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The belief that modern day youngsters would enjoy making things as much as I used to was the spark that led to the beginning of my "make and do" writings, and editor's checks were the only encouragement needed to continue the output.

Many of my early pieces went to a syndicated newspaper boys and girls page. Then I discovered that the juvenile field is a large one. There are many magazines for youngsters, and many adult magazines include pages for children. I found that almost all of these markets, catering to readers from ages 5 through 21 use how-to-make-it material and this is one field that seems to be very wide open to the free lance, not so much of this sort of thing being written by members of the magazine staffs.

THE JUVENILE periodicals for which I have written how-to articles, may be divided into four classes: little folks, junior age, intermediate and youth publications. Little folks include youngsters from 5 to 9. Directions for things to make or do for this age group must be very simple and easy for the youngsters to comprehend and follow through on. Editors seem to be especially looking for make-and-do material for this age group, perhaps because it is not as easy to explain activities for the very young readers as it is for children a bit older. One compensation, though, is that children this age have a very vivid imagination when it comes to pretending that a shoe box with a string tied to it is a wagon. Then an article you might write could suggest that a couple of doors and windows cut in the upside down box would turn it into a barn for cutout cows and horses. Using the box idea even farther, I have made a toss game out of it by drawing on a simple face, cutting out the mouth opening and using spools for tossing. These box ideas and others, too, I have sold. The important thing to remember when writing how-to articles for this age group, I believe, is that the directions should be clear and simple and as brief as possible.

The junior age readers, from 10 to 14, have passed out of the imagination stage. They want their how-to articles to give instructions for something that can be used or has a definite purpose. This age group likes directions for making simple gifts for birthdays or holidays, nut cups and table centerpieces, as well as things they can use in school or more complex toys and games. For these readers, too, however, directions must be presented very clearly and still in quite simple language.

The intermediate group includes readers up to age 17. This is the high school age group and projects presented naturally should appeal to this age level. Lapel pins, fancy stationery, snappy notebook decorations, suggestions for nut cups and party favors, gift possibilities—all these ideas and many more, I have used for this age group. Nothing too childish is acceptable, I find, for these youngsters fancy themselves almost grown up.

Youth group publications are planned for those readers who are nearly college age. Though these publications are generally classed under the heading of juveniles, the material has a definitely adult slant and this should be kept in mind when planning project articles. Many how-to-make-it articles which are suited to adult reading and capabilities would also appeal to this age group if the design appeals to youth. I often use a how-to idea that would be suited to adults for publications which cater to the youth age readers, simply by adapting the design. For instance, an article on how to make a felt belt could use a design featuring school letters, but the directions could be presented in the same manner as for adults.

I AM a firm believer in writing a query first before submitting an article to an editor. To my way of thinking, this is especially valuable in presenting how-to material for it saves me the time needed to work out the directions and patterns and drawings in case the material has no appeal to the editor. When writing a query I simply write a business type of letter suggesting several how-to article possibilities. Each proposed article is titled and has a short descriptive paragraph explaining what it will contain and how it will be presented. If drawings will be included, I mention the fact. Very often an editor will send back the list in the stamped, addressed envelope which I enclose, with the articles in which he is interested checked. This saves the editor the bother of writing a personal letter unless he has some suggestions to make concerning the presentation of the material.

In planning my query lists for juvenile how-to articles, I take several factors into consideration. As a general rule, I call for materials which may be found around the home or which are inexpensive if they must be purchased. I try to be absolutely certain that the project will be simple enough to be carried out successfully by the age group for which it is planned. Failures are discouraging to young readers. Sometimes I try out an idea on youngsters first to test its practicability in actual practice. Mothers appreciate it if the project is simple enough to be carried out with little or no adult supervision.

One important lesson I have learned is to be absolutely sure my idea will work. In many cases this means that I will make a working model before writing up the piece to be sure of my patterns and directions for assembling. Even then, one is not absolutely sure there will be no kickback from some reader. There was the case of the vinegar and soda popgun. The principle was this: A small long bottle was taped to a wood handle to make the gun. Soda was put into the bottle, then a little vinegar added and the bottle loosely corked. The action of the vinegar and soda generated a gas which popped out the cork. It worked, too, but some skeptical adult reader didn't think it would and didn't hesitate to write the editor. Since I knew it would work, this letter wasn't too disturbing. Some editors even call for a model along with the directions for making something. The editor of Children's Activities, one of the top flight juvenile markets, almost always wants a model.

