In Lithuania, we have an old tradition: the making of a young woman’s kraičio skrynia — her dowry chest. It was a wooden chest filled with woven table linens, towels, and bedding that she and the women of her family would create together in preparation for her marriage. This was not merely a practical collection of household goods. Each thread held within it the hopes, blessings, and whispered prayers of generations of women before her.
In my culture, this chest was prepared over months, sometimes years, before a girl’s wedding. Together with her mother, sisters, and grandmother, she would weave tablecloths, bedding, and towels to take with her to her new home. The process was not merely about filling a chest with useful things — it was a quiet, loving act of emotional preparation for a new life chapter.
Each woman who joined in the work left her mark in thread and spirit. Ancient Baltic symbols — of the sun, the tree of life, and the cross of harmony — were carefully woven into the patterns, carrying layers of meaning: wishes for fertility, health, prosperity, happiness, and protection.
When the young bride finally left her childhood home, she took with her these handmade textiles, infused with her family’s blessings. Though she might be moving far away, the soft linen carried her origins, her mother’s touch, and her grandmother’s wisdom. In every towel and tablecloth lived the unseen but enduring support of her birth family — a comforting reminder that love travels with you, even as life transforms.
This beautiful tradition that is part of my own cultural heritage reminds me that the patterns we create are more than decoration — they are symbols of care, connection, and continuity.
This is the inspiration behind my creative workshops for hen parties. Together, we’ll recreate a modern version of the kraičio skrynia — a “mini dowry chest” for the bride-to-be. Each guest will design her own artwork under my guidance, and I’ll have it printed on beautiful linen tea towels. Every design will produce two towels: one for its maker, and one for the bride.
Just like in the old days, the bride’s textiles will be full of love, meaning, and well-wishes from the women closest to her. Each tea towel will carry a story — of friendship, creativity, and shared hope for her new beginnings.
Traditions evolve, but their essence stays the same. The way we express care, the way we gather, the way we create beauty together — these threads are timeless. With these workshops, I hope to create a calm, intentional space for the bride and her closest friends to pause, reflect, and celebrate this important life transition together.