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i203a.jpg w=600px id=i203a
.ca
Boxcraft Automobile with hood made of a box cover.
.ca-
.il fn=i203b.jpg w=600px id=i203b
.ca
Boxcraft Automobile made without hood.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxcraft Automobile with hood made of a box cover.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxcraft Automobile made without hood.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 204.png
.pn +1
.bn 205.png
.pn +1
A narrow box rim is glued between the wheel-guards
to make the running-board.
Two metal buttons are fastened to the front of the
automobile to form the lamps.
A toothpick is pressed into the front of the box to
make the rod of the wheel for steering. The wheel
itself is a round cardboard key-tag fitted upon the
other end of the toothpick.
The front seat of the automobile is the end corner
of some small box that is fitted crosswise into the
body of the car and glued in place. The rear seat
is an end of a small box fitted in the same manner
into the body of the car behind.
Boxcraft automobiles are the best there are. They
do not cost you a single penny! Repairs are always
very easy to make, too.
If you care to add a hood to the automobile, it may
be made from the cover of your large box. Cut the
front rim of the box cover down, and slant the long
sides of the cover down to the uncut end.
Paste an upright piece of cardboard about four
inches high behind your rear seat. To its top, glue
the higher end of the box cover.
Two small strips of cardboard may be fitted under
.bn 206.png
.pn +1
the hood above the front seat to hold the hood up in
front.
I painted the automobile that you see in the picture
with India ink. You could scarcely tell that it was
made out of a box when it was finished.
.pm verse-start
Three cardboard boxes—little else—
Have made a car for me:
It is a boxcraft model,
And it’s jolly as can be!
The little Boxville people
Can go touring in this car;
They have splendid picnic parties
Where the groves of clothes-pins are!
.pm verse-end
.bn 207.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=DOLLHOUSE
HOW TO FURNISH A DOLL-HOUSE
.sp 2
Material Required to Make Furniture for a
Doll-house: cardboard boxes of all kinds, especially
flat letter-paper boxes, jeweler’s boxes, correspondence-card
boxes. Pencils and spools may be of help
in making some of the furniture.
.sp 2
When you look at the pictures of my boxcraft doll-house,
you will see how well it was furnished. All
the chairs and tables, and the bed—all the things that
are in the pictures—are cut from cardboard boxes.
You have just such boxes as I used, I am sure. Every
home has them.
Shall I tell you how the furniture is made? First,
I will tell you how I made the bedroom, shall I?
The old-fashioned canopy bedstead is made from a
candy box and its cover. The four posts are long
pencils. One pencil is run through each corner of
the lower half of the box and glued tight. Then the
cover is placed upon the upper ends of the pencils to
make a canopy. Lace-paper is pasted around the
.bn 208.png
.pn +1
rims of the cover. I made tissue-paper sheets and
a lace-paper pillow. You can do that, too.
I made a tall bureau from eight empty match-boxes.
The match-boxes were safety match-boxes
with tiny drawers that are made to slide in and
out. I saved till I had eight boxes. Then, I glued
four, one on top of the other, and four others I glued
in the same way. When these were dry, I pasted my
two sets together. This made the upper part of the
bureau. To make legs, I cut a low bench from a
small box cover and pasted the boxes to its top. (For
bench, see #Diagram Six, A:diagram-06-1#, page 175.) I sewed shoe-buttons
to each drawer to make a handle. The mirror
is a piece of cardboard cut oblong and pasted at the
back of the bureau so that it is upright. I painted
a frame around the sides of the cardboard to make it
look like a mirror. The bureau cover is a strip of
lace-paper. The candle and candlestick came off
a birthday cake.
The wash-stand is cut from the lower half of a box
about five inches long. It is cut almost as if it were
a bench, only that its legs are shorter. The “splasher”
is a piece of cardboard pasted upright at the back of
the box.
.bn 209.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i209a.jpg w=600px id=i209a
.ca
Boxcraft Bedroom furniture.
.ca-
.il fn=i209b.jpg w=600px id=i209b
.ca
Boxcraft Table and Chairs.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxcraft Bedroom furniture.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxcraft Table and Chairs.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 210.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i210a.jpg w=600px id=i210a
.ca
Mantel and Settle made from cardboard boxes.
