Hope Chest

[Empress Busy Bee]

Exactly Patty. I don't think of it as being a pessimist, just realistic. There's a HUGE age difference in my kids. Had I made a bunch of girl stuff, I would have given it all to my sister or someone by the time my daughter came along. That would have broke my heart.

 

And again, for me, there just wasn't room in my small two bedroom apartments to put something like that.

 

I'm not slamming anyone for doing it, just saying we're all different and have reasons for doing or not doing things. The question was asked if we/I had one and I stated no and why.

[victoriarose]

Empress-In RE: to post #14, those items which you mentioned are PERFECT for a small "Memories Chest". A simple cigar box containing a few tiny things (photograph, ribbon, first (lost) tooth, baby booties, clip of hair from first haircut, etc.) qualifies as a "Hope Chest". It's really all about "things most cherished-passed on down". Have FUN with it!

[darski]

Here is a group for planning hope chests - it can become whatever the group would like it to be

 

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/faithhopelovechest/

 

just sign up. no restrictions and no moderating at this point.

[crochet_queen_03]

Yay! I just signed up. Let's hope it goes good

[darski]

I am looking forward to seeing what people want to do with hope/memory chests.

 

There used to be a "list" of things that young ladies would have put together. Could be fun to look for that - could be good for a smile at least.

[squish_52]

crochet_queen_03: i started my hopechest this summer, well items for it at any rate. So far i have an afghan, a rug, and a few doillies...I turn 21 in November and I'm hoping my parents get me a chest, or I might have my boyfriend make me one, he's a cabinet maker and super good at what he does

 

BreaGia: JC Penny has alot of sales on bed linens with the good thread counts near the end of Jan. You might want to check it out, sometimes they have down comforters for $99 any size! this comes with pillows, duvet cover, pillow covers plus the comforter in 230 threadcount good luck finding more stuff for your chest

[squish_52]

http://www.treehouseforkids.org/pdf/Hope%20Chest%20Wish%20List.pdf#search=%22hope%20chest%20list%22 here is a list i found, it's for foster kids but it would be great for anyone

[crochet_queen_03]

I just post an excerpt from a book that I found online. I thought it was really intersting as it tells how a hope chest began and what girls normally put in it..

[Empress Busy Bee]

Empress-In RE: to post #14, those items which you mentioned are PERFECT for a small "Memories Chest". A simple cigar box containing a few tiny things (photograph, ribbon, first (lost) tooth, baby booties, clip of hair from first haircut, etc.) qualifies as a "Hope Chest". It's really all about "things most cherished-passed on down". Have FUN with it!

I'm sure you're just trying to be helpful but 1. I know what hope chests are. Really I do. 2. Those things I mentioned are in places where I want and like them, not stuffed into any box. My son's hair is in his baby book which goes on the bookshelf. When my daughter's gets trimmed, it'll go in her baby book. And the same with other stuff I want to save.

I'm fine with the way my things are.

[darski]

Thank you ladies for the information and especially the list. It would be a good beginning . I like lists if for no other reason than to tick off items I have already seen to.

 

I might just start putting together some stuff for dgd's.

[squish_52]

http://www.hopechestlegacy.com/main_catagory_page.htm i also found this link, it's all about what a girl should do for her hope chest and it also has tutorials on sewing, and crochet to help get a girl started on something that is all her own...this is a great idea! what better way to reconnect withthe past than to teach the youth of the future

[Yearnin' for Yarn]

I've read books that talk about hope chests and I've heard of people doing having them (like on old TV shows), but I've never known anyone to have one. I guess I just always thought it was an old-fashioned thing that wasn't done that often anymore---only because I've never actually seen one or know anyone who's had one. Now I know different.

Nicole

[kelly g]

Yes me too!!! I have made christmas ornaments and gifts. I have saved all their baby blankets and plan on using pieces of the blanket and my wedding dress for my grandchildrens blankets. Yes my wedding dress!! I wore it for just one day and it will never be worn again. My kids love the idea. I also have cross stitched items and other little things.

[knitcrochetandpray]

I have two boys, and while a traditional "Hope" chest was for girls, we have started such for our little guys. We figured, as much of our society is so untraditional-and their wives will probably not have such, and as we (DH and I) left home with virtually nothing (having to scrounge together anything and everything we could to make our home together), we wanted to have things for our boys so they would not have to go through the same, and so they could have lovely cherished items that would make any house a home.

