A hope chest doesn't have to be a large, beautiful wooden chest, with a lock and a key. It can be a cardboard box... any place where you can keep things you have made or selected with care to be used in your own home some day is a hope chest.
Many things can go into a hope chest; hand-sewn and embroidered napkins, sheets and pillowcases, dishes, and much more. I have put my old journals from past years into my hope chest.
If you have a father or brother who is handy with wood, you could ask him to make you a simple (or even ornate, if he is very skilled!) chest.
Why not make your next party a hope chest one? If it's a birthday party and you are having gifts, ask your guests to bring something that you can put in your hope chest. Or, if it is just a gathering of friends, have each guest bring an item that could go into a hope chest, and then let each guest take home one of the gifts (not her own).
