 |
In the second half of the nineteenth century, parents and
children sometimes amused themselves by making scrapbook houses. SPNEA's
Library and Archives has some of these in its collection, made of images
cut from magazines and catalogs and glued along with paper and fabric scraps
into a scrapbook, each page a miniature room setting. The project required
planning, selecting materials, shopping through dozens of printed sources,
choosing, and assembling. The final product was often a custom home complete
with furniture, wall coverings, carpets, and even pictures on the wall,
entirely decorated by an up-and-coming young consumer. Making a scrapbook
house is still a great family activity for a rainy day, and you can use
up all those catalogs that sit around the house!
Materials: A piece of blank construction paper for one room or a scrapbook
for a whole house; magazines and catalogs; also wrapping paper, wallpaper
and fabric scraps, colored paper, scissors, and glue.
Design: Once you have decided what type of room you would like to create,
search through the magazines and catalogs and cut out a lot of pictures
of furnishings. Don't worry too much about size and scale. You'll be surprised
at how well things look when pasted into place.
- Next, consider wall coverings, carpets, and curtains. They can be cut
from magazines, created from scrap fabric or wrapping paper, or drawn
in. Look for a landscape to place behind the curtains to give an exciting
view out the window. Don't forget about pictures for the wall, a vase
of flowers, or anything you can think of to make your room complete. Once
your layout is set, glue down all the elements, starting with the carpet
or wallpaper.
- If you have extra time, cut out a family of scrapbook people to inhabit
your home.
-Peter Gittleman
Director of Interpretation & Education
|