.ca-
.il fn=i210b.jpg w=600px id=i210b
.ca
Piano and Grandfather’s Clock made from boxes.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Mantel and Settle made from cardboard boxes.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: Piano and Grandfather’s Clock made from boxes.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 211.png
.pn +1
Almost all chairs I made were cut from narrow
box covers and jewelers’ hat-pin boxes. One hat-pin
box will make two chairs. Each half makes one.
(For chair, see #Diagram Six, C:diagram-03-3#, page 177.) Hat-pin
boxes will make high-backed chairs. Other box
covers make other kinds. When you cut an ordinary
chair with a low back, begin to cut the rim from the
side of your box near the center on one long side.
When you make a chair from a hat-pin box, cut the
rim off your box two thirds of the way around,
leaving one end only with the rim on. The part
without rim is the back of the chair. Press that upward,
and cut the legs of the chair from the end that
has a rim left upon it.
I made a grandfather’s clock by standing a hat-pin
box on end. I glued to its upper front part the face
of a penny watch. You do not need to spend a penny.
Just mark the face of a clock in pencil and glue it to
the front of your clock.
Really, I am very proud of the piano. It is not
every doll-house that can have a piano—but you can
make one, for it is easy. You will need a shallow
letter-paper box and a narrow box such as fountain
pens come in from the store where they are bought.
.bn 212.png
.pn +1
Paste one long side of the narrow box across the front
or back of the letter-paper box after you have stood
the letter-paper box upright. The narrow box should
be placed about where you think the keyboard belongs.
(See #Diagram Six, F:diagram-03-5#, page 179, for making a
piano from two boxes.) The music-rest is a bit of
folded box rim glued to the central part of the piano
above the keyboard. The keyboard is marked off with
ink upon a strip of white paper and pasted upon the
top of the narrow box. You can easily draw the first
part of some music that you know, and place it on a
tiny sheet of white paper to make a “piece” for the
piano’s music-rest.
A mantel for the living-room may be made from
a flat letter-paper box. Stand the box upon one long
rim and place its printed side to the back. Cut from
the front a mantel opening like the opening for a
fireplace. (See #Diagram Six, G:diagram-03-5#, page 180.)
The Morris chair is made like any other chair.
(See #Diagram Six, C:diagram-03-3#, page 177, for cutting a chair
from a box.) It has two bent box rims glued to each
side to make the arm rests, and the cardboard is cut
rounding from the front rim of the box in cutting its
legs.
.bn 213.png
.pn +1
I made a very cute little cupboard for my doll-house
dining-room. It was easily made. You can
make one out of any shallow box that is like a spool
box, by cutting out all of its front rim excepting a narrow
margin left all the way around its front cover. I
cut some strips of cardboard and fitted them across the
inside of this box and glued them to make shelves.
Lace-paper made the shelf-paper. Metal corks from
bottles and cold-cream tubes made mugs and silver-ware.
Plates for the dining-room were circles cut
from cardboard.
A sideboard may be made from half of a letter-paper
box, cutting this in half lengthwise. Then
cut this half the box as if you were making a high
bench. Do not cut far up in the box rim to make the
legs. Cut them curving at the front. Outline a
drawer and cupboard doors upon the front, and paste
a plate-rack at back. It is the cover of a narrow box
glued behind the buffet.
Of all my doll-house furniture, I like the kitchen
best. It looks so homelike. If I were a little doll,
I know I should love to go into that kitchen and make
candy on the stove. It would be such fun!
The stove is made from an oblong candy box cut
.bn 214.png
.pn +1
like a bench. At two sides of its front, I cut oven
doors and put round-headed paper-fasteners through
them to make knobs. The prongs of each paper-fastener,
bent, make latch for oven doors. At the
back of each oven door, right inside the box, I pasted
a small box and made a real little oven. I could put
dishes in it!
The boiler in the kitchen is the kind of round tin
they use to pack blue-print paper in. I stood mine
on a spool after I washed the printed paper off from
it. You can use an old baking-powder tin, if you
have no blue-print paper box.
