LIBRARY OF THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA, NEW YORK Cornell university Library GV 1203.B51 The complete playcraft^^^^^^ The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924014570414 THE COMPLETE PLAYCRAFT BOOK THE COMPLETE PLAYCRAFT BOOK BY PATTEN BEARD ^ > 3 Author of "The Jolly Book of Boxcraft," "The Jolly Book of Playcraft," "The Jolly Book of Funcraft," "Marjorie's Literary Dolls," Etc. With Illustrations Arranged by the Author and Photo- graphed by G. S. North and with Seventeen Diagrams NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY MCMXXIX Copyright, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1926, by Frederick A. Stokes Company Alt Rights Reserved Second Printing Printed in the United States of America THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO ALL LITTLE CHILDREN AND TO " NIMBLEFINGERS," " HAPPY THOUGHT ■■ AND "PLAY" CONTENTS PAGE Foreword xv Introduction (Verse) xvii Spoolcraft I Funny Fruitcraft 9 Nut and Pebble Crafts 14 Picture Craft 19 History Craft 23 Paper Craft 29 Valentine Craft 34 Gift Craft 38 BOXCRAFT boxcraft 49 The Little White Cottage of Boxville . . . 57 The Boxville Store 65 The District School of Boxville 69 The Little Church of Boxville 78 Hotel Bandbox AND How TO Furnish It. ... 87 A Boxville Residence 95 The Boxville Garage or Stable 100 Camp Box ON Mirror Lake 103 The Gipsy Cart of Boxville Highway .... 106 Boxville Barn and Farmyard iio Box Brothers' Animal Show 114 Circus Tent and Circus Grounds 118 Boxes Used as Blocks 122 A Toy Dog Kennel for a Toy Dog 127 Making a Boxcraft Automobile 130 How TO Furnish a Doll-House 135 PLAYCRAFT The Game of Button Tiddledy 165 The Game of Triple Tiddledy 167 [vii] CONTENTS PAGE Simple Simon's Fishing Game 170 The Game of Mother Goose Golf i74 A Robin Hood Archery Game i77 The Game of Playcraft Quoits 180 The Game OF Little Box HuND 182 The Game of Mousetrap 187 The Alice in Wonderland Game 193 The Game of Peter Pan 201 The Jolly Game of Zoo 207 The Game of Box Town 213 The Jolly Game of Hundred 219 funcraft parties The Party Made from Almost Nothing at All . . 223 A New Year's Party 230 January Snowflake Fun . 232 The Lincoln's Birthday Celebration . . . 238 A Washington's Birthday Game 243 Fun for Valentine's Day 248 Fun for St. Patrick's Day 255 The Topsy-Turvy Fun for April First .... 260 Easter-Time Fun 266 Outdoor May Day Fun 273 Indoor May Day Fun 278 June Fun 285 Fun for July Fourth 290 October Hallowe'en Fun 296 The Thanksgiving Fun Making 303 Christmas Fun Party Gift Making . . . 308 The Masquerade Party 312 The Indoor Picnic Fun . . . . . .318 Pe.anut Fun . . 323 The Game Party Fun .... . . 327 Book Fun-Making .... ... 329 Toy Charade Fun ... 339 The Japanese Fun Party 341 The Alice in Wonderland Lawn Party . . . 344 The Sea Beach Party 347 The Fun of a Box Party 351 The Sick-a-Bed Fun Party 355 [viii] ILLUSTRATIONS Boxville, a Toy Town Made with Shoe Boxes . Frontispiece FACING PAGE Miss Spoolie and Her Pets 6 The Spoolcraft Sailor-Boy 6 Apple Brownies for Hallowe'en 12 The Pear Puppy, My Tylo Dog 12 An Acorn Tea Set 14 Pebble Animals for Outdoor Play 14 Box Pictures Made with Toys 20 The Door-Book 20 My Indians Lived in a Teepee 24 My Puritans Lived in a Log Cabin 24 Bead Necklaces of Rolled Paper 31 Toy Floor Boats 31 Lace Paper Valentines Are Fun 34 Easy to Make and Fun to Send 34 A Useful Christmas Gift 41 Shaving-Pad, Necktie-Holder, Basket, Blotter-Case and Match-Holder 41 Boxville Cottage Is Made from a Shoe-Box .... 58 Boxville Cottage Is Furnished with Boxcraft Furniture . 58 The Village Store Made of a Shoe-Box and Two Shoe-Box Covers 66 Inside View of the Village Store 66 The District School of Boxville 70 Inside View of the Boxville School 70 Boxville Church (Outside View) 82 Boxville Church (Inside View) 82 Bandbox Hotel (Outside View) 87 Bandbox Hotel (Inside View) 87 A Boxville Residence 95 The Garage for Boxville Residence 95 Camp Box on Mirror Lake 103 The Boxville Gipsy Cart 103 [ixl ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE The Toy Windmill ii2 The Boxville Barn and Farmyard 112 Box Brothers' Circus Tent 114 Circus Cages and Booth 114 A Noah's Ark with Cracker Animals 124 A Penny Savings-Bank 124 A Toy Dog Kennel 128 A Toy Wheelbarrow 128 Boxcraft Automobile with Hood 130 Boxcraft Automobile without Hood 130 Doll-House Furniture: Bedroom, Table and Chairs . .136 Doll-House Furniture: Mantel and Settle-Piano find Clock. 