Granny’s Floral Print Apron: An Apron with a Legacy

When you think about your family history and the items your loved ones used, what comes to mind? Granny’s floral print apron is one of the things that stands out to me! 

In my mind, Granny’s floral print apron could have come right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. It gives me the same cozy feeling as that beautiful artwork.

The Purpose of Aprons

If you ever step foot in an old fashioned cafe, you will probably see aprons being used. Of course they protect clothing when cooking and cleaning. They usually have pockets to hold things such as order tickets and pens. They may be used as a hot pad on occasion, and they may even wipe up messes before the day is over.

When I see how useful they are, it makes me wonder why I have never really used one, especially when it seems as if I may have an apron collection problem. I didn’t even realize!

Does Anyone Still Use Aprons?

Aprons are not as widely used today as they used to be, but they are not obsolete. A friend of mine, Kelly, uses aprons on a regular basis. She has been known to give them as gifts for birthdays or during the holiday season.

Aprons were also required on various mission trips. When you think about it, they not only protect you, but they could also be protecting the food you are serving to others.

I love the picture above of Evelyn in the little purple apron. We stopped in for ice cream one year at a local coffee shop, and they were letting kids decorate cookies for Easter. That was a fun spur of the moment event!

Granny’s Apron History 

My grandmother Grace, grew up during the Great Depression. She learned to use things in a variety of ways. They truly knew how to recycle!

Some of the things she recycled were dresses. Once the dresses were no longer hand-me-downs, they would be used to make quilts, rag dolls, and aprons. I am sure they found other uses as well. They were very resourceful.

When she had her living estate sale, I got so many things! Everything had a special meaning! Several of the things I got were her aprons. I got one that has a fancy special look to it. It is a light pink sheer with lace. It is beautiful. 

However, the one I treasure is this beautiful half apron. This apron was made from one of her old dresses, and it has a very retro feel to it. The material is a cotton mix with coral, brown, and pink roses on it, along with square pockets. It is hanging in my kitchen for decoration, but I can’t bring myself to use it. I don’t want anything to happen to it. 

I often wonder about the history of that dress and apron. Where has it been? Was it a dress that she wore to church or just around the house?

I wonder what messes she may have wiped up with it as an apron? Did she cook family dinners wearing that apron? I guess I will never know.

Other Special Aprons

Years ago my other grandmother, Ruby made me an apron out of a towel (it is a fun apron). Not too long ago I was cooking in my Dollywood sweatshirt, and I did not want to mess it up. Instead of changing, I grabbed that apron. Because it covered most of the shirt, it kept it fully protected!

There is another special apron in our family. When our son passed away in 2019, his daughter was almost one. A friend of my daughter-in-law asked for a pair of Jacob’s jeans. She made Evelyn an apron from his jeans. What a precious little girls apron gift! What is even more special about it is that he was a chef, so aprons and chef jackets were a part of his regular wardrobe. 

Granny’s Apron and Home with Grace and Joy

As many of you know, the “Grace” in Home with Grace and Joy is my grandmother. After starting this blog, I met a very creative friend (Jill) who helped me get my website set up and designed. In our conversation one night, Granny’s apron got brought up. She had an idea to do something special with it. She took a few pictures of the floral print apron, and now you can see it everywhere! 

I challenge you to find it in:

• The background of some of the pictures I share
• My Instagram icons
• Banner backgrounds on almost every page of the website
• As the border of the physical banner I had made
• On display at vendor fairs and events

I am glad Jill had a vision for Granny’s apron, because now I see it daily. When I see it, I always think of Granny!

“The History of Grandma’s Apron”

(Author Unknown but inspired by Grandma’s Apron by Tina Trivett)

I don’t know if you have read this poem before or not. It is wonderful! Because of copyright laws, I am only sharing a few verses. However, you can find both of the poems in their entirety linked below.

A Few Lines That Stand Out to Me:

• “It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.” 😂
• “From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.”
• “When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy children.”
• “From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.”

The poem is so lovely and ends with this true statement:

“It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.”

I encourage you to read the full poem here. It is heart-warming!

Where to Find Cute Aprons

Although aprons don’t seem to be used as much as they were back then, I still find them all the time, so keep your eyes open. These are just a few of the places you can find them:

• Estate Sales (Look at this fun apron – It is a personalized apron with students’ names on it for a teacher.) Another idea would be to have all of the grandchildren’s names and maybe even handprints on an apron.

• Vintage and Antique Stores (