You can see how the kitchen sink is made—merely
a box cover placed over the end of a deeper box. At
the back of the box paste an upright piece of cardboard.
The faucets are made from the two ends of
a kid hair-curler pressed through the cardboard
downward.
The kitchen table is the lower half of a correspondence-card
box. It is cut as if it were a bench with long legs. (For cutting
the bench, see #Diagram Six, A:diagram-06-1#, page 175.)
.if h
.il fn=i215a.jpg w=600px id=i215a
.ca
Boxcraft Doll-house Furniture. The Dining-room.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxcraft Doll-house Furniture. The Dining-room.]
.sp 2
.if-
.if h
.il fn=i215b.jpg w=600px id=i215b
.ca
Boxcraft Kitchen Furniture for dolls. Stove, table, and sink are all boxes.
The boiler is a tin box upon a spool.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: Boxcraft Kitchen Furniture for dolls. Stove,
table, and sink are all boxes. The boiler is a tin box upon a
spool.]
.sp 2
.if-
You will have a very good time playing in your
doll-house, if you make one. You can make a four-roomed
.bn 215.png
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.bn 216.png
.pn +1
.bn 217.png
.pn +1
house from four large bandboxes placed on
their sides. Put two upon the floor and glue the
other two to their tops. Of course, you will not need
to use the covers of the boxes. Each bandbox will
make a room.
You can use strips of wall-paper for carpets and
rugs. You can cut windows in the bandboxes. When
you have furnished the doll-house, it will be quite
like a real little home.
I painted my furniture with ink. If you paint
yours, be careful to put newspapers down under your
work, and be very, very careful to use your brush as
dry as you can. In this way your work will be evenly
colored. Let the furniture dry thoroughly before
you attempt to play with it. If you like, you may
paint it with water-color paints.
.pm verse-start
Little boxes make such fun!
I can use each tiny one!
I have made a dollies’ bed,
And a mantel, painted red!
Bureaus, chairs,—a table, too!
Oh, I have some work to do!
Oh, I think that it is gay,
Making furniture this way!
.pm verse-end
.bn 218.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=RINGFLING
HOW TO MAKE THE BOXCRAFT GAME, “RINGFLING”
.sp 2
Material Required to Make “Ringfling”: the deep
lower half of a box over seven inches square, four
long pencils, and about twelve square inches of cardboard.
.sp 2
Ringfling is a jolly game. I am sure you will
enjoy playing it. As many children as can play
happily together may play the game. The first rule
of the game is, “The more, the merrier!”
It takes but a moment to collect materials with
which to play the game. The game itself may be
made in about ten minutes—or less.
Take the deep lower half of some large square box
and draw from corner to corner across its top. (See
figure in #Diagram Eleven, A:diagram-11#, page 185.) Do this
with heavy pencil lines.
Number each section of the board but one, using
the numerals, 1, 2, 3 (one numeral each). Leave one
section blank.
.bn 219.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i219a.jpg w=600px id=i219a
.ca
The Boxcraft Game of “Ringfling.” It is made with the help of pencils
and cardboard cut from box covers.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Boxcraft Game of “Ringfling.” It is made with the
help of pencils and cardboard cut from box covers.]
.sp 2
.if-
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.il fn=i219b.jpg w=600px id=i219b
.ca
The Boxcraft Game of “Shoot the Chutes.” It is played with spools.
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: The Boxcraft Game of “Shoot the Chutes.” It is played with spools.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 220.png
.pn +1
.bn 221.png
.pn +1
Cut a ring from cardboard, using a compass or
saucer to guide you in drawing it first. Make it about
three inches in diameter. (See #Diagram Eleven, B:diagram-11#,
page 185, for cutting ring.) Make a smaller ring just
like this larger one, and cut it in the very same way.
Take your pencils. Press the point of one into each
section of the game-board at its center near the
numeral you have drawn. Press the points of the
pencils down first, and be careful to keep each hole
small, so that the pencil will not slip too far down
in it. The tops of all pencils should be of an even
height, as you see them in the picture.
Here are the rules of the game:
.in 4
Players play in turn.
