For good old-fashioned fun, nothing beats this 1887 gem. It shows girls how to make their own amusements, with illustrated explanations that range from hobbies such as needlework and painting to suggestions for planning picnics and playing games. Projects use common household items to encourage young imaginations and foster creativity.
Reprint of The Girls Handy Book: How to Amuse Yourself and Others, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1887.

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

Preface
Spring
Chapter 1. First of April
Chapter 2. Wild Flowers and their Preservation
Chapter 3. The Walking Club
Chapter 4. Easter
Chapter 5. How to Make a Lawn-Tennis Net
Chapter 6. May-Day
Summer
Chapter 7. Midsummer Eve
Chapter 8. Sea-side Cottage Decoration
Chapter 9. A Girl's Fourth of July
Chapter 10. Printing from Nature's Types
Chapter 11. Picnics, Burgoos, and Corn-roasts
Chapter 12. Botany as Applied to Art
Chapter 13. Door-step Party and Quiet Games for Hot Weather
Chapter 14. How to Make a Hammock
Chapter 15. (For Little Girls) Corn-Husk and Flower Dolls
Chapter 16. How to Make a Fan
Autumn
Chapter 17. All-Hallow-Eve
Chapter 18. Nature's Fall Decorations and How to Use Them
Chapter 19. Nutting-Parties
Chapter 20. How to Make a Telephone
Chapter 21. How to Draw
Chapter 22. How to Paint in Water-Colors
Chapter 23. How to Paint in Oil-Colors
Chapter 24. How to Model in Clay and Wax
Chapter 25. How to Make Plaster Casts
Chapter 26. China Painting
Chapter 27. A Chapter on Frames
Chapter 28. Thanksgiving
Winter
Chapter 29. Christmas Festivities and Home-made Christmas Gifts
Chapter 30. Amusements and Games for the Christmas Holidays
Chapter 31. New Year's and a Leap Year Party
Chapter 32. Home Gymnasium
Chapter 33. A Decorative Language
Chapter 34. A Few Items on Old-fashioned Needlework, with Some New and Original Patterns
Chapter 35. Scrap-book and Home-made Book-covers
Chapter 36. A Heap of Rubbish and What to Do with It
Chapter 37. How to Make Attractive Booths at a Fair—A New Kind of Grab-bag
Chapter 38. Window Decoration
Chapter 39. Furniture, Old and New
Chapter 40. Something about Mantle-pieces and Fire-places
Chapter 41. Home-made Candy
Chapter 42. Saint Valentine's Day

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