THE BARREL CHAIR. 

    “No list of home-made furniture would be complete without the famous old-time barrel chair, which is really, if properly made, one of the most cosy resting places imaginable. 

    You want a good, strong barrel for the foundation, sugar barrel for instance, and the first thing to do is to nail the central hoop firmly to the staves, clinch nails are best to use; then secure the bottom hoop halfway across the barrel intact, to serve as a back, which can be varied in height and shape as desired, and made with arms or without. The seat is formed by nailing stout pieces of wood to the sides of the barrel of the proper height to reach from the bottom to the seat, when placed on end; three or four placed at equal distances around the inside will make a good foundation for nailing across stout strips of webbing, two or three each way interwoven. If you have not got the webbing, strips of strong ticking, doubled and stitched, from two to three inches wide, will do as well. Over this tack strong bagging — an oat sack will do very well. 

    Make sure that this is not slighted, for it is not conducive to comfort or good temper to sit down on an empty space, as sometimes happens if the seat of a chair is not securely made. 

    The next step is to make a cushion of the same shape as the back, and another for the seat, and tack them in place. 

   Then cover the rest of the chair neatly with the same material, chintz or cretonne are best. If one is willing to take the trouble to tuft the cushions, they will be all the more comfortable, and the chair will look like an expensive, regularly upholstered piece of furniture. 

    Two or three of these barrel chairs will be found very cosy in the family sitting-room, and half-barrels, treated the same way, make comfortable chairs for the little folks. 

    Strong packing-boxes also can be transformed into very desirable chairs, by sawing them into the proper shape and then proceeding as with the barrels. If the bottom of the box as it stands in position for the chair is left intact, and the seat made of solid board and hinged, a first-class shoe or hat-box results. The cushion should be tacked to the lid so as not to be displaced. 

    “Rockers?” Why, yes, of course you can have rockers. They can be sawed out from a thick board, and made as good as a “bought rocker.” 

    A divan, as pretty as it is comfortable, may be easily made if you have a spare mattress, and if you have not it will pay to make one, only, in this case, it might be as well to make it in two sections, the one for the back, the other for the seat. 

    But supposing that you have the spare mattress on hand, this is the way to make the divan: place the mattress so that one third of it rests against the wall, then fold the other part over toward it, and fasten the folded parts in proper positions, the back and seat at right angles. If you can place it on a box or platform about a foot high, so much the better, but it will do very well without. With a pretty cover of some cheap material and one or two square pillows to match, you will find that you have one of the most cosy resting-places imaginable.”

SOURCES: Home Life in Florida. Originally published in 1889. Republished by Yesterday Press, 2021. Image: Blakelees Industrial Cyclopedia: A Simple Practical guide, a ready reference and reservoir of useful information.