Techniques - Take the advice of a seasoned professional; avoid unnecessarily tough methods of building furniture. Here are some shortcuts and handy tips.

Although there are many ways to build good furniture, some requiring skills and equipment well beyond the reach of the average home workshop hobbyist, advanced techniques are not absolute musts in the construction of sturdy and at­tractive furniture. Here are the basic con­siderations in home projects, and some special tips to make your job easy and in­expensive

Plywood Edges - Weldwood Flexible Wood-Trim is sold in 8-foot rolls, packed in a handy container.

Old, time-consuming methods of trimming plywood edges are out; now a flexible wood trim does the job without fuss or trouble.

Where plywood is used for the main construction of a piece of furni­ture, the problem of concealing the unat­tractive plywood edges can be handled either by covering it with solid wood trim, or with U. S. Plywood Corporation's new Weldwood Flexible Wood-Trim.

01. Toy-Bin Desk - It's a twin desk, a long worktable, a roomy toy chest—and its two shelf and drawer units can serve as night tables next to a bed on each side.

Unlike the usual toy box or desk, this versatile combination solves at least four of children's furniture problems. First of all, the toy chest beneath the hinged lids is a deep, roomy area where a long­time accumulation of odds-and-ends can be stored—the newer, much used toys on top, the older but cherished ones at the bottom.

02. Clown Slide - Gaily colored clown makes sliding twice as much fun. You can vary design to suit the children.

Even the smallest toddler is safe in this gently sloped and splinter-free slide. And it's unique as a lawn decoration.

This unusual, decorative slide will prove itself useful either indoors or out, and—unlike most ready-made slides—is safe for the little tots of four and under.

03. Vanity Table - The young lady of the house is entitled to her private area for party primping and childhood efforts to "look like mother."

Since vanity - a pride and pleasure in her own appearance-plays an important part in every little girl's life, this simple and modern vanity table is a must in your daughter's room. It will give the little lady a feeling of importance, as well as making her mother feel proud and pleased. As for father . . . well, turning out this table will be a pleasure in itself. It's a wonderful project for beginners, and shouldn't take more than one weekend.

04. Night Stand - There's a bonus for your efforts when you turn out a piece of handsome furniture that you can "borrow" from the children for your own occasional use—like this modern night table.

A piece of do-everything furni­ture, this versatile night stand will find frequent use as an occasional table—and is equally desirable for Junior's room, or Susie's, or even the oldsters'.

05. Desk V Shelves - A kindergarten-to-college unit that is both simple and inexpensive to make, the desk ‘n’ shelves offers multiple use in a minimum of space.

Storage space and a work desk area are the two most pressing requirements for childhood activity. Here is a way to combine them both, in an inexpensive and space-saving unit that retains its utility from kindergarten to college.

06. Little Slat Chair - Made to last, the slat chair can tolerate all the unexpected uses that children put a chair to, and is decorative as well.

A must in your household is a chair for the little one. Its unlimited use­fulness will justify the few hours and three or four dollars spent. Because its frame is made of plywood, the chair is very simple to build and quite durable—even the be­ginner can build this chair in a long eve­nin

07. Canopy Sandbox - Simple but deluxe, this sandbox has canopy protec­tion against sun and rain for all-weather pleasure.

Happy and safe hours for your children are assured with the awn-inged sandbox. It's an excellent solution to every mother's problem of how to keep the children occupied without parental supervision and worries of "where'd that boy wander off to now?"

08. School Bench - Craftsmen of Central Europe created this design for their children years ago. Its classic lines and plentiful storage space meet modern needs, too.

The sturdy unit has room for books, pencils and papers in the deep stor­age shelf underneath the desk top.

Place both side panels with front edges together, and mark off shelf, front panel, bottom support.

Mount front panel (F) to shelf (El, holding (F) flush on bottom with (G) and ends as illustrated.

09. Duck Pull-Toy - Here's a duck that looks as if he really likes dry land: his head nods and his tail wags and he'll be around for a good long while.

Toys are as much fun to make as for the kiddies to play with. The sailor duck pull-toy is an easy project that will fill an evening, and the result is a sturdy hand-me-down that will far outlast the equiv­alent toy sold in stores

10. Night Table - It's for the children's room, but odds are you'll want a few more around the house—and extra ones come easy once you know how.