138 Doll-House Furniture: Dining- Room, Kitchen . . .142 Simple Simon's Fishing Game 170 The Game of Mother Goose Golf 170 A Robin Hood Archery Game 178 'A Game of Quoits 178 The Game of Little Box Hund 182 The Game of Mousetrap 182 The Alice in Wonderland Game 196 The Game of Peter Pan ig6 The Animals for the Zoo Game 209 The Zoo When It Is Completed 209 Little Box Town Game 215 The Game of Hundred 215 Party Prizes That Anybody Can Make for Fun . . . 224 A Jack Horner Pie Made Like a Bag with Crepe Paper . 224 Here Is January Fun, Snowflake Patterns .... 244 Here Is Fun for Washington's Birthday .... 244 Some Valentines Made with Motto Candles .... 256 Some Games to Play on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th . 256 April Fool Candy, Foolscaps, and an April Fool Doll . . 266 Games to Play at on Easter Party or for Fun in April . . 266 September Fun Is a Leaf Race with Bright Colored Leaves . 296 October Fun Is for Hallowe'en and a Funny Witch Has Made Magic Ink for It 296 A Pieful of Fun for a Thanksgiving Party .... 304 Some Playthings Made from Lemons, Oranges, Potatoes and Bananas 304 Brown Paper Masks Cut with Scissors 312 [x] ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE Indian Head-Dress Made of Newspaper, Collar, and News- paper Trimming 312 This Is Book Fun: Here Are the Titles of Three Books . 335 Here Are Doll Charades. Can you Guess What Book This Represents? 335 A Brownie Box Game of Fortune Telling at a Box Fun Party 357 Some Jolly Fun for a Sick-a-Bed Party 357 [Xi] DIAGRAM One Two Three, A Three, B Three, c. CC Three, D, E Three, F, G Four Five Six, a, AA Six, B Six, C Six, D, DD DIAGRAMS PAGE How to Make Windows 146 How to Make Doors 147 How to Make Side Walls Supports for a Sloping Roof. How to Cut a Hole for a Chimney 148 How to Make a Gable Roof out of Two Box Covers 149 How to Make a Gable Roof out of Card- board and a Building to Fit . . .150 How to Make an Indian Wigwam or a Round-Pointed Roof. How to Make a Tent-shaped Roof 151 How to Make Ramparts for a Castle or Fort. How to Make a Roof for a Porch 152 How to Make a Bridge and a R. R. Tunnel I53 How to Make a Pattern for a Windmill Sail 154 How to Make a Bench Form and a Bed . 155 How to Make a High-backed Bench . .156 How to Make a Chair 157 How to Make Tables 158 [xiii] DIAGRAMS DIAGRAM PAGE Six, E, F How to Make a School Desk and a Piano 159 Six, G How to Make a Fireplace and a Mantel . 160 Seven How to Make a Pergola 161 Eight How to Make a Zoo or Circus Cage . .162 [xiv] FOREWORD TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS This book of playcrafts, it is hoped, may be of use to mothers and teachers as well as to children. Mothers will find in it new and untried occupations for indoor and outdoor plays — plays that are simple enough to be carried on by very small children alone and plays of imaginative interest, lasting and enter- taining. The materials needed are easily found in every home. Teachers will find here suggestions for craft-work with younger grades, ideas to carry out in the train- ing of little minds and unskilled fingers — natural play which develops resourcefulness. And, it is hoped, children themselves will look through the book at the pictures and be able to fol- low directions with their aid, in this way gaining not only the happiness of busy creative play but also acquiring skill through simple use of the tools and materials that will help much in general training of concentration and ability to use hands and fingers in ways of usefulness as well as play. Little children who are sick or kept indoors and all those who love children and have the child's quick fancy which delights in making new things from original materials will find in these pages the [XV] FOREWORD magic which little children love better than store- made toys. The material in this volume is carefully selected from the author's previously published books, The Jolly Book of Boxcraft, The Jolly Book of Playcraft and The Jolly Book of Funcraft. Eight chapters and many of the illustrations are new, [xvi] INTRODUCTION Aladdin found a little lamp, so worthless and so small, That, first, he scarcely valued it as anything at all ! — But when he saw what magic lay in this small common thing. He wished for all the opulence its genii slave might bring: A palace like the Sultan's came, its workmanship most rare, Adorned with gold and costly gems most radiantly