Featured Image: Annie Brown Verdin
In my mind, my grandmother’s delicate china cup still sits in her kitchen cabinet, softening butter as it did for decades. Today, it rests on my living room built-ins, hundreds of miles from where I grew up, as both a decoration and a reminder of her. Nearby, I’ve framed two photos my grandfather captured while stationed in France during World War II. Each piece is part of a growing collection of family heirlooms I’ve upcycled to honor my roots in my own way.
For many Southerners, keepsakes are a deep part of our family legacies, but too often, those treasures are tucked away—folded in drawers or boxes and only enjoyed on rare occasions. What if, instead of buying another coffee table book or vase from a big-box store, we reimagined what we already have, letting these keepsakes shape the character of our homes? Here are four categories to consider when reimagining family heirlooms into meaningful home accents and thoughtful gifts to bring the past into daily life.
Decorative Artifacts
We all have that one item that instantly takes us back to our grandparents’ home. For me, it was my grandfather’s Coca-Cola collection. He devoted a whole room to it, shelves lined with bottles, signage, and knick-knacks. When the house was sold, I kept a few small pieces. They now live tucked into my bookshelves and my office, adding personality, charm, and a curated feel to my home decor.
Other antiques, like china, often hide behind glass until Christmas dinner or special occasions. Instead, fetch dessert plates for a weeknight cobbler or sip your morning coffee from your grandmother’s teacup. Jewelry boxes also deserve a second life—holding cotton pads in a powder room, stashing remotes on a coffee table, or storing matchboxes as decor.
Aim to group related items, varying their height, texture, and color so they feel intentional rather than cluttered. For gift-giving, consider passing along a set of small items that blend old and new, like an antique tray filled with gourmet snacks.
Letters & Photographs
Handwriting and photographs carry a weight that digital files simply don’t. Framing is the obvious choice, but there are ways to make it feel elevated. Mix sizes and finishes—tiny early photographs look striking floated in all-glass frames or surrounded by oversized matting for drama. A cluster of handwritten letters can easily become a gallery wall in a hallway or powder room, telling a story as guests move through your home.
For something more tactile, think beyond paper. Scan a love letter or recipe card and print it onto linen for a tea towel, or have it transferred to a cutting board for everyday use. Handwriting is imperfect and deeply personal. Displayed as art, stitched into fabric, or etched into an everyday object, it preserves their spirit in your daily life.
For family gifts, consider making multiples so each sibling or cousin can keep a piece. My husband’s family even had their mother’s handwritten “I love you” laser-cut into a 3D floating frame, serving as a modern tether, tying each of their homes together.
Textiles
Old fabrics can find new life: a vintage tablecloth becomes a set of dinner napkins, a quilt can be sewn into pillowcases, or a treasured jersey or baby blanket can be shadowboxed for display. Even a small piece can be reworked into a coin purse or holiday ornament.
Whether you work with a local seamstress or do it yourself, the goal is simple: transform family keepsakes into objects you enjoy seeing routinely. For gifts, a single textile can be repurposed into individual handkerchiefs or cocktail napkins, made all the more meaningful with embroidered initials or a family motto.
Books & Cookbooks
Decades before recipes existed online, families clipped and annotated their treasured family cookbooks. Instead of tucking them away in a cabinet, bring them into daily view: display a family cookbook on a kitchen stand, rotate seasonal favorites onto your counter, or style a stack of well-loved novels to elevate vases, candles, or framed photos for a polished look.
Children’s books can be equally powerful heirlooms. Place the books your parents once read to you on your own children’s shelves, or have a beloved copy rebound to preserve it for the next generation. These can also make thoughtful gifts, especially when the book or recipe carries sentimental value.
Add a personal note or date inside the cover to memorialize the moment, creating a keepsake that can be cherished for years to come. I look at my grandmother’s renowned pecan pie recipe every morning as I make coffee, and I’ll always treasure that my mother entrusted it to me to enjoy in my own home.