Players count out to see who will begin the
game and who will follow.
Each play consists of a turn to throw the large
ring and the small ring.
The object of play is to have the ring tossed
fall so that it circles about a pencil.
When a ring circles a pencil, it gives the player
the count of the number that is upon that section.
The small circle doubles the count.
.bn 222.png
.pn +1
Twelve counts win the game. The first to
obtain this wins. You may make it eighteen—to
make a longer game.
The game is played in rounds. To avoid dispute,
it is best to keep the score of all players
with pencil and paper.
Each player must stand five ruler lengths from
the game when he flings the circles.
.in 0
.pm verse-start
When I am playing little games,
I like to do what’s right;
And when I do not win the game,
I try to be polite!
.pm verse-end
.bn 223.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=CHUTES
THE GAME OF “SHOOT THE CHUTES”
.sp 2
Material Required to Make the Game of “Shoot
the Chutes”: a long box and its cover, and one high
box without a cover—some spools.
.sp 2
This little boxcraft game may be played by two
players. It is an easy game to make, as you can see
by looking at the picture. It is made of two parts of
one long box, with the lower half of another that is
higher. It is played with spools.
To make the game, first cut the lower half of your
long box as you see it cut in the picture. Make two
openings in its rim, each wide enough to let a spool
roll through it. Stand this part of the box upon the
floor as you see it placed in the picture.
Now, you are ready to make the chutes. Cut the
cover’s rim—the rim of the long box—at each corner,
and press the cardboard out at each end.
Rest this part of the long box in a slanting position
against your high box.
.bn 224.png
.pn +1
Paint four spools. Make two red and two blue.
Two of the same color belong to each player.
The game is to try to get your two spools into the
box. Every time you get a spool in by rolling it down
the chutes, it counts you one count.
Players play in turn, one spool at a time. The
game is played in rounds. The first player to reach
the score of seven wins.
.pm verse-start
I made this little game myself,
All on a rainy day!
It made some jolly fun for me,
And passed the time away.
.pm verse-end
.bn 225.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=GAME
THE BOXCRAFT GAME, “ONE-TWO-I-CATCH-YOU”
.sp 2
Material Required to Make “One-Two-I-Catch-You”:
a square box cover and two buttons, one dark
and one light. The counter is a round pill-box. (A
square pill-box will do as well.)
.sp 2
This boxcraft game of “One-Two-I-Catch-You”
is like a game of tag. It is a tag game on a game-board.
As it is not so noisy a game, you can play it
in the house.
To make the board to play on, take your pencil and
your ruler. Rule a line from corner to corner across
the inside of the box cover. Then, rule a line that
will cross the center of the box, and another that
crosses the center from the other side. This makes
the triangular divisions of the board. Paint the
triangles, alternating, black or blue. Leave the ones
between, white. (See #Diagram Twelve:diagram-12#, page 186.)
Find your buttons now. Two players are to play
.bn 226.png
.pn +1
this game. You will need a pill-box for a counter.
Glue its cover on tight, and put a number one on its
top and a number two on its base.
Play in turn, and toss the counter to see how far you
can move. When the counter falls, take the number
that is on its top and move as many triangles in either
direction as the counter indicates.
Each player takes a different colored button to
begin the game. Each button is placed in an opposite
corner of the board. Each player must try to catch
the other player by getting onto his triangle. The first
to catch the other player three times is winner.
.pm verse-start
Throw the counter,
Happily,
Who is winner,
Let us see!
Button here
And button there,
I will catch you!
Just take care!
.pm verse-end
.bn 227.png
.pn +1
.if h
.il fn=i227a.jpg w=461px id=i227a
.ca
“Funny Mr. Box,” a Boxcraft Game, played with spools.
.ca-
.il fn=i227b.jpg w=600px id=i227b
.ca
“One-Two-I-Catch-You,” a Boxcraft Game of Tag.
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: “Funny Mr. Box,” a Boxcraft Game, played with spools.]
.sp 2
[Illustration: “One-Two-I-Catch-You,” a Boxcraft Game of Tag.]