fair ! — I'd like to own that sort of lamp! (Maybe that you would too!) Yet, there are many other things as magic, if you knew! (Treasures may be quite little things that you perhaps ha^we found And anybody may pick up, if they are seen around!) Just common spools and boxes — your search need not go far — And buttons are most magic! Oh, yes they surely are! No genii like Aladdin's one their summons will obey But joyous fairy sprites will come called Happy Thoughts and Play : And when a joyous Happy Thought will answer to your need. Your own home is a palace fair, a splendid one indeed! Aladdin's cave of riches was little to Play's store — Play's treasure is unending! It's always more and more!' Here is all-golden laughter, and jeweled fun, and mirth, The greatest of all riches in all this wide round earth! I know about Play's secrets! So turn the page and see. She'll bring you, too, a treasure, if you want one, maybe! THE COMPLETE PLAYCRAFT BOOK The Complete Playcraft Book SPOOLCRAFT Material Required to Make Spoolcraft: spools, cardboard, crayons, scissors, glue, cardboard boxes, a few button-molds and a pencil. Big spools, little spools; thin spools, fat spools; tall spools, short spools; straight spools, bulging spools — everywhere at home you will come upon them! Spools of twist, spools of cotton, spools of silk, spools of darning-cotton, spools of crochet- cotton, spools for ribbons and spools for cords — everybody is using them! And what to do with the empty ones, that nobody wants— why, there is Spoolcraft with which you may have no end of fun. With very little hunting about, enough spools are very quickly found for Spoolcraft play. It is sur- prising that work-baskets prove full of empty spools, sewing-machine drawers and workbags too: all one has to do is to hunt for them and ask others for them. When you have your collection just see what fun they really are: first, there is the chance to build with them; next, one may make toy furniture; and then beside all this, one may make people and ani- [I] THE COMPLETE PLAYCRAFT BOOK mals! And the surprisingly delightful part of it all is that the people will almost always be different — unless, indeed, they are twins! Building with Spools : Spools of even sizes may be used in block build- ing. If all spools are saved for the block-building collection, one will have a constantly growing supply and be able to make many tall castles and towers, round or square. Keep the spools in a big box or basket and add new ones as they come. Those of uneven size may be used in new and interesting ways as one builds. In order to build with spools one must have many even strips of cardboard. Cut cardboard into three- and four-inch lengths. Lay a strip over two even spools, equal in height, and upon these build other similar spools with cardboard strips. See how many different forms one may build this way! A good game may be made with spoolcraft build- ing, using colored spools to roll under castle open- ings. A count may be made by coloring four small twist-spools : red, blue, green, yellow. Coloring is done with crayons — just everyday school crayons. The players sit upon the floor four feet from the spool-castle. They play in turn, each having his chance to roll each spool toward the castle openings. Red spool counts one if it passes through ; blue spool counts two; green spool counts three^ and yellow [2] SPOOLCRAFT spool counts four. The player who first makes a score of twenty-six or over wins the game. Making Toy Furniture: It is very easy to make toy furniture with spools. Cut strips of cardboard one inch wide by three or four inches long. Place a spool on end and bend the cardboard so that one part is longer than the other. Glue the short end to the top of a spool : there is a chair! A table is made by placing glue between two spools that stand end to end. A square or circle of cardboard that is pasted to the top spool makes a fine table-top, but if the table is to fit the chair, use lower spools or one large spool. A button-mold glued to the top of a twist-spool will make a fine foot-stool. A doll's bed is easily made with the help of the lower half of a small oblong cardboard candy-box or other small cardboard box. Simply glue spools of even length under the corners of the lower half of the box and cut the sides of the box rim down a bit. Any little china-doll or paper doll will find this kind of toy bed very comfortable. Boys may