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Family Matters:  Hope Chest  |
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chaddsgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
843 Posts
Sarah
Farmgirl Sisterhood #639
MO
USA
843 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 1:44:04 PM
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My whole life growing up my mother had a big cedar chest that she hauled around to every place we lived (which was quite a few moves). It was full of things from her wedding, momentos from her child hood, keepsakes from her mother and grandmother, baby clothes and shoes from my sister and myself, and all manner of other "treasures". My sister and I absolutely loved to sit and go through it with my mom and have her tell us stories about each item in the chest.
The more I think about it, the more I want to pass this tradition down to my nieces. I want each of them to have a chest that the members of our family can contribute to. They are both very young right now and we have a long time to fill up their Hope Chests before they have to go out into the world. In the past a hope chest represented the preparation of a young girl for marriage. But I want these chests for my nieces to be a preparation for their lives married or not. I want to fill it up with hand made quilts, aprons, embroidered tea towels and pillow cases, pot holders, cook books and recipie keepers, hand made christmas ornaments, and a multitude of other things they can use to make their homes homey when they become adults. But more importantly, the items that fill the chest will remind them of their family and how much we love them. They will have memories tied to each item, just like my mom did. As Maya Angelou said, "I have given you roots and wings."
So, does anyone have a list or any suggestions for what should go into a young girl's hope chest? This project is going to take years, but a list might help. 
Farmgirl # 639 |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 1:50:22 PM
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What a wonderful idea...I've started one for my daughter, who will be 5 months old on Friday (yikes!)...
For her, I've put the outfit she came home from the hospital in, two framed prints of her hands and feet and a photo of all of us as "family" when leaving the hospital. I wanted her to know what it was like from the moment she entered the world.
I plan on collecting monogrammed silver items for her, and putting those in there, one piece at a time. I am putting pictures of people she's never gotten the pleasure to know (my father, who is gone, my grandmother who would be so happy to know her, sadly she's passed as well). I'm putting a picture of our house, just like it is now--her childhood home. That's really it, so far. I find that I might need a bigger chest for when she's older!!! I'm a sort of archivist, though, by nature, so I have a tendency to find everything poignant.
Good luck!
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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Lessie Louise
True Blue Farmgirl
1406 Posts
Carol
PECULIAR
MO
USA
1406 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 1:55:56 PM
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| My daughter is moving out and we went through her hope chest today. There was a few quilts I had made, towels and a few family knickk knacks from a great aunt and my mom. I added a few dish clothes I crochet and she had a set of dishes from a garage sale. It was so neat to go throgh hers, and remember what was in my mine once upon a time. My hope chest was an old steamer trunk my mom paid $15 for, I have it today. An easy project I did a few years ago s to have each family member write out a favorite recipie and put those together in an album. I scrapbooked mine but it's pricelss. This is a wonderful thing you are doing for you nieces. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 1:59:39 PM
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christening gown, 1st babys christmas ornaments, 1st baby blanket/quilt/afgan, 1st drawings, letters from family to them personaly unopened, handprints, footprints, a peice of their mothers wedding gown so it can be sewn into theirs someday,...............
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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chaddsgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
843 Posts
Sarah
Farmgirl Sisterhood #639
MO
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 2:03:35 PM
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Thanks you guys!! This is very helpful. Having each family memeber write out a recipie is a great idea. I wanted to make sure we got all their favorite recipe's in a recipe keeper so they would always have them. I'm really excited to do this for them.
Farmgirl # 639 |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 2:10:46 PM
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The recipe idea is great, I'll have to do that for my daughter.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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chaddsgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
843 Posts
Sarah
Farmgirl Sisterhood #639
MO
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 2:11:54 PM
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Teresa, I love the idea of letters from the family to them personally. That is a wonderful idea.
Farmgirl # 639 |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 3:44:00 PM
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You could start a journal from you to her. Put down the major things that has or had happened in her life; her first boyfriend, her first teacher, etc... Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Tapestry
True Blue Farmgirl
1223 Posts
Cheryl
Wisconsin
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 04:03:05 AM
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What a wonderful thing you're doing. I had china, stainless cookware, flatware in my hope chest. Wishing I had done this for my sons when they were born. In today's world you never know if your children will marry or not. I think I will start one for my grandson. I'd like to know that someday whether I am here or not he'll have a warm feeling knowing his grandma loved him lots. A savings bond would be a nice gift too for a hope chest.
