Filling a Hope Chest

Do people still fill hope chests? Or is it something that only those of us with old souls appreciate? My old soul holds my hope chest and the things from it near and dear to my heart. What is a hope chest? Why use a hope chest? What’s filling a hope chest supposed to look like? All great questions my friend. I will guide you through all of it, so that you too can fill a hope chest for yourself or a child in your life.

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More Like a Hopeless Chest

Growing up, I was a tomboy. I preferred a baggy t-shirt over a frilly dress. Legos, Hotwheels, and Lincoln Logs were some of my favorite toys. Most of my friends were boys and we loved to ride bikes and play football in the backyard. Cooking, housework, gardening, fashion, and makeup were as far from my mind as they could get. My friends all started dating and I didn’t understand why anybody in middle school would want to kiss. Marriage was not even on my radar.

Nobody Would Have Guessed That Little Tomboy Would Become a Homemaker

In college, I still hadn’t been on a date. I was starting to feel left out and lonely. While reading a Little House book, the mention of a hope chest stuck out to me. My mom had a hope chest that held her sweaters. There was also a certain yellow colander that she said had come from it. My curiosity peaked and research began. That year my mom gave me a hope chest and a few things to put inside. For every holiday, I would receive a dish, oven mitts, or cooking utensils to add to my ever growing hope chest.

Although my hope chest was filling up with things, it felt more like a hopeless chest. Late one night, I decided to start over. I emptied out the contents of the chest onto my bedroom floor. Then I went to my computer and typed up a prayer for my future husband and a note that said, “Start with hope.” I printed out both things and placed them carefully at the bottom of the chest. As I carefully filled the chest back up again, I prayed. I prayed for my future husband, dishes full of food, and the knowledge and skills needed to be a godly homemaker.

After that night, instead of looking at the hope chest and feeling hopeless, I remembered that it was filled with the hope and prayers I put into it. When the day finally came to unpack that hope chest and begin my life as a married woman, I found great joy in reading the prayer at the bottom and remembering the hope that I had when placing the items back in the chest. All of which have been a blessing.

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What is a Hope Chest?

A hope chest is traditionally a wooden chest, typically cedar, that was filled with the hopes of marriage. Mother’s would often fill hope chests for their daughters. The idea being that by the time they were to get married, they would have a collection of items to start their home.

The idea of a hope chest goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. During the European Renaissance, they became more popular. It was much easier and more efficient to build a chest than it had been previously. When people came to America, the hope chest offered a way to move the entire family’s belongings.

Hope chests were quite popular up until the 1950’s. Now it can be difficult to find a cedar hope chest. Amish stores, thrift shops, and flea markets are most likely your best bet. If you are looking for a new hope chest, try asking around at furniture stores. They may not have them in stock, but be able to order one.

Why Fill a Hope Chest?

You can fill a hope chest with anything you wish. The foundation of it all comes back to hope. The hope of marriage. Or the hope of a baby. Perhaps just the hope of a future. Filling a hope chest is a way for you to prepare for the future or the next step in your life. Fortunately, there is no right or wrong way to do so. Initially my reason was very simple. I wanted one because that’s what my mom had and it made me feel like Laura Ingalls. That night when I started over, my reason changed. Then it became about preparing my heart and mind for marriage and putting my hope in Christ.

How to Fill a Hope Chest

Now comes the fun part, filling a hope chest up with hope! Start with hope. You can’t fill a hope chest without any hope. Maybe this is a prayer, quote or picture. Start by putting it at the bottom of the hope chest as a reminder of why you are collecting things.

Then it is up to you what goes in the chest. It could be family heirlooms that you hope to one day use in your home or pass down to your daughter or granddaughter. Linens, quilts, recipes, baby items, and dishes are all great ideas.

Fill the Hope Chest With Things That Will Bring You Joy in the Future

Typically, the things filling a hope chest are meant to help set up a first home. Kitchen things were the main thing in my hope chest. Some had meaning, like a bowl from my great grandmother. Others were simply meant to be useful, like a nice set of wooden spoons. There is no need to fill it immediately. In fact, filling a hope chest is best done over time.

If you are creating a hope chest for a child, consider adding a little something to it each year. When they are grown there will be a chest of things waiting for them to use. Attaching a little note to items as you put them in would make this especially meaningful when the time comes for them to unpack the hope chest.

If you are already married, consider a baby hope chest. Many women fill a baby hope chest during their infertility journeys. You could put in your favorite book from childhood to read with them one day. Maybe a unique or special toy, blanket, or outfit. Quilts, blankets, or stuffed animals would be an idea.

Just remember, the first thing that any hope chest needs is hope.