 

Now the boys don't actually have a chest, but we have begun to fill boxes with necessities, many homade items, and even fun stuff. Every year on their B-D's we give the boys a practical item to put in their boxes (i.e. sheets, tools, utensils, etc.). At Christmas they each receive a new ornament, and a like one goes on the family tree in our home.

 

~For our first Christmas, DH and I lived in a single wide trail, right off base in CHerry Point, NC. The trailer was so tiny their was absolutely no room for a tree, besides we had no ornaments to hang on it nor money to by them with; so we bought those little girls stick on earrings, hubby took pieces of thread and sandwiched them between the mates to make ornaments for a huge pine cone we found in our yard. I made a star out of tin foil. We placed the Christmas Pinecone on a bar stool so we could put the packages under it for Christmas morning.~

 

Whenever I feel like making them something I just do and slip it in thier boxes (i.e. dishclothes, blankets, pot holders, etc.). Ther are also precious items, and awards from each year and special timess/events/milestones of their lives thus far.

 

Though I know they will start their own households one day (hopefully with families of their own) I want them to be able to take some of home with them. Hopefully it will remind them of the faith, and love, tradition, and ideals they were raised with, which should encourage them in those ways; and hopefully it will make the transition from boyhood to manhood, a bit less daunting.

 

Our families (DH and mine) have very few traditions, and have passed on very few things of value or sentiment. I find this sad, as it seems to devalue the past generations as well as future ones, because it seems their is no lasting connection, no proud heritage, no family legacy. While I am not a pack rat, and do not place sentimental value on everything, I do beleive their are things (memories, moments, events, thoughts, times, milestones) in life that are to be cherished, and sometimes a tangible reminder is necessary. A hope chest, while providing practical items can also be a cherished reminder of the preciousness of the past, of home, of family.

[BreaGia]

While I was marking down some bakeware at work yesterday I was talking to an older lady who I see often and she told me she was starting a chest for her newborn granddaughter (she been waiting for a grandbaby "forever and a day").

She is crosstitching a lavender pillow in between sewing cute little outfits for her right now and says she has pull out stashed baby afghans that she will put in the diaper bag and car seat when her daughter isn't looking. I get the impression her daughter is drowning in baby blankets.

 

And I just had to buy some of the bakeware, of course. Half off is half off after all!

[zeropixie]

My hope chest was made by my step father from red cedar he found in Kansas. He made one for my sister and a book case for my brother. I use mine to store blankets and house hold items for my "future" home. It is a tradtion that was pasted from both my grandmothers and I plan on giving mine to my daughter on her twelveth birthday.

[darski]

There is something so beatiful in this passing along the generations. it is the sharing of lives that speaks so to our hearts in this.

[victoriarose]

There is something so beatiful in this passing along the generations. it is the sharing of lives that speaks so to our hearts in this.

Dear Darski...I do not think that even the finest of any Victorian woman could have better surmised this particular subject better than thee. Such an eloquent quote!

[darski]

Thank you but the subject speaks for itself really.

[victoriarose]

Well, I only wish more were listening.

[saraelizabeth]

I seriously thought I was the only person who knew what a hope chest is. I also got one when I turned 16 from the grandparents. I kept yearbooks and special things in it, but now it;s pretty much a place for blankets and quilts.

[darski]

I was talking with a friend last night (she's 84) and she said that filling hope chests was her great love and passion as a young woman. She is so pleased that it is being revived.

 

One suggestion that we came up with is from a pattern at Free patterns dot com. they have a pattern for "china plate covers" on page one of doilies. We were thinking that you wouldn't have to go with their pattern necessarily but that you could find a nice pattern and make a complete set for a service for eight.

 

This is one of life's niceties that is really very useful and smart housekeeping. If you have nice dishes or "Good Dishes" you can save a lot of wear and tear just from chipping alone with these. It would not be hard to find a simple pattern and make the sizes for dinner plates, B&B plates bowls or whatever.

 

Again, this is a nice thing to be making now when you are planning a future household because when the household is being kept, there isn't usually money or time for such good things.

 

Just a thought. I happen to love a beautiful table so I think along these lines