This Christmas ornament was originally made to be a "needle-book". I think it would make a nice gift as just a regular ornament. Get creative with this one and try different types of string, embroidery floss, thin ribbon, even yarn. Put a picture of a favorite scene, favorite relative, animal or a holy picture as the directions suggest. While these Christmas ornaments are easy to make, I disagree with the original instructions which state that "any first grad child can make it" - it seems a bit challenging. I think first graders might get a bit frustrated. I guess first-graders in the early 1900's had a different skill-set than modern -day first graders. Of course, I could be incorrect. Enjoy!

A very pretty and useful gift is shown in Fig. F. Any mother would be pleased to get one of these needle-books. It looks difficult, but it is so simple that any first grade child can make it. Out of white bristol boart cut two circles. Notch the edge of each as shown in Fig. F. Wind each circle with silkateen. Proceed in the following manner: Fig. F.

• Place the end of the silkateen in notch 1.
• Bring it across the back of the circle to notch 2,
• then across the front of the circle to notch 3,
• then across the back of the circle to notch 4,
• then across the front of the circle to notch 5,
• then across the back of the circle to notch 6,
• and so on,
• continuing to wind until you come to notch 1, where you started.

Fig. F shows the result obtained by winding the circle as described. Any color of silkateen may be used, but a dainty pink or blue is prettiest. Let the pupils bring pieces of white flannel from home. Out of these pieces let them cut circles for the inside of the needle-book. Punch a hole near the notch marked 1 and tie the book together with baby ribbon the same shade as the silkateen used for winding.

The Christmas colors might be used if preferred. In this case, cut the two circles out of dark green cardboard (poster board). Wind them with dark red silkateen. (Instead of stopping to wind when 1 is reached, continue winding and Fig. G will be the result). Paste a holy sticker in the open space in the center. Tie with red baby ribbon. Fig. G shows a picture frame in which the needle-book idea is used. It is wound in the same way as the needle-book just described. In the center is pasted the Hoffman head instead of the holy sticker as for the needle-book.

Different effects may be produced by using different colors of cardboard and silkateen. The design made by winding is a star which makes it all the more appropriate for Christmas. A Black cardboard circle wound with yellow silkateen and hung with yellow baby ribbon is very pretty.

A dark green cardboard circle wound with red silkateen and hung with red baby ribbon is also very pretty and appropriate.

This is a nice pattern to make a simple Paper Boat. I remember making these out of whatever paper was available and making large paper boats out of newspaper. Enjoy making this paper boat!

Cut a piece of white writing paper, but not of too stiff a quality, six inches by four (fig.1); fold it to the dotted line a, making exactly one half when folded to c;

Scroll down to see a video of how to make a paper boat!

then the corners b b are to meet in the center (fig.2);

turn down the two sides d forming the dotted lines e, take the two sides between each finger and thumb, in the left hand, and with the right pull it out until it forms fig. 3, taking care to turn over the corners at dotted line e;

turn down the two top lines to dotted line g, pull out the sides again, as before, to make fig. 4;

a a being pulled out as before described, taking care not to press the iside, it will form the boat, fig. 5.

"A plain woman takes pride in her friends; a beautiful woman in her enemies."

"A woman will often say no when she means yes; but never yes when she means no."

"The normal woman is capable of one love and fifty affairs."

"A woman's charity sometimes begins away from home, and then remains there."

"A young girl is the nearest approach to an angel that we have - and the most exasperating."

"It has never yet been decided whether a woman is happier when happy or when miserable."

"When a woman is thoroughly tired, she finds nothing so refreshing as a nice, long talk."

Ok, so they didn't have TV or video games in the 1800's so they needed to think of other ways to entertain themselves. I think if I saw a grown man doing this I would think he was a little "off". Could be fun for the kids though....

The experiment shown in the illustration is bound to find favor with grown-up people as well as with young folks.

All you have to do is to paint two eyes, and underneath them a nose, on the knuckles of your index and third finger, as shown in the lower part of the illustration.

(If this gave you a chuckle then Check out The Darwin Awards Next Evolution )

The thumb pressed against the index finger and moved up and down will represent a toothless mouth.

The knuckle of the index finger forms the nose, above it are the eyes.

By draping the face with a towel we have the features of an old woman, especially effective when the light is not very bright.

After a little practice you will succeed in moving the thumb (representing the lower lip and chin) up and down, while you sing a song in a nasal voice, or carry on a conversation with the audience in the voice of an old woman.

I think you should do this at work on Monday - it'd be one heck of a way to start the week! (and get dismissed for lunacy!) LOL

If this gave you a chuckle then
Check out The Darwin Awards Next Evolution

This could be a fun "bet". Set out a knife, a quarter, dime, nickel and some wax. Make a bet that you could make the coins all roll on the edge of the knife.
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