Thrifty Scissors

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Paper Village Index

Samples of paper village buildings and dolls in this index.

In this index, young visitors will find all sorts of paper playthings that will keep them preoccupied for hours or perhaps even days. There are paper people and animals to color, little art lessons including paper doll crafts and lots of templates for crafting paper buildings. Enjoy and don't forget to check back for new additions!

Paper Village and Paper Doll Artifacts:

Illustrations of a box apartment, it's windows, walls and a basic floor plan.

How To Make A Box Apartment For Your Paper Dolls

Girls and boys who are fond of paper toys might enjoy making an apartment for their paper characters similar to the one pictured above. There is are also patterns for paper furnishings in the list above if they should choose to furnish their paper accommodations as well.

To make the apartment all that is necessary is a sturdy box 24 inches deep. These dimensions are the best for the size furniture that is published above, but if your box is an inch or two longer or shorter or wider or narrower it won't matter very much. If you can not secure a box that is at all near this size it is best to get a larger box and cut it down. A box may also be made of scrap cardboard of the proper dimensions.

The box is divided by a straight partition which goes down the center and two crosswise partitions, which divide the box into six rooms of equal size.

One long side of the box is taken off, as the apartment is to be entirely open across the front, and this sidepiece is used for the long partition which goes down the middle of the box. Before putting the partition in place you should make the doors which lead from one room to another and which are shown in the picture above. Also paper or color the partition with paints to suit the different rooms. In order to do this first decide what color you with for the walls in the rooms to be or if you would prefer; select a fancy scrap paper to paste on top of the walls instead. Divide the long partition into three equal parts by making slits which reach from the bottom half way up the side. Then cut the crosswise partitions long enough to span the box plus four inches deep. These may be cut from the box lid. Each of these crosswise pieces is divided in the middle by a slit which reaches from the top half way to the bottom. Fasten these cross partitions on the long partition at the places where it is cut and then place the partition unit inside the box temporarily to see where each section of wall comes. Then with a pencil mark on each side of the walls of every room which room it is, so that when you disassemble the partitions to paper or color the walls you will understand where everything should go. Paper or color the remaining wall sections inside the box to correspond appropriately.

Next cut the doors in the two partitions. There is a drawing of how these door frames could be finished in the illustration above. There are likewise window types drawn above that could be used as either templates for cutting or ideas for drawing directly on top of the walls of your apartment rooms.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

The Circus Procession

The Circus Procession

by Evaleen Stein

Oh, hurry! hurry! here they come,
The band in front with the big bass drum
And blaring bugles, — there they are,
On golden thrones in a golden car,
Tooting and fluting, oh, how grand I
Hi diddle, diddle!
The fife and the fiddle!
Hurrah , hurrah for the circus band!

And the red-plumed horses, oh, see them
prance
And daintily lift their hoofs and dance,
While beautiful ladies with golden curls
Are jingling their bridles of gold and pearls,
And close behind
Come every kind
Of animal cages great and small,
O how I wonder what’s in them all!
Here’s one that’s open and glaring there
Is the shaggiest snow-white polar bear I
Woof! but I wonder what we’d do
If his bars broke loose right now, don't you?
And O dear me!
Just look and see

That pink-cheeked lady in skirts of gauze
And the great big lion with folded paws!
O me I O my!
I’m glad that I
Am not in that lion’s cage, because
Suppose he'd open his horrible jaws !
— But look ! the clown is coming ! Of course
Facing the tail of a spotted horse
And shouting out things to make folks
laugh,
And grinning up at the tall giraffe
That placidly paces along and looks
Just like giraffes in the picture-books!
And there are the elephants, two and two,
Lumbering on as they always do!
The men who lead them look so small
I wonder the elephants mind at all
As they wag their queer
Long trunks, and peer
Through their beady eyes, — folks say they
know
No end of things, and I’m sure it’s so!
And you never must do a thing that’s bad
Or that possibly might make an elephant
mad,
For he’ll never forgive you, it appears,
And will punish you sure, if it takes him
years !
So do not stare
But take good care
To mind your manners, and always try
To smile politely as they go by!
But the camels don’t care if you laugh at
them
With their bumpy humps like a capital M,
They lurch and sway
And seem to say,
As they wrinkle their noses, long and gray,
“ This swaggering stride is quite the plan,
It’s the way we walked in the caravan!”
And now more cages come rumbling by
With glittering people throned on high;
So many spangles and precious things,
They surely must all be queens and kings!
They look so proud
Above the crowd,

O my, how fine it must feel to ride

On golden wagons that hide inside

Strange animals caught in cannibal isles

And brought in ships for a million miles!

But hark ! it's near

The end, for hear

That sudden screeching in piercing key!

The steaming, screaming cal-li-o-pe!

Just plain pianos sound terribly tame

Beside this one with the wonderful name,

And wouldn’t you love some day to sit

In a circus wagon and play on it?

May-Baskets

May-Baskets

by Evaleen Stein

Let us take our baskets early

To the meadows green,

While the wild-flowers still are pearly

With the dewdrops' sheen.

Fill them full of blossoms rosy,

Violets and gay

Cowslips, every pretty posy

Welcoming the May.

Then our lovely loads we'll carry

Down the village street,

On each door, with laughter merry,

Hang a basket sweet.

Hey-a-day-day! It is spring now,

Lazy folks, awake!

See the pretty things we bring now

For the May-day's sake!

Hallowe'en by John Kendrick Bangs

HALLOWE'EN

by John Kendrick Bangs

BRING forth the raisins and the nuts -

To-night All-Hallow's Spectre struts

Along the moonlit way.

