Create a legacy of hope

photo by RichinMN

Hope chests are making a comeback. Parents want to plan ahead for their kids and save money. If you want to do the same, you can buy a quality cedar chest that can become a family heirloom, or simply start out with a box or use extra space in a closet. If you’re good at woodworking, you can build your own, too. Visit http://www.freeww.com/chests.html for free hope-chest plans. While they were traditionally given to daughters in preparation for marriage, there’s no reason why you can’t put one together for a boy.

Items added to it can be from extended family and friends, and can be a combination of a treasure chest and time capsule. One reader, Odilia from Nebraska, shares: “We’ve started these for all of our kids. We put special mementos in them, as well as practical things. At this time, they’re a little heavy on the special and light on the practical. As we find deals on quality items, we add them to the chests. Note: Our “chests” are Rubbermaid totes! When the kids are older and better at carpentry, my husband is going to help them build their own cedar chest/bench, and I’ll help them sew a cushion for the top. The rule of thumb is no plastic and only items that will hold up for decades. As they get closer to leaving home, we’ll focus more on various linens. I envision the kids taking more of an active role in selecting these items.”
Have you started a hope chest? What did you put in it? Here are a few filler ideas to get you started.

HOUSEWARES: You can start buying new or collectible place settings early or simply set aside a spare set of dishes you already have. You can add items such as pots and pans, flatware and basic tools, too.

LINENS: If your child had a favorite blanket as a child, keep it and place it inside the hope chest. Or if you or another family member or friend quilt, crochet or knit, you can add handmade items as a keepsake. Laurie G. from Florida shares: “I had a hope chest that mom and I bought together at a tag sale. It was beat up and looked awful, but we stripped it and refinished it as a summer project, and then I filled it. Mom helped with other learning projects, like how to sew an apron, and how to embroider tablecloths and pillowcases. I am looking forward to giving my daughter hers when she’s a little older and passing on the lessons my mom taught me, too.”

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS: Many parents buy an ornament each year for their children, so they have them when they’re on their own. You can include holiday decorations that you find on clearance or secondhand in the chest for safekeeping.

PERSONAL MEMORABILIA: The chest can also include photo albums, special greeting cards, letters, report cards, family recipes, souvenirs from special events or vacations, or favorite childhood toys. Many parents add baby clothes to the chest, too.

BOOKS: There are books that can help our kids start off on the right foot. For some people it might be a favorite storybook, personal finance book, relationship advice, basic home-repair guide or a favorite cookbook.

COLLECTIBLES: Your kids will have fond memories of basic items. It might be a mixing bowl, salt and pepper shakers, a cookie jar or a glass they used and loved. If you’re planning a yard sale, before you sell these types of household items, ask if there’s anything your child is particularly attached to, or hang onto at least one item they’ve used often.