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Dressing-Table

Categories: V Outdoor Handicraft

A near-by tree will furnish the substantial foundation for your

dressing-table and wash-stand combined. If you can find a side-piece of

a wooden box, use it for the shelf and fasten this shelf on the trunk of

a tree about two and one-half feet or more above the ground. Cut two

rustic braces and nail the front of the shelf on the top ends of these

supports; then nail a strip of wood across the tree as a cleat on which

t
rest the back of the shelf; fit the shelf on the cleat and nail the

lower ends of the braces to the tree; strengthen the work still more by

driving a strong, long nail on each side of the top centre of the back

of shelf, diagonally down through the shelf, cleat, and into the tree.



It is not essential that the straight shelf edge fit perfectly to the

rounded tree, but if you desire to have it so, mark a semicircle on the

wood of size to fit the tree and whittle it out.



Should there be no piece of box for your shelf, make the shelf of

strong, slender sticks lashed securely close together on two side

sticks. For cleats and braces use similar sticks described for board

shelf.



When the shelf is made in this way, cover the top with birch bark or

other bark to give a flat surface.



Hang your mirror on a nail in the tree at convenient distance above the

shelf, and your tooth-brush on another nail. The towel may hang over the

extending end of the cleat, and you can make a small bark dish for the

soap. Your comb can rest on two forked-stick supports tacked on the

tree, or two split-end sticks.



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