.sp 2
.if-
.bn 228.png
.pn +1
.bn 229.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=MISTERBOX
THE FUNNY GAME OF “MISTER BOX”
.sp 2
Material Required to Make the Funny Game of
“Mister Box”: one large box with a cover—one similar
to a shoe-box—two or three spools.
.sp 2
Allow me to introduce to you my friend Mister
Box. He is funny and he is jolly. He likes to catch
spools in his mouth, if you will be so kind as to throw
them in.
Mister Box is a game. You can make a game like
him. I will tell you how. You will need an empty
box about the size of a shoe-box. It should have a
cover.
Two or three players may play the game. Each
will need an empty spool to play the game with.
Each player may color his spool a different color.
One may be blue; one may be red; and the third,
if there are three players, may be green.
Now, to make Mister Box. Place your box on
end and glue the cover tight. Next, take your pencil
.bn 230.png
.pn +1
and draw a big face on the back of the box. Make
the mouth large and round. Cut out the cardboard
inside the mouth to make a big round hole about four
inches wide. You can color Mister Box with your
crayons, if you like. His hair should be brown, and
his eyes too.
Now, to play the game, every player must stand,
in turn, in the same place on the carpet or floor rug,
four feet from the box. Measure four ruler lengths
to get this. Each must try to get his spool into Mister
Box. Toss the spool. No player may touch his spool
till all have finished playing the round. The first one
to get his spool into Mister Box six times wins.
.pm verse-start
When I win a game at play,
This is what I always say:
“You will win another day!”
If I do not win to-day,
This is what I hope I’ll say:
“I have had a splendid play!”
.pm verse-end
.bn 231.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=MAGICBOX
HOW TO MAKE A MAGIC BOX
.sp 2
Material Required to Make a Magic Box: two
small oblong boxes with covers that slide over an
inner drawer. Both boxes must be about an inch and
a half long. Both must be duplicates of each other.
About two yards of light twine are needed.
.sp 2
The magic box is truly a wonderful one. It will
obey every command you give it—yes, it will! There
is a secret that you will have to learn, but when you
know this secret the little box will have to do just as
you bid it.
The magic box is on a string. As it descends, you
cry, “Halt!” The box stops at once. “Go on!” you
cry. The box continues down the string. “Faster,
faster!” The box fairly flies in its haste to get down
to the floor! Wonderful! Wonderful!
Now, let me tell you how to do it. (It is a trick,
of course!)
Find a small stick, round and smooth like a half
of a toothpick.
.bn 232.png
.pn +1
Take the sliding cover from one of your boxes, and
fit inside the drawer, across the center of it, the piece
of wood so that there is space under it and above it.
Next, make a small hole at each end of the drawer
of your box, and thread some string through both
holes, letting the string pass under the stick of wood
in the drawer. (See #Diagram Thirteen:diagram-13#, A, page 187.)
Place the sliding cover on the box and let the string
pass through it at both ends. (See #Diagram Thirteen:diagram-13#,
B.)
The SECRET of your magic box is the piece of
wood in the drawer. Tell nobody about this. When
you hold one end of the string in your right hand,
place the toe of your shoe on the floor over the other
end and keep the string taut. Then, loosen your hold
slightly, and carefully bring the box upon the string
up as far as your hand.
When you loosen the hold upon the string to make
it less tight, you will notice that the box slides rapidly
down the string; when you hold the string absolutely
taut, the box remains firmly in one place. By practising,
you will find just how much to loosen your
hold on the string in order to make the box do as you
wish.
.bn 233.png
.pn +1
Anyone who sees the box performing so wonderfully
will not readily guess the secret of its magic.
Here the second box, that is a duplicate of the first,
comes into the play. Arrange this second box as if
it were the trick box—except for the stick through
the drawer. When your friends ask to examine the
magic box, give them the second one. Keep both in
your pocket. In putting the trick box into your
pocket, slide its drawer a little, so that you can easily
distinguish between the two boxes by feeling of them.
When you give the duplicate, nobody will suspect
that it is not the real box, if you manage cleverly.
“Wonderful! Wonderful!” they say. “What a MAGIC BOX you have!”
