Hope Chests

[Seven Severn]

When I was in high school (class of '81) I bought myself a wicker trunk into which I put a set of Corelle dishes (Old Town Blue), a set of Farberware pots and pans (that I'm still using) and other useful stuff that I knew I'd need when I moved out. I never called it a hope chest, but my mom had a nice cedar one and it's still sitting at the foot of my parents' bed. It's from the mid '40s and weighs a ton.

I also got the mini chest from a local furniture store when I graduated high school. It's currently sitting on my coffee table and contains small mementos.

[polecat]

19 hours ago, roddma said:

We were talking about this on our writer's forum, and I wonder if Fundies do Hope Chests. They seem outdated to me. They come from a time when women were expected to marry.

They used to! I had one. It was my great-grandmother's (I still have it, too, because cedar chests are excellent for storing blankets and linens off-season, and because it's beautiful). My mom filled it with dishes and linens and whatnot. Sadly, I didn't really use any of it because my taste as a 14 yo girl was far different from my taste as an adult. 

[motelmum]

15 hours ago, Karma said:

Any other Australians know them as glory boxes?

Both my sister and I had a glory box. Ours were made from cane (no cedar for us either) and when I had my eldest it became his toy box. I think it is still in my parents spare room with the kids toys in it for when the came around. 

 Ours weren't for when we got married ours were for when we moved out of home. Very practical things that when you are starting out can be very expensive.  

I will probably start one for my youngest son when he reaches 16, I already have stuff  put aside for my eldest who at 21 doesn't look like he is ever leaving home...sigh. 

[SledCat]

I grew up in Australia, haven't heard of the "glory box". Though, I suppose I grew up with the more American style of fundie-ism, so my idea of a hope chest is straight out of a Lori Wick novel.

[moreorlessnu]

There is important recall information for Lane hope chests: https://www.lanefurniture.com/about/product-safety . If you google "hope chest suffocation", you'll see that there have been horrible accidents with children getting trapped in hope chests because of the latching mechanism.

[Grace]

I'm so jealous of everybody's tiny miniature versions! 

I never had a chest but my sister did. I have no idea what she kept in it. I think it has toys in it now.

[Four is Enough]

HS grad in `1972, still have the mini Lane cedar chest. Bought myself a big Lane cedar chest when I got out of college. As others have said, they make GREAT storage. Good seating, too. It kind ofdoubles as a window seat in my bedroom.

I keep things in it... keepsakes...

[desertvixen]

I also have 2 - one that my parents bought for my HS grad in 97, where I keep scrapbooks, stuff from my daughter when she was a baby, my wedding veil and headpiece, stuff I don't want to get rid of but don't want out, and my 35 year old plush raccoon.  The other one was actually my grandmother's (early 50s) and I store blankets in it (and use it as a side table in my living room).  Unfortunately my parents beat up on it quite a bit, but it still smells INCREDIBLE inside.

[BullsChargers]

I used to want one so badly - I thought it was romantic.  My grandmother's mother had one (born in the 1930s), my grandmother kind of had one (she was born in the 1940s, and "lost" hers when she got pregnant out-of-wedlock - it went to her cousin or aunt, I don't remember which, but that actually involved it's own funny story).  It was too old-fashioned for my mom (1970s), and I (1990s) wasn't supposed to even think about getting married or having babies (family politics), so I didn't need one.  It always seemed so romantic, though, and I fully admit that I've always been one of those people who idealizes certain aspects of "The Past".

I found it strange that my grandmother's school used to take hope chest-related field trips every year, sometimes more than once.  She went to look at a chest in first or third grade (didn't get a miniature), and then went dishware and linen shopping at one point.  I think she said they also went appliance shopping, and possibly shopping for baby things?  She said they were all presented with a lace table cloth upon "graduating" - my grandmother regretted losing it.  It was an all-girl's K-9 Catholic school with a large (and relatively poor) immigrant population, so I guess it made sense.

I've always wanted to see an actual, "stocked" hope chest, though.

[CrazyCatLady]

I got one from my parents when I turned 18. I just use it for extra storage.

[BunnyBee]

On 1/31/2016 at 10:15 PM, grandmadugger said:

I have a hope chest.  I'm 36.  My parents bought it from a local woodworker.  It's gorgeous, I was probably 8 when they bought it.  Why so young?  He was a very old man and they wanted me to have a chest made by him because he was very special not only to my parents but to the whole town.  My dad put in a silk table cloth he bought when he was stationed in Japan because everyone should have a very nice table cloth.  When my mom was diagnosed with cancer she made a baby blanket for her first grandchild and a quilt for my bed when I was an adult.  My grandmother put in a set of fine china because she was sure she wouldn't see me marry.  It wasn't so much about the goal of me getting married but their fears of not seeing it happen and making sure I had something from them on that day.  The only one who made it was my grandma.  The baby blanket will be used to take home my mom's first great grandchild since I won't have a kid but I do have a step-son who is about to be a daddy.  It was nice to have gifts from them when I got married and it was even nicer to rub it in to all my friends' faces that I have a Chief (nickname of the woodworker) chest all of my own and they have to hope they get it left in the will to them.

this legit made me cry, damn PMS

[grandmadugger]

14 minutes ago, BunnyBee said:

this legit made me cry, damn PMS

PMS is a bigger bitch than Erika.  