Combining the interesting pattern of rustic design with rugged simplicity, this provincial night stand is the answer to those in the family—young or old—who prefer something slightly more ornate than the straight lines of most modern furniture.

11. Cradle - The design is authentic, the construction simple, and the cradle's finished appearance will delight everybody who comes to admire baby.

While you're expecting a baby, perhaps the baby's expecting a cradle! If your decor allows provincial styling, you can have the very finest of cradles by building it yourself.

12. Rocking Horse - What's a kid's life without a rocking horse? Here's one that your great-great-grandchild can use, because it's built to last forever.

Ronny Baker. Bill's youngest, doesn't want to get off. Rounded rocker ends keep the ride from getting too wild.

There is no doubt that a rocking horse like the one above will be the favorite toy of your pre-school tot. It is designed to be attractive, inviting and completely safe.

13. Circus Wagon - Circus days aren't really gone, not as far as children are concerned. If they can't go to one, they can make their own.

Circus days are slowly dying out and becoming part of America's cultural history, but the appeal of the circus to the hearts of children will always remain. So here's Bill Baker's own circus wagon—ex­cept that it becomes your child's circus wagon when you put his name on it.

14. Wardrobe - Little Claudia Baker thinks her dad Bill makes the most wonderful things. Tidiness comes easy here.

Regular closets are too high, so let your child care for her own clothes in her very special, very private wardrobe unit.

This versatile unit will solve all your storage problems, while teaching your child the proper care of his or her own wardrobe. The clean, modern lines give this cabinet an important yet youngish appearance. The top cabinet which pro­vides for such objects as hats, purses, etc., can be reached by a four-year-old without aid of chairs or the like.

15. Sandman Crib - You either need a crib or you don't. If you do, this one is hard to equal.

A crib is an indispensable item, and this one will cost you far less than the cribs commercially available. It has been carefully designed to last for many years without repairs. In the model, 3/4-inch birch plywood was used for the head­board and footboard and bottom rails. The higher side rails as well as all other parts are solid birch.

16. Garden Bench - Rest and relaxation during those hectic play periods is assured when young'uns have a bench all their own.

This very practical and beautiful item for the yard or indoors will give your youngsters many happy hours, espe­cially during their make-believe games. It is built in small scale and will make them feel that it is really their own.

17. Hi-Fi - For less than $25 you can construct a compact cabinet to house your youngster's hi-fi and record collection.

This cabinet was designed because of the enthusiasm of today's youth for recorded music, and because it's a good idea to enable your son or daughter to en­joy listening to music at home. The at­tractive and informal cabinet has adequate room for records.

Pattern Series - Now you can have fine, modern furniture in your home by using pattern* designed by Bill Baker, furniture designer to the start. All Bill Baker pattern* include shop-tested, easy-to-follow direction! and exact size, heavy duty paper pattern pieces. You'll just have to trace the pattern on the wood, cut out the piece* and assemble. No elaborate tools are needed for any of the designs in this series.

Paints + Finishes - Children's "furniture can be painted, varnished or shellacked; first decide how it's going to be used, then choose a finish.

You’ve worked hard and deserve the best results from your efforts. Don't neglect this important aspect of furniture building. Choose your finish from the ones below.

Plastic Laminates - Kids are wonderful, but they're tough on furniture. So insure those woodshop work hours with an abuse-resistant surface.

Plastic laminates are very useful for children's furniture, particularly on table tops, desk surfaces and the like—and are quite a valuable asset to mother in her attempts to keep a clean, unscuffed appearance around the house.

Rubber Mattress - Save yourself money by making your own foam rubber needs. The process is quick and easy.

Solid edging strip is cemented to end of core stock lo conceal holes; strip material comes in rolls.

FOAM RUBBER is clean, soft, sanitary, easy to work with, and holds its shape indefinitely. It does away with the need for springs and the skill required for tying them- By using foam rubber, a novice can turn out a professional job in a minimum of time.

Decals - With a little picture magic, trans­form a handsome furniture piece into what is distinctively children's furni­ture. Decals are bright, educational.

Wardrobe-chest of drawers has decal plaque on front. Plaque is attached with escutcheon nails.

Decals are used primarily to decorate the things we live with and the rooms we live in; in addition, they amuse children and serve as toys.

THE END