Hello all,

As I've mentioned before, I'm an old-fashioned type of girl. For years, I used to claim that I was born in the wrong century - a sentiment that has been fanned by six months of working in living history. I'm greatly interested in all things vintage - even to the point of trying activities like hand-spinning and driving horses!

So, would it surprise people to know that I have a hope chest hidden somewhere in my house?

For those who have read a lot of classic girls' novels, such as Little House on the Prairie, the term "hope chest" may seem familiar.

Hope chests are one of those things that come from the shrouds of antiquity. It is born of the human sentiment to save things for a later date. In this case, it is things like dishes, linens, kitchen tools, and other small housewares that help jump-start a young maidens' journey into the domestic life.




I started my own hope chest sometime in high school...I think when I was about 16 or 17. I think what inspired me was re-reading some of the Little House on the Prairie books.
At that point, I was also "collecting" various items that I wanted to use in my future home; which included towels to embroider, crocheted hot pads, some small scrubbers, that sort of thing. Some came from family members, some came as gifts, and others....just showed up.

The ironic thing is that I didn't put these items in an actual chest - but in a cardboard box. Over the years, I put things like candles, a doily or two,  a few dishes and crocheted rugs in there...as well as a few other household items. It was kept on this small scale until I was about 21.

My original "Hope Chest" - the Organic Milk box.

The original box's since grown to 4 tubs and 2 cardboard boxes! When I was in my junior year of college, I moved out of the dorms into one of the campus apartments. So in the months before, I greatly expanded my housewares collection so I would be able to cook properly.

In addition to the stuff in the first picture, this stack comprises the rest of my hope chest!

Even now I don't have an actual cedar chest. At least not yet.... the plan is that I'm going to be getting my mother's chest as soon as my grandmother's chest is handed down to her. (My maternal family has a strict generational hand-me-down system for heirloom housewares....). From what I understand, they are rather hard to source nowadays....

But what does that matter if the "chest" is a cardboard box or a tub? The idea is still the same. So don't let the difficulty of finding a good quality wooden chest dissuade you from following this long-practiced tradition. 

In case you ever start a hope chest of your own, here's some suggestions on how to fill it:

1. Start at home! Look through the basements and attics of your family's homes to see if there are any useful articles that have been stored away. I got a lot of things that way.

2. Raid about 30 thrift stores, over a few states or so. I'm serious!
Each thrift store has different items, and they are really good places to find old kitchen devices, dishes, and other little things. And the best part about it - is that everything is cheap! (Obviously, you have to watch the quality; but most stores inspect and test the items before they put them out to sell).

3. Stop and shop at yard sales. You have no idea what kind of gems have been hiding in people's homes!

4. If you're a knitter, crocheter, or seamstress - try hand making things like towels, washcloths, tablecloths, and other linens. And if you are not any of the above, why not try it?

5. Try to store all the items together if you can - and if you can't afford the old-fashioned cedar chest, go with the more contemporary cardboard box/plastic tub! And obviously, keep them away from water and other damaging things.


I would love to see this tradition revived, especially as the domestic arts and vintage traditions are starting to have a comeback in the younger generations.

Will you join me?

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine


Sites Referenced: 

https://www.amishoutletstore.com/blog/your-guide-to-understanding-and-filling-a-hope-chest/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_chest