Happy farmgirl sister #353
Look for rainbows instead of mud puddles
http://fantasm01.imagekind.com/
http://tapestrysimaginings.blogspot.com/ |
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Hosanna
True Blue Farmgirl
466 Posts
Hosanna
Alton
Virginia
466 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 10:12:46 AM
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| I have a hope chest that my Mom gave me when I was about 16. It was actually my grandma's. Throughout my teen years I stashed little things in it for my future house.... dishes I bought, little collectibles, etc. Then I simply had too much stuff for it and my collection overflowed to boxes stored in my parent's barn. Now, I've gotten married, and everything's out and used in my husband and I's farmhouse. The hope chest has a place of honor, and my Mother gave me many family heirlooms to store in it: Great grandma's aprons, gloves, hat pins, mom's wedding dress she sewed herself.... I am all for hope chests. |
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chaddsgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
843 Posts
Sarah
Farmgirl Sisterhood #639
MO
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 11:12:54 AM
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I'm so happy to hear that you ladies treasured your Hope Chest's so much. I ran this idea past my dad and he is working on having one of my uncles make the chests out of wood from a tree off my Grandma's farm. I don't know if it will really happen for sure or not, but I feel like that would make them even more special.
A person is a success if they get up in the morning and get to bed at night and in between does what they want to do. Bob Dylan |
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Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 12:15:06 PM
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I love this subject!! When my sister and I were around 16, my Dad gave us hope chests to fill it with things that we felt we would need for marriage. Mine had quilts from my grandmothers, picture albums, scrapbooks, and some things that I just liked and wanted to keep safe. I don't think I ever really used mine for preparing for marriage, but more for my own little space of memories and things that I wanted later.
Now that I am married, it holds different things. I still have quilts from my grandmothers & my wedding dress, photo albums, and the childrens first outftits. I have things like postcards and gift bags of cards from the children baby showers. I am keeping only the things that mean something important to me. I found in the beginning, I was keeping a lot of junk. I weeded it out a couple of times and saved only those things that I wanted my children to know about and have. Their baby books are in there, and my first engagement ring ( my Hubby's h.s. class ring).
Guess, I didn't use it the way I should have, but it goes everywhere I do, and I hope to pass it on to my Tori when she is older. :D
hugs
Jessie
Farmgirl Sister #235
"You are my strength when I am weak. You are the treasure that I seek. You are my all in all. Seeking You as a precious jewel; Lord, to give up I'd be a fool. You are my all in all."
Stop by my blog for a visit www.messiejessie2.blogspot.com |
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Claude09647
True Blue Farmgirl
761 Posts
Claudia
Our Dairy Farm
Pennsylvania
USA
761 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2009 : 3:24:47 PM
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That is such a great idea, they may not appreciate it now, but when it comes time for them to get their own house, they will just love it and the fact that your going to make most of it will make it all that much better! I wish there were more people like you in this world that still value things like this!
"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."
http://claude09647.blogspot.com/ |
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Lynner
True Blue Farmgirl
225 Posts
Sheri
Missouri
USA
225 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2009 : 04:18:58 AM
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Sarah,
This is an awesome idea, and something to be treasured for generations to come. My hope chest meant so much to me, though it did not contain items for marriage. Mostly items after marriage, keepsakes. My granddaughters love to look through the treasure chest. They just go wild seeing things that belonged to their Grammy and Mother and Aunt. The whole chest will be passed to someone someday. It is difficult with one chest and two daughters and granddaughters. My granddaughters are already arguing over who will get it. And they are only 10 and 12. What a wonderful link to the past, as family members pass on and your nieces continue to grow, they will have such wonderful memories. My suggestion would also be a small keepsake, something that they remember of value to them. Like a special cup their Grandmother used alot, or an apron she wore all the time that they remember. Something from a special time spent with you their Aunt. My cedar chest holds aprons my Grandmother, wore out. Her old sunbonnet. Real keepers. Which made me realize that my Grandmother was a farmgirl too.
Keep going forward with your idea, and in the process, start one for yourself. That will be important to you as well as someone else someday.
This has actually caused a lump in my throat, and a tear in my eye, how special for everyone.
Sheri
Many Hands Make Light Work!
...God made the seed to grow...1 Cor 3:6
The best fertilizer for a farm, are the farmers footsteps... |
Edited by - Lynner on Jul 29 2009 04:23:06 AM |
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Family Matters: Hope Chest |
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Hope Chest
