Hope Chest Aritcle #3
Ideas For Hope Chest Contents Part #1
For the next few articles, I will be focusing on what items you can put into your hope chest.
This will be so much fun as I share some of the items I have in mine, and give you ideas for yours.
So here we go! 
Books: A family Bible is a wonderful item to add to any hope chest, it can also be just a regular Bible if you wish. My family has a couple of family Bibles from way back, and it has inspired me to someday either have one of them, or save up some money for one for my hope chest! Devotionals are another great item to add as well.
Also, I would recommend books /and or/ curriculum that would be useful for homeschooling your future children as well (though I could fill my entire chest with books for this purpose!:) ).
Because I have quite a few books I would like to keep for my future homeschooling purposes, my mother and I tucked them away safely in the garage for now.
Heirlooms: Heirlooms are another amazing thing to have in your hope chest as every item has been passed down from generation to generation and all (if preserved correctly) can still be very useful! I wish I could hear all of the lovely stories some of my heirlooms could tell (I feel the same way when walking into an antique shop:) )
The Lord has blessed me with some special heirlooms in my hope chest. I have some baby clothes that my mother wore and when she had me I wore them! They were made by my great grandmother and they are in such good condition, that I have kept them for (Lord willing) my future children. I have kept some of my favorite dresses growing up that my grandma sewed for me (I even helped her make some of them) and some sweaters that my great Nan (great grandmother from England), and Nanny (my grandmother) knitted for me!
I also have some pillow cases, crocheted doilies, linens, and quilt tops made from as far back as my great, great grandmother that are in such good condition that I even use some of these items now around my room!
I know that some of you will be starting your hope chests from scratch (possibly not having any special heirlooms in your family), so I have three great ways to still have those special heirlooms in your own hope chest (if you so desire):
- Start your own: Now is the best time to start your own heirlooms by making some. Dress up pillow cases by adding some nice lace on the edge or hand embroidering something on the end, Make quilts of any size you wish, how about cloth napkins, tablecloths, etc. the list is endless as to what you can make. When you get older you can pass those items down to your children for them to use and their children after them! Heirlooms have to start somewhere right?!
Another way to have heirlooms in your hope chest (if you are not inclined to make you own)……..
- Antique Stores: Antique stores are one of the BEST ways to buy heirlooms from someone who no longer wants them, and can be very practical and useful for ladies like us who want them for our hope chests! Antiques can get quite expensive sometimes.
Another option if antique stores do not fit the budget……
- Thrift Stores/Yard Sales: Here you can find some really neat heirlooms, books, and so on for a very inexpensive price, and sometimes you can find amazing items that would cost you a lot more money elsewhere! I have found some wonderful things at the thrift store before and I am always so thankful to the Lord for providing wonderful items for my hope chest!
Well, I hope this has been another encouraging post, and that it has inspired you to start your own heirlooms. I would still recommend this for those who (like me) already have heirlooms to still make your own as they are wonderful to have and it creates memories of when you made it and they can be just as useful and sentimental (or even more so as they are brand new). I hope you will join me next week when I will discuss two other ideas for your hope chest contents!
Love in Christ,
Miss Antoinette
Filed under: Christian Living, Family, friendship, miscellaneous, Practical, Random, sewing on December 31st, 2009
Thank you for the encouraging post dear Annie. I do not have a hope chest though I would like one. Maybe in the next year or so… if I can find somewhere to keep it!
Hi
what is the perpus of the hope chest?
My Moms veiw is that: you wish for marrige and a family and you put stuff in for use afterthe above.
What if God says that you wont get married? what will you do with all that stuff you packed away?
Just some questions.
Thanks for your time.
Anna R.
Anna~ The purpose for a hope chest is just what you mentioned! To build up a store of items to use for your future home and family if the Lord wills.
If the Lord has not chosen marriage for ones life, the items in your hope chest can always be used to help out your family if a need arises and you just happen to have it in your hope chest! The items in your hope chest don’t all have to be closed up and never used till the day (Lord willing) you marry, but can still be used on a regular basis if you so desire!
I hope t be writing a post about this soon as I have had many others ask me this question and Lord willing hope to clarify this to others!
I hope this answers your question, if not, please let me know!
Blessings in Christ,
Miss Antoinette