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House Furnishing and Decorating: Shelves

Pantry Shelves. -Paint the pantry shelves white, or cover them with a coat of white enamel. Wash the shelves with cold water as soon as the enamel dries, and it will harden quickly. Such shelves will not require oilcloth or paper, can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth, and always show when perfectly clean.

Or cover the shelves with white oilcloth. Cut the oilcloth to exactly fit the shelf, turn down over the edge, and paste on. While somewhat expensive, this lasts for years, cleans easily, and always looks well.

Or use ordinary building paper, which is better than newspaper and by the roll is very cheap. It can be wiped off with a damp cloth almost as easily as paint.

Or use washable paper, the same as kitchen walls are hung with, pasting it to the shelves.

Or, if newspapers are used, fold a whole newspaper the longest way of the full sheets and place the fold in the front of the shelf. Then when cleaning the pantry it is only necessary to slip a paper cutter in the fold of the outer sheet, cut it clear across, and take off the soiled upper part.

Tack a narrow strip of wood (any left-over pieces of picture molding will do) along the back of the pantry shelves, about three inches from the wall. To save space, stand platters and large plates with their edges resting against this. Run a one-inch strip of wood against the wall, held away from it by wooden brackets; in this put kettle lids and covers of all sizes.

Screw suitable hooks on the under side of the shelves for dishes having handles, as pitchers, cups, and the like.

Dampness in Closets. - Place a bowl of quicklime in a damp pantry, cupboard, or closet. This not only removes dampness, but kills all odors. Range Shelves. - Have near the range a shelf to hold the many things needed in cooking, as pepper, salt, and other seasonings, flavorings, and the like, to save steps to the pantry or to the shelves over the kitchen table. Have another shelf covered with zinc on which to put down hot kettles and articles taken fresh from the baking oven. 中に "Mounted on Large Casters." ロロロロロロロロ Rolling Table. - Have made at home or by a carpenter a small, strong table about 2 feet or 24 by 3 feet, mounted HOUSE FURNISHING AND DECORATING on large casters or small wheels, which can be bought at small expense at a hardware store. Have a shelf part way down in addition to the top.

When clearing or setting the diningroom table load this serving table and draw it to and from the kitchen.

Thus one trip will do for all.

Kitchen Slate.-Try making a programme each morning of the things to be done through the day. Or jot down from time to time those that must be done at the first opportunity.

You will be surprised to find how quickly these things will be disposed of. When cooking or preparing company dinner, make a list of the articles to be prepared, and glance at it occasionally.

Homemade Receipt Book.-Have at hand a blank book in which to paste or copy valuable recipes. Cover this with white oilcloth neatly pasted on.

Have a special part of this book or a separate book for menus. This will help to solve the problem of what to have for dinner.

Kitchen Lounge. Remove the old sofa to the kitchen, and put in its place a modern couch with an artistic couch cover.

Or make a homemade lounge out of a long packing box or tack together two of the right height. Put on a cover with hinges. Line with wall paper or building paper. Make a suitable mattress which may be stuffed with straw, husks, or any convenient material, and cover with any suitable material as cretonne, baize, or calico.

Or use washable material, as red-andwhite bed ticking. The mattress may be adjusted so that the lid can be lifted and the inside used as a receptacle for various purposes. While waiting for the kettle to boil, for bread to rise, and the like, drop down on the kitchen lounge and rest. It is just such little economies of strength that in the long run save time and preserve health.

SMALL ECONOMIES The reason many things are wasted in every household is that the family has not formed the habit of making uses for them. The following ways to use string, paper bags, wrapping paper and newspapers, lard pails, and various cans and bottles that come into the house every day from the grocers and other merchants, will be found not only useful small economies but also valuable household conveniences. Uses of Common Twine. - Save all bits of string or twine, and teach the children to sort them and knot the different sizes together. Roll the common white twine up into a ball, drop it inside a box, with the end protruding through a hole in the lid. Or use the accumulated twine to knit or crochet dishcloths eight to twelve inches square. Bath slippers can also be made of it.

Wind coarse twine on a roller or fishline reel and hang it up on the back of the pantry door.