WHAT TO write about? Ideas are all around. Thinking back to my own childhood I try to recall the games I enjoyed and the hobbies I had. My ideas are not always original, but if I use an idea which is not original with me, I change and adapt it and add something of my own to make an entirely new project. For instance, take the game of ninepins. I have sold several articles on this subject. Once I made it into a lawn bowling game. I designed and gave squared patterns for circus animals to be cut out of wood and mounted on narrow bases so they would tip easily. These were the "pins." The "balls" were disks of wood with curled up clowns painted on the sides. Another set of ninepins was designed for indoor use. For this I gave patterns for rabbits on bases and again used disks of wood, each painted a bright color.

The same thing can be done with many games or craft projects. Just a little change in design or procedure, makes the project "original" with me and eliminates the possibility of plagiarism. For many years I have clipped all sorts of articles on making things. I have half a dozen thick scrapbooks of these articles and they constitute a wealth of article ideas for me. I need only to go through my scrapbooks and pick out the ideas which can be adapted. Besides the scrapbooks I have accumulated a library of how-to books which are crammed with ideas for article possibilities. I never copy directly, though, for while an idea is public property the method of presentation belongs to the author, so I present the idea in my own way. I have often adapted one idea in several different ways to make several saleable articles.

The length of my articles varies a great deal. Sometimes I merely use a series of captioned drawings with just a bit of text. Other times I may use only text and no illustrations, though this is rare, for how-to material nearly always needs illustrations. As a rule, the shorter the article, the better. Editors don't go for lengthy how-to articles for juveniles. This is one type of material where padding has absolutely no place. A lengthy introduction is not necessary nor is it desirable, so I have learned to present my instructions in a clear, logical, step-by-step manner and when I have given all the instructions that the reader needs, stop.

Editors have different notions as to how they want their illustrations presented. Most have their own art departments and require only pencil drawings. D. C. Cook and some others want completed drawings that are ready to be used "as is." The editor told me what size to make the finished drawings for the necessary reduction in printing. When I include patterns, I draw them to scale or furnish squared designs that may be easily enlarged by the reader.

The rate of pay for "how-to" material varies with the publication. Children's magazines, such as Jack and Jill, Child Life, Children's Activities are the highest paying markets. Ten dollars has been about the top pay I have received for a how-to piece. The Sunday school publications pay less but it is easier to place material with them and because they are published once a week, they need many more such articles. Here are a few entries from my files to give an idea of the market and pay scale.

Article—Market—Pay
Doll Umbrella—Children's Activities—$5.00
May Baskets—American Childhood—5.00
Indian Village—American Childhood—5.00
Four Articles—American Baptist Publishing Society—10.00
Christmas Decorations—Junior Arts—2.50
Woodcarving Article—Open Road For Boys—25.00
Paper Whirligig—Children's Activities—10.00

I have learned that a fancy title is not usually desirable. Editors like one that tells something about what is contained in the article when it comes to make-and-do material, so if I am writing an article on making circus animals from spools, I title it "Make A Spool Circus."

Writing make-and-do pieces has its compensations. Though the market is generally not as well paying as that for fiction, for instance, it is a satisfaction to know that my young readers will have the pleasure of making worthwhile projects from the instructions I have worked up, and because I so much enjoy crafts of all sorts, I want others to enjoy them too.

Make a Walnut Shell Zoo

THE NEXT time your mother gets English walnuts in the shell to use in baking, ask her to let you crack them. Do this very carefully, so that some of the walnut shell halves are unbroken. These shells can be used to make animals with nice fat bodies.

Some animal patterns are given here. After you have made these, try your hand at drawing patterns of your own.

To make each animal, cut two body pieces from cardboard. Paste these together, all except the legs and feet which are not pasted together. Color both sides of the animal and draw on the eyes, noses, ears and other feature markings. Pick out two walnut shells that are about the same size and shape. Glue one half of the shell to each side of the body. This makes the animal have a nice fat tummy. Now spread the legs apart so that the animal can stand up. Paint the shells with water color so that they will be the same color as the animal bodies.