[BunnyBee]

6 minutes ago, grandmadugger said:

PMS is a bigger bitch than Erika.  

also you write so beautifully  *sniffles* *grabs ice cream* *full on sensitive mode*

[CTRLZero]

We bought a used Lane chest last year.  When we were cleaning it up, we discovered a "secret" drawer.  We wouldn't have discovered it unless we had been going over every inch of it.  I am curious if anyone else's model has a hidden drawer?

[nausicaa]

Anyone remember that when the Maxwells had a forum one of the rules was no talking about hope chests, since some girls might not get married, and it could make them feel bad?

I'm just saying. Steve Maxwell does not approve of this thread. 

[QuiverDance]

I graduated in 1990 and go the Lane mini hope chest.  

Not exactly a hope chest, but my parents bought me a set of sterling silver flatware when I was a little girl, and I've been adding to it ever since.  I have a huge service for 12 with all the little specialty forks and spoons and serving pieces, and I really love it.  

[FundieFarmer]

@CTRLZero, if you'll post a photo, I can do some sleuthing and tell you more about it! I'm into antiques/preservation and hidden drawers in Lane chests don't have much press so I'd love to see it! 

[CTRLZero]

7 minutes ago, FundieFarmer said:

@CTRLZero, if you'll post a photo, I can do some sleuthing and tell you more about it! I'm into antiques/preservation and hidden drawers in Lane chests don't have much press so I'd love to see it! 

That's very kind of you.  It was kind of intriguing to find that little drawer.  I wonder if other people have an old chest with hidden "treasures" in it.  Our felt-lined drawer was empty.  It will be a few days (the chest is at our other place), but I may take you up on your offer.  Thank you!

[MissBitters]

Meredith Hammer had a handful of posts devoted to her hope chest. I was always curious if she used all of it after she got married because she had two or three wedding showers.

I think it's good idea to buy and store items for when you move out. I'll definitely encourage my children to do so. When I was in high school and college, I was always requested kitchen stuff for my birthday and Christmas (still do actually). I had a nice little kitchen setup when I finally moved into my own apartment

[Black Aliss]

Doesn't one of our pet fundies (maybe Rebecca 11ty?) buy baby clothes to add to her hope chest?

[Playagirl]

19 hours ago, BunnyBee said:

this legit made me cry, damn PMS

 

18 hours ago, grandmadugger said:

PMS is a bigger bitch than Erika.  

If you think PMS is bad, wait til you hit menopause.

[Playagirl]

I received a hope chest when I graduated high school and used it to store stuff I was collecting in preparation for moving out. Nothing homemade though as I've never been crafty. It served as our coffee table in our living room for several years until our daughter became mobile at which time it was relegated to our bedroom as we were afraid she'd hit her head on its sharp corners.

We did the same for our kids. Our daughter got a simple chest and our son got a more masculine steamer trunk type thing. They both use them to store random stuff.

[ofDany]

In high school, I used to want the Lane chest with the hearts on it that showed up in many of their magazine ads, although I never got it (or even a little one - also jealous of those of you who got one) because it was too expensive. I did buy a little plywood cube that served the same function for me - my parents teased me by calling it my hopeless chest.  It was full of towels, glasses, dishes, silverware and other things that I bought with my graduation money on final clearance from the outlet mall.

A few years after my grandma died, my aunt gave me the cedar chest that had been hers.  It has a cool old key to lock it and I use it to store my extra quilts - especially my wedding ring quilt.

 

[twinmama]

On 1/31/2016 at 7:01 PM, CTRLZero said:

Times have really changed.  I graduated from high school in the late 70s.  All the high school girls were taken on a field trip to be shown hope chests at a furniture store.  We were each given small keepsake versions of the hope chests courtesy of Lane furniture company!  Even then, we thought hope chests were old fashioned.  My daughter (now in her early 30s) boggles at the concept.  Memories...

In my 30s here. While I have known the phrase hope chest as long as I can remember and knew it was something to do with getting married, I have no idea what it is or what goes in it. Never heard a single friend talk about one growing up. 

On 1/31/2016 at 10:15 PM, grandmadugger said:

When my mom was diagnosed with cancer she made a baby blanket for her first grandchild and a quilt for my bed when I was an adult... The baby blanket will be used to take home my mom's first great grandchild since I won't have a kid but I do have a step-son who is about to be a daddy.

This is so incredibly sweet. Congrats on your impending grandparenthood! 

I'll say, while I don't have anything of the sort, my boys great grandpa made them a toy chest (he is an amazing woodworker) so they kind of have one! Though, they call it their "treasure chest" which I love! It currently holds their massive collection of dress up clothes.

[FundieFarmer]

You guys just reminded me that my chest has a key I've somehow misplaced in the last 5 years. Off to find that...