.pm verse-start
I made a magic trick box!
Oh, you may make one, too,
But do not tell the secret
That I am telling you!
The little box will mind you,
Do everything you say!
It is a magic trick box—
A treasury of play.
.pm verse-end
.bn 234.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i234.jpg w=600px
.ca
WINDOWS
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: WINDOWS]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram One. Cut the cardboard sides of your
box as the heavy black lines indicate. Fold outward
upon the dotted lines.
A. A plain window without blinds or awning.
Cut the cardboard out on all four sides.
B. Window with blinds. Cut the top line, the
center line, and the base. Fold outward on the dotted
lines.
C. Window with awning. Cut side lines and base.
Bend cardboard outward and upward to make the
awning over the window.
.bn 235.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i235.jpg w=600px
.ca
DOORS
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.if-
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.sp 2
[Illustration: DOORS]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Two. Cut the cardboard of your box
sides as the heavy black lines indicate. Fold outward
where there are dotted lines.
A. Single door. Cut at top and side (if need be,
at the base also). Fold the cardboard outward to
make a door.
B. Double door. Cut the square at top and down
its center. (If need be, cut the base of the square
also.) Fold both sections outward.
C. Door with window in it. Cut out a square
from the single door. Cut the door at top and side.
Fold it outward.
.bn 236.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i236.jpg w=600px
.ca
SIDE WALLS. SLOPING ROOF. PLACE FOR CHIMNEY OR TOWER
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: SIDE WALLS. SLOPING ROOF. PLACE FOR CHIMNEY OR TOWER]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Three. This shows the shape of the
cardboard pieces that are used to form side walls
for a sloping roof; also the box-cover roof placed in
position, and the hole for a chimney.
A. Side walls of cardboard, glued to box ends.
AA. Box cover placed on side walls. Square cut
out so that a box tower or chimney may be inserted
through its opening.
.bn 237.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i237.jpg w=600px
.ca
GABLE ROOF. TRIANGULAR SUPPORTS TO HOLD IT
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: GABLE ROOF. TRIANGULAR SUPPORTS TO HOLD IT]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Three. Triangular cardboard pieces
are cut and pasted to the upper part of a box to hold a
roof made from two interlapped box covers.
B. Gable roof made from two box covers.
BB. Triangular cardboard pieces cut to fit the
ends of a box and hold a gable roof.
.bn 238.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i238.jpg w=600px
.ca
A SINGLE GABLE ROOF. BOX CUT DOWN TO HOLD GABLE ROOF
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: A SINGLE GABLE ROOF. BOX CUT DOWN TO HOLD GABLE ROOF]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Three. Gable roof. This is a piece of
cardboard cut oblong and folded through its center,
lengthwise, to make a slanting roof. A deep box may
be cut down to hold this roof and make a gabled
building. Cut where heavy black lines indicate.
C. Roof cut from a piece of plain cardboard or
corrugated cardboard.
CC. Box cut down to make the low sides and
high-pointed gable ends of a small building.
.bn 239.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i239.jpg w=600px
.ca
ROUND-POINTED ROOF, TENT ROOF, INDIAN WIGWAM,\
AND CARDBOARD TENTS FOR CAMP
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: ROUND-POINTED ROOF, TENT ROOF, INDIAN WIGWAM,\
AND CARDBOARD TENTS FOR CAMP]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Three. Roofs.
D. Round-pointed roof cut from cardboard. Lap
edges x to x. This makes a tent also. The Indian
Wigwam is made this way.
E. This is a wide box cover folded through its
center, rim cut up to the top on each long side. Bent,
it makes a tent or tent-shaped roof. This is like the
kennel roof.
.bn 240.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i240.jpg w=600px
.ca
RAMPARTS FOR A CASTLE OR FORT. A SMALL ROOF TO PLACE OVER A PORCH
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: RAMPARTS FOR A CASTLE OR FORT. A SMALL ROOF TO PLACE OVER A PORCH]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Three. Cut Where the heavy black lines
indicate.
F. Ramparts are cut from the rim of a box cover.
G. A porch roof may be made by taking the
cover of any shallow box and pasting it over the doorway
of your building. The porch pillars are long
pencils run through holes cut in each forward corner
of the box cover.
