How to Revive the Hope Chest

Decades ago, a hope chest was traditionally given to young teenage girls in which to store household necessities in hopes of someday setting up their own home. This once almost mandatory furniture piece, sometimes called a cedar chest, could be found in almost every American home.

Hope chests may be coming back into fashion, though their former intended purpose has been adapted to our changing times. Whatever name is given to it, a hope chest represents additional storage space. For this reason alone, it's an easy task to revive the hope chest in homes of today.

Instructions

1. 

   Revive the hope chest by updating the appearance. Remove old hardware, add sturdy legs to make for a more convenient height and refinish the exterior with a new paint job.

2. Place the hope chest at the end of the bed in the guest room. Store extra linen, bedding and guest towels in the cedar-lined chest. Use the hope chest as additional seating in small quarters.

3. 

   Revive the hope chest to use in a child's room. Paint in colors to complement the living space. Fill with toys initially for the younger child and change storage contents as the child matures.

   Make a simple padded cushion with two throw pillows to place on top of the hope chest to make a teen's room welcome to friends. Buy basic organizing containers to place inside the hope chest. Encourage tidiness by demonstrating how much more storage is possible by being organized.

4. 

   Clear clutter by reviving a hope chest to use in a craft room; it's not only logical, but a practical solution. Fill with projects in various stages of completion and easily put them away at the end of the day. Create holiday gifts throughout the year and hide them inside the hope chest.

5. 

   Store infrequently used holiday decor in the hope chest and it can be used to replace the impractical coffee table in the living room. Revive the hope chest for today's home and enjoy the organizational wisdom of generations past.

Tips & Warnings

• Use any large type of storage trunk if you can't find or don't have access to an actual cedar hope chest, though they can often be found readily at thrift shops and yard sales.

• Please use extra caution if using a locking hope chest in a small child's room. Ensure the chest is locked at all times unless an adult is present. Children may be tempted to climb inside and the chest could accidentally latch shut.