make any amount of toy furniture for sisters — and as for sisters, probably sisters will join in the fun, too. See how many other things one may make in toy furniture this same way! A bench — that is easy! How would one make a bird-house? Put on a tall pencil a small spool like a spool of twist. It will fit [3J THE COMPLETE PLAYCRAFT BOOK near the point of the pencil if the pencil is thick enough. There is the bird-house! Place the other end of the pencil into the opening of a large spool. With crayons, draw the doors of the toy bird-house in black or brown crayon. And how make a garden? Bits of garden twigs that one may press into the openings of spools will make trees that stand. One may lay out a garden upon the floor of a porch or indoors on the play- room table. One large spool makes a fine sundial if its top is covered by a round of cardboard. Into this press a small equal-sided triangle so that it stands upright. By cutting a very narrow base a quarter of an inch long and letting this come under the middle of the triangle, one may make a slit through the cardboard which covers the spool's hole and the whole will stand upright firmly as a sundial should. Perhaps with spoolcraft play, one may invent new toys — carts made with spool wheels and other happy inventions. Find all there is to be found! See what fun it is! Spoolcraft People: Spoolcraft people are interesting to make because one never knows what kind of a person the spools will make till one has tried. Often when spools are placed in different positions, one on top of the other, the same spools will make several different kinds of people! That is surely funny! A spool person is made with three spools. See the [4J SPOOLCRAFT picture of the spooly boy with sailor-cap. He has feet, you see; and he has arms. These are made of cardboard. To make the sailor-boy, first find your three straight spools of even size. Glue two together, end to end. Place the lower end of one spool upon a piece of cardboard and draw a circle around it with a pencil. When cutting this out, add two round points to one side. These are the feet. The round of cardboard is pasted under the lower spool and glued so that the points which are the feet stand out. Glue this spool to the two that make the sailor-boy's body and it stands firm upon its flat circle. Arms are narrow strips of cardboard. The arms may be made in one length of cardboard or singly. The length will depend upon the height of spools one is using. The usual length is about four inches for arms that are made in one strip with hands cut at each end. Paste upon the arms another spool. This is the head. A face may be drawn upon it in colored crayon. The sailor-cap is a cricle of cardboard under which a bit of ribbon is glued to form two streamers. A spool lady is made in the same way except that her skirt may be made with a large heavy spool and her legs with a spool of twist or any other small- sized pool. Her wide-brimmed hat is a large button- mold of wood and its crown is another glued upon the top of this. [5] THE COMPLETE PLAYCRAFT BOOK The spool lady may have darning-cotton wig, to make which one knots together a braid of brown darning-cotton and winds it about the top of the spool lady's head. Paste holds it. One may make whole families of spool people — fathers, mothers, sisters, cousins, brothers, uncles. And as for little spool children, just see how they grow into families too ! When making spooly people be sure to name each one. That is the more fun for one begins to make up a story for each. Spool Animals: Spool animals are made by cutting cardboard heads, tails and legs to fit spools. The head is cut upon a long strip of cardboard which is fitted into one end of a spool and made firm this way. The head is drawn with brown or black crayon. If one is making a dog, one draws a dog's head with funny fiat floppy ears. And the dog's tail should turn up- ward in a curl of cardboard that looks friendly enough to wag. Slip each into an end of spool. Then legs are cut to fit. These are glued to the side of the spool and allowed to dry well so that the spool dog will stand. Pussy-cat is made in the same way and it is fun to invent new spool animals! Just keep on saving empty spools and when you want something to do — why, there are the spools all saved up and ready, waiting! [61 1 '^ k ^p.*»m He 11^ ■ i ■ r * * "^@3^ H m^H Biiiii ^^^^^ ^H HHH^HI Miss Spoolie and her pets ME ^~'^^