.bn 241.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i241.jpg w=600px
.ca
BRIDGE AND R.R. TUNNEL
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: BRIDGE AND R.R. TUNNEL]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Four. By cutting the ends or sides of
boxes, tunnels or bridges may be made. Cut where
the heavy black line indicates.
A. The bridge is made by cutting a semicircle
from the long sides of an inverted box. The box
cover, turned upward, forms the bridge railing. At
each end, cut the corners. A cardboard strip is pasted
to each end rim to complete the bridge roadway.
B. The tunnel is made by cutting a circular opening
in the two ends of a deep box which has been
inverted.
.bn 242.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i242.jpg w=600px
.ca
PATTERN FOR WINDMILL SAILS
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: PATTERN FOR WINDMILL SAILS]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Five. Take a square piece of paper.
Fold it through its center once. Fold the two halves
to make quarters. Draw the outline Z on the piece
of paper folded into quarters, and cut this as is indicated
by the heavy black line. This gives ZZ, the
pattern for the windmill sails, which are cut from it
in cardboard.
.bn 243.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i243.jpg w=600px
.ca
BENCH FORM AND BED
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: BENCH FORM AND BED]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Six. Cut your box when it is inverted
where the heavy black lines show.
A. A bench form is made by cutting to right and
left of each corner of the lower half of an inverted
box. Remove cardboard evenly from between these
cuttings to make legs of the bench.
AA. This is the cover of a box from which long
side rims are cut. It is glued to the bench form to
make head and foot of a bed.
.bn 244.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i244.jpg w=600px
.ca
BENCH WITH HIGH BACK
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: BENCH WITH HIGH BACK]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Six, B. To make the bench with high
back, use the lower half of a box, inverted. Cut the
rim where the heavy black lines are shown. Cut
front legs from the box rim on one long side. Turn
up the other long rim of the box to add to the height
of the back. Fold upward on the dotted line running
lengthwise through the middle of the box.
.bn 245.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i245.jpg w=600px
.ca
CHAIR
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: CHAIR]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Six, C. To make the chair, turn the
lower half or cover of your box so that it stands upon
its rims. Cut where the heavy black lines are shown
in the diagram. Fold the back of the chair upward
where the dotted line is indicated.
.bn 246.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i246.jpg w=600px
.ca
TABLES
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: TABLES]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Six. Tables are made from deep boxes
by inverting the lower half of the box and cutting
legs in the rim as is shown by the heavy black lines.
Small boxes, square or round, placed upon upright
spools will form tables, stools, stands.
D. A table cut from a correspondence-card box.
Cut where the heavy black lines are shown in the
diagram.
DD. A round table made with a spool and a box
glued to its top.
.bn 247.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i247.jpg w=600px
.ca
SCHOOL DESK AND PIANO
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: SCHOOL DESK AND PIANO]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Six. Cut where the heavy black lines
are indicated. Glue at y.
E. A school desk is made by standing the lower
half of a small oblong box upon one of its long rims.
Cut in the box rim where you see a heavy black line
in the diagram. A piece of box rim is fitted below
the top of the desk inside the box to make a shelf.
F. Glue a narrow box across a larger box that is
placed upon one of its long sides at yy to make a piano
with keyboard.
.bn 248.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i248.jpg w=600px
.ca
FIREPLACE AND MANTEL
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: FIREPLACE AND MANTEL]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Six, G. Stand any box you may have
upright on one end or on one of its long rims. Cut
from the front or back of the box an opening as
shown by the heavy black line in the diagram.
.bn 249.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i249.jpg w=600px
.ca
PERGOLA
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.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: PERGOLA]
.sp 2
.if-
#Diagram Seven:diagram-07#. The pergola is made from an
inverted shoe-box. The lower half of the box is used.
Cut the bottom from the box, leaving a narrow rim
around the bottom. Cut the ends as shown in the
diagram by the heavy black lines. Mark off pillars
upon the long sides of your box with pencil, and cut
these as shown by the heavy black lines of the diagram.
