by Andrea Norris-McKnight

In this article: Ideas for giving old heirlooms a new look that might make them more appealing to younger generations

I have a ceramic Chihuahua that sits on our mantle. It has the quality of a high-end piece you’d find in a store, but it was hand-painted by my grandmother, who made it as a gift for my great-grandmother over 50 years ago. It’s a ceramic version of my great-grandmother’s little Chihuahua Pee Wee, a dog I often played with as a child.

When my great-grandmother died, she left it to my grandmother, who then gave it to my mother, who eventually passed it to me. So Pee Wee has been passed down through four generations and is one of my favorite family heirlooms — and neither of my kids is interested in taking Pee Wee someday.

Chances are, you have at least a few heirlooms you hope will remain in your family for future generations to enjoy. But what if your kids or grandkids don’t want them? Perhaps they think they’re too dated or old-fashioned to display in their home or wear as jewelry.

Read on for ideas for updating or transforming family heirlooms into something younger generations might want to keep. Or to give your heirs a better understanding of the history of these cherished possessions.

Repurpose Jewelry

I have my grandmother’s opal ring. She and I shared a birth month. My daughter thought the original ring was old-fashioned, but she loves the pendant I wear on a necklace that now displays the opal.

Turn old jewelry into new, fashionable pieces that the younger generation may enjoy wearing. Transform a brooch into a pendant or combine several pieces into a charm bracelet. Have stones reset into a new ring.

Upcycle Furniture

Do you have any quality furniture pieces that have been in your family for a few generations? We have an antique rolltop desk passed on from my father-in-law. I thought it was pretty ugly until I painted it to match our home decor.

Give old furniture a modern makeover with new upholstery, paint or hardware to make the pieces more appealing while preserving sentimental value.

Turn Heirlooms Into Wall Decor

It’s easy to use antique china and glassware as decorative accents in your home. My great-grandmother owned a few beautiful service platters that now hang on my aunt’s wall as art pieces, along with a rack displaying some of my grandmother’s china. Hanging in my kitchen I have a framed copy of my grandmother’s handwritten recipe for Cracker Fudge that I make every Christmas.

Display quilts as wall hangings. Create unique groupings of framed photos of previous generations. Reframe beautiful paintings that sit in old-ugly frames or paint the old frames to match your current decor.

Sew a Memory Quilt

If you have a collection of heirloom fabrics or clothing, turn them into a memory quilt telling your family’s history. If you don’t sew, you can probably find someone who will charge a reasonable amount to do the job.

Make a Shadow Box

Arrange smaller heirlooms, like jewelry, medals or trinkets, in a shadow box with labels or captions to give context. My aunt has some of her in-laws’ old teaspoons displayed in a shadow box.

Convert Heirlooms Into Art or Functional Items

If you’re crafty, perhaps you can repurpose antique items into something practical. Turn a silverware set into wind chimes. Transform a vintage suitcase into a stylish side table. An old vase could become a candle.

Put Together a Family Heirloom Cookbook

Collect old and new family recipes and create a cookbook, incorporating photos and stories about the recipes’ creators. You could make a physical and digital version of the cookbook to accommodate older and younger generations.

If Your Heirs Still Don’t Want the Family Heirlooms

You may find that no matter how you transform or preserve your family’s heirlooms, your kids may still not be interested in them. Here are a few other things you can do with them.

Create a Family History Display

Design a dedicated area in your home to showcase heirlooms alongside photographs and stories of their original owners. This could spark interest in family history among younger members.

Go Digital

Take photos of family heirlooms and digitize old photographs and documents to create a digital family archive that all generations can share and enjoy.

Donate Heirlooms to a Museum or Historical Society

If your family has a strong connection to a specific region or cultural group, consider donating the heirlooms to a museum or historical society to help preserve your family’s legacy.

Related Articles

• 8 Tips for Leaving Heirlooms Without Causing a Family Fight
• Dividing Up Family Heirlooms When Downsizing
• The Equitable Distribution of Family Heirlooms

Reviewed January 2024

About the Author

Andrea Norris-McKnight took over as the editor of The Dollar Stretcher and After 50 Finances after working for the previous editor for almost 15 years. She has also written for Money.com, GOBankingRates.com, HavenLife.com and The Sacramento Bee.