No time is this for tear or sob,

Or other woes our joys to rob,

But night for pippin and for bob.

And Jack-o'-Lantern gay.

Come forth ye lass and trousered kid,

From prisoned Mischief raise the lid.

And lift it good and high.

Leave grave old Wisdom in the lurch,

Set Folly on a lofty perch,

Nor fear the awesome rod of birch

When dawn illumes the sky.

'Tis night for revel, set apart

To reillume the darkened heart.

And rout the hosts of dole.

'Tis night when Goblin, Elf, and Fay,

Come dancing in their best array,

To prank and royster on their way.

And ease the troubled soul.

The ghosts of all things past parade.

Emerging from the mist and shade

That hid them from our gaze;

And full of song, and ringing mirth,

In one glad moment of rebirth,

Again they walk the ways of earth

As in the ancient days.

The beacon light shines on the hill,

The will-o'-wisps the forests fill

With flashes filched from noon;

And witches on their broom-sticks spry

Speed here and yonder in the sky,

And lift their strident voices high

Unto the Hunter's Moon.

The air resounds with tuneful notes

From myriads of straining throats.

All hailing Folly Queen;

So join the swelling choral throng,

Forget your sorrow, and your wrong,

In one glad hour of joyous song

To honor Hallowe'en!

Friday, September 22, 2017

Indigenous Peoples Index

Samples of lessons and crafts about Indigenous peoples.

Indigenous peoples or Natives (formerly Indians) held undisputed possession of the wilds of the Americas before the European invasion of those continents. Once masters of the fairest regions on the globe, the natives represented many degrees of civilization. They ranged from nomadic tribes, wandering the grasslands freely in order to hunt the buffalo to survive to those native peoples whose architectural achievements in the tropical rain forests of South America made their conquerors marvel.

Search the Native American coloring pages at Crayon Palace

Indigenous Peoples' Artifacts & Art for Enhancing Lesson Plans:

Craft a paper war bonnet
Gobble Up Over 100 Turkeys!
Cut and Paste Paper Pueblos
Picture Puzzle: Find the hidden potter
Molas Characterized by Kuna Legends, Real Animals, Politics or Geometric Shapes
Squanto, The Native American Hero of Thanksgiving
Weave Indian Corn for Autumn Fun!
The Hiawatha Paper Cuts Restored
Patterns for a Plains Indian village - canoe with paper dolls and teepee/tipi template

My Indigenous People's Art Lessons & Crafts from Art Education Daily:

Indigenous Artifact Clip Art Drawn by Kathy Grimm:

Specialized Collections About Native Americans:

Visit the Museum of The American Indian

The Life of President George Washington

Gilbert Stuart's unfinished 1796 painting of
George Washington is also known as
The Athenaeum, his most celebrated
and famous work.

George Washington(1732-1799), an American soldier and statesman, the hero of American independence, and the first President of the nation which he helped to establish. There are two Americans of the generations now past who have won the undying love and reverence of their countrymen - Washington and Lincoln.

Though they are equally honored, the one as founder and the other as preserver of the American nation, they are thought of as totally different types. Lincoln, so much nearer our own time, is by far the more human figure. His humanity, his rugged appearance, his humor and his kindliness are remembered as the characteristics of a very real man. Washington is more or less of a mythical personage. The idealized portrait painted by Charles Stuart, reproduced right, is in a way symbolic of the impression that Americans cherish of the "Father of His Country." He seems to them a lofty figure somewhat detached from everyday life; a great man, but one aloof from his fellowmen; a strong man, but without fire and vigor. The complete record of his life refutes these ideas. There is every reason to believe that if he were alive to-day he would be a virile and influential figure in American political affairs, a personality as vivid as in his own time.

Artifacts About President George Washington:

More Online Resources:

White House biography
United States Congress. "George Washington (id: W000178)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
George Washington's Mount Vernon
American President: George Washington (1732–1799) at the Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia
George Washington: A Resource Guide at the Library of Congress
George Washington Resources at the University of Virginia Library
Original Digitized Letters of George Washington Shapell Manuscript Foundation
The Papers of George Washington at the Avalon Project
The Papers of George Washington, subset of Founders Online from the National Archives
George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia from the National Park Service
Copies of the wills of General George Washington: the first president of the United States and of Martha Washington, his wife (1904), edited by E. R. Holbrook
"What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader?". EDSITEment: Lesson Plans. National Endowment for the Humanities.
Works by George Washington at Project Gutenberg
George Washington Personal Manuscripts

The End of Washington's Story

Washington declined a third election, delivered his famous farewell address and retired to Mount Vernon in 1797. Thereafter he devoted himself to agriculture, though in 1798, at the prospect of the war with France, he was chosen commander in chief of the United States army and accepted, though he was not called into the field. He died in December, 1799, from illness brought on by long exposure in the saddle. The news caused almost as widespread mourning in Europe as in America. The greatest statesmen and soldiers of every nation united in paying him tribute as a man, general, statesman and friend of humanity. The words of his old friend and companion, "Lighthorse Harry" Lee, "First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen," were without question literally true. He had avoided the snares of factional and partisan politics, had generously overlooked the harshest criticisms and had respected and used the abilities of his severest critics and opponents. Though a slave-holder at his death, he was in favor of the gradual abolition of slavery by legislation, and by his will he arranged that his one hundred twenty-five slaves should be emancipated at the death of his wife, so that the negroes of the two estates who had intermarried might not be separated." Washington's body and that of his wife, who survived him nearly three years, rest in the family vault at Mount Vernon.

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