in cold water for half a minute (not longer), unless the leather is unusually thick; the leather should then be taken out of the water, and pressed in a linen cloth until the surface becomes dry. Being thus prepared, lay it quite flat and place upon it the pasteboard pattern, holding it firmly down with the left hand, while with the right, draw a line round the pattern with a fine hard black lead pencil or the veining tool: while the leather is damp cut out the leaf with a pair of scissors or with the leather-cutting knife, as occasion may require; when smaller or larger leaves are required, a reduced, or enlarged, sketch should be taken, a pattern made of it in pasteboard, and applied in the same manner as described above, cutting out as many leaves as you require, and generally making about four sizes of them, as varying the sizes of the leaves adds much to the beauty of the foliage. Leaves all the same size would have a very formal appearance, as they must be veined before they are allowed to dry; too much leather must not be wetted at a time, nor more leaves cut out than can be veined. To vein the leaves, mark them with the veining tool on the smooth side of the leather strongly, by pressing heavily on the leaf, where a thick vein is required; and more lightly where only finer ones should be visible; for raised veins employ the end of a fine pair of scissors for the large, and a hard steel pen for the smaller veins. Being veined, the leaves should be bent and moulded as they are to appear upon the work when it is completed: they should then be dried rather quickly, as it greatly assists in the hardening.

TO HARDEN THEM.

When the leaves are thoroughly dry, brush them all over, particularly the edges with the prepared stiffening, applying it with a camel’s hair pencil, nimbly, as it dries very rapidly, apply it thin and evenly, taking care to cover the edges; when dry, they will be ready for staining.

TO STAIN THEM.

Pour a little oak varnish stain into a small vessel, and brush the leaves all over, using a hog’s-hair tool for the purpose of laying on the stain, taking care to cover the edges, and brush it well out of the veined parts; should the leaves, when dry, not be so dark as desired, another coat can be given, but in no instance apply thick coats of stain, it will, if put on thick, most likely dry darker in one place than another, and will never have so smooth an appearance as when two thin coats have been applied; take care always that one coat must be dry before another is applied.

TO MAKE STEMS.

Cut strips of basil leather about one-third of an inch wide and as long as the leather will allow; soak them well in water for a few minutes until they feel very soft, take them out, wipe the water from the surface, then roll them round as tightly as possible (the smooth side outwards) on a table or any even surface, and dry them; if required very stiff, add inside a piece of wire; when very thick ones are required the leather must be proportionately wider.

TO MAKE TENDRILS.

Tendrils are made in the same manner as Stems, using skiver instead of basil leather, dry them quickly, and they will then be ready for use in the following manner: take a tendril, damp it and immediately wind it round a bradawl or a piece of stout wire, taking care to fasten both ends of the tendril so that it does not fly off; dry it by the fire, then remove it from the awl and a delicately-formed tendril will be the result; arrange it and cut to length and form wished, and apply a coat of stiffening to keep it in shape. Stems and tendrils are to be hardened and stained precisely in the same manner as the leaves.

GRAPES.

In order to produce grapes symmetrically formed a proper mould should be obtained; then cut rounds of skiver leather the size required, which must be wetted and placed in the mould the smooth side downwards; then fill the leather in the mould firmly with wadding, and tie the grapes securely with strong thread or fine twine; when the grape is finished, put a piece of wire through the part where it has been tied up to form a stalk. Or grapes can be made of deal or any soft wood with a hole pierced through the centre large enough to admit of a leather or gutta percha stalk being drawn through and fastened at one end; they should now be stained and made into clusters; wooden grapes may be covered with damp skiver leather if preferred; it is necessary to observe, in making the clusters that the tying should be entirely concealed; all fruit and flowers must be stained, &c., precisely in the same manner as leaves.

TO ORNAMENT A FRAME.

Procure a deal frame of the size and form required, taking care to have it made of well-seasoned wood. Size it all over with patent size. Leave it about an hour to dry, then apply a coating of oak varnish stain, and when dry it will be ready for use. Commence the process of covering by attaching the stem with small tacks all round, in spaces of a few inches, in a zigzag direction. Supposing the vine pattern frame is selected, cover the wood with four or five gradations of foliage, well arranged, so as to preserve as nearly as possible, the natural appearance of the vine. Too great a profusion of grapes should be avoided; but as the number and size of the clusters can hardly be determined, we must therefore leave it to the taste of the artist.

Common pins can be used with advantage in keeping in its proper place that portion of the work where glue only can be applied for the permanent fastening. When the work becomes firmly attached, the pins can either be withdrawn, or they can be cut off, close to the ornaments, with the nippers.

THE PROPER KIND OF FRAMES TO PROCURE.

No. 2.

The frames best adapted for the work, we have found to be those levelled off on the outer edge to about half an inch thinner than the inner, and formed as shewn in Fig. 1. Frames made in this shape greatly increase the beauty of the entire design. A narrow gold beading we have generally added inside, as the gold gives a more finished appearance to the frame.

WATCH STANDS,

Can, like one below, be made by every carpenter; they must be strong to bear the nailing and gluing on of the leather ornaments. The design here given (