The American Girl's Handy Book Turn-of-the-Century Classic of Crafts and Activities

Originally published in 1889, "The American Girl's Handy Book" resoundingly challenges the age-old dilemma of boredom by providing a huge number of ideas for fun and instructional projects for young girls.

Lina and Adelia B. Beard were sisters with successful publishing careers, first writing for children's magazines, then writing books for young girls. In the early 1900s, they helped found the Girl Pioneers of America and the Campfire Girls.

PrefaceSpringChapter 1. First of AprilChapter 2. Wild Flowers and their PreservationChapter 3. The Walking ClubChapter 4. EasterChapter 5. How to Make a Lawn-Tennis NetChapter 6. May-DaySummerChapter 7. Midsummer EveChapter 8. Sea-side Cottage DecorationChapter 9. A Girl's Fourth of JulyChapter 10. Printing from Nature's TypesChapter 11. Picnics, Burgoos, and Corn-roastsChapter 12. Botany as Applied to ArtChapter 13. Door-step Party and Quiet Games for Hot WeatherChapter 14. How to Make a HammockChapter 15. (For Little Girls) Corn-Husk and Flower DollsChapter 16. How to Make a FanAutumnChapter 17. All-Hallow-EveChapter 18. Nature's Fall Decorations and How to Use ThemChapter 19. Nutting-PartiesChapter 20. How to Make a TelephoneChapter 21. How to DrawChapter 22. How to Paint in Water-ColorsChapter 23. How to Paint in Oil-ColorsChapter 24. How to Model in Clay and WaxChapter 25. How to Make Plaster CastsChapter 26. China PaintingChapter 27. A Chapter on FramesChapter 28. ThanksgivingWinterChapter 29. Christmas Festivities and Home-made Christmas GiftsChapter 30. Amusements and Games for the Christmas HolidaysChapter 31. New Year's and a Leap Year PartyChapter 32. Home GymnasiumChapter 33. A Decorative LanguageChapter 34. A Few Items on Old-fashioned Needlework, with Some New and Original PatternsChapter 35. Scrap-book and Home-made Book-coversChapter 36. A Heap of Rubbish and What to Do with ItChapter 37. How to Make Attractive Booths at a Fair—A New Kind of Grab-bagChapter 38. Window DecorationChapter 39. Furniture, Old and NewChapter 40. Something about Mantle-pieces and Fire-placesChapter 41. Home-made CandyChapter 42. Saint Valentine's Day