something in. Your brothers can put in an invention, your sisters
something they sewed, your mom and dad could add billion special things.
If I get married when I grow up then I hope to use the things in my hope chest.
If not they will be very special memories and still be useful.
Some traditional items found in a hope chest between 1600-1900 A.D might be:
A sewing basket
needles, needlecase or cushion, thread, yarn, kitting needles, crochet hooks,
crochet or knitting patterns, quilt and quilting patterns, clothing patterns, woven
fabrics, scissors, buttons, snaps or other fastenings, pins, needlework hoops,
a sewing bird, emery bag, bod kin, bees wax, measuring tape or yard-stik, etc.
Weaving supplies
Cards for cleaning and fluffing wool, drop spindle or spining wheel, table loom or barn loom, pattern drafts for the loom, dried flowers for dying yarn or woven fabrics and other weaving items and supplies.
Seeds
Herb, vegetable and flower seeds, plant cuttings, bulbs and seedling trees.
The List Goes On.......................
I have a hope chest, (well it's just a plastic tub but I use it as a hope chest).
I keep things in it that I can use for my house and family when I grow up, or things
that remind me of special memories. Like: Gifts from loved ones, my old journals, a burp cloth Bethany made for me, books, old stuffed animals, a baby outfit, old Bibles from when I was really young, pot holders, cards and letters and ceramic dolls my grandma made.
Things suggested for putting in a hope chest: Quilts, silverware, dish sets, table cloths, baby outfits,
candles, aprons, books, favorite cooking recipes, scrap books, old cards and letters, old pictures, wash cloths,
things to decorate your house, toys, baby blankets, pictures you drew, clothes you've made, special accessories,
letters you receive or you write to yourself, and filled journals.
I started my hope chest when I saw Bethany's, I thought it was so awesome and loved the idea.
Every once in a while Bethany and I get out our "hope chests" and look at them together.
A hope chest is designed to be filled with love, it's not the things you put in it or how expensive they are, it's the
time, effort, love and kindness.
“For wisdom is better than rubies, And all delights are not comparable to her.”
Proverbs 8:11
Every wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.
Proverbs 14:1
Some of the things I used in this post came from the book "The Hope Chest" by Rebekah Wilson.
With much love and care,
Lydia
(here's a song I like, maybe you'll enjoy it too!)