Two cardboard strips are glued lengthwise at
the top over the lengthwise edges left. Strips of cardboard
are crossed over the open top which was the
bottom of the box.
.bn 250.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i250.jpg w=600px
.ca
ZOO OR CIRCUS CAGE
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: ZOO OR CIRCUS CAGE]
.sp 2
.if-
#Diagram Eight:diagram-08#. Cut the cardboard box sides as
indicated by the heavy black line in the diagram. Zoo
cages are cut on each side. Circus cages are cut top
and bottom of the box, and the box is then placed
upon one long rim to have wheels added to it. The
wheels for circus cages are cardboard disks.
.bn 251.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i251.jpg w=600px
.ca
DOLLS, THEATER OR PUNCH SHOW
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: DOLLS, THEATER OR PUNCH SHOW]
.sp 2
.if-
#Diagram Nine:diagram-09#. The theater is made from a deep
square box placed to stand upon its rims, upon its
cover. The opening A is cut upon one side of the box
and bent inward where the dotted line is shown. This
is the stage. B is the stage opening through which the
dolls are let down by black cord to walk upon the
stage and act. Cut an opening like this shown in the
diagram by the heavy black line. C shows the slit
back of the stage opening. Through this, postal-card
scenery is let down upon the stage.
.bn 252.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i252.jpg w=600px
.ca
SLEIGH AND SLED
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: SLEIGH AND SLED]
.sp 2
.if-
#Diagram Ten:diagram-10#.
A. A sled is made by cutting the cover or lower
half of a box that has been placed to stand upon its
rims. Rims are cut off at each end of the box or
cover. The long rims make the runners. Cut the
rims Where you see heavy black lines in the diagram.
B. A sleigh top is added to a sled by cutting the
cover of a box to the shape of the upper part of a
sleigh. The lower half of the same box makes runners
for the sleigh. Glue the cover to these. In
cutting your box follow the heavy lines indicated in
diagram.
.bn 253.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i253.jpg w=600px
.ca
THE GAME-BOARD AND RINGS FOR “RINGFLING,” A BOXCRAFT GAME
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: THE GAME-BOARD AND RINGS FOR “RINGFLING,” A BOXCRAFT GAME]
.sp 2
.if-
Diagram Eleven.
A. This is the way to draw the sections for the
game-board of “Ringfling.” Draw from corner to
corner of the box upon its top. Number one section 1.
Number another 2. Number another 3. Leave one
section blank.
B. Cut two rings from cardboard like the one
shown. Cut where the heavy black line is in the
diagram. Make one ring smaller than the other.
.bn 254.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i254.jpg w=600px
.ca
-BOARD FOR “ONE-TWO-I-CATCH-YOU”
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration:-BOARD FOR “ONE-TWO-I-CATCH-YOU”]
.sp 2
.if-
#Diagram Twelve:diagram-12#. Draw this figure upon the top
of your box. Draw from corner to corner, and from
center of side to center of side, across the top of the
box. Paint sections marked x.
.bn 255.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.if h
.il fn=i255.jpg w=600px
.ca
THE MAGIC BOX
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
[Illustration: THE MAGIC BOX]
.sp 2
.if-
#Diagram Thirteen:diagram-13#. This shows a small box with
sliding cover which draws over an inner drawer.
A is the drawer. At its center, crosswise, there is a
piece of stick fitted into the box. Holes are pierced
at either end of the drawer.
B is the box ready for its magic play. Its drawer
is replaced within the sliding cover. The box is
strung upon a yard or so of string.
.bn 256.png
.pn +1
.pb
.sp 4
.pm verse-start
Here’s our last page! We say good-bye—
But we will meet some other day
To build within this Magic Land
And be good comrades in our play.
.pm verse-end
.sp 4
.nf c
THE END
.nf-
.sp 4
.pb
\_
.sp 4
.dv class='tnbox' // TN box start
.ul
.it Transcriber’s Notes:
.ul indent=1
.it Missing or obscured punctuation was corrected.
.it Typographical errors were silently corrected.
.it Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent\
only when a predominant form was found in this book.
.ul-
.ul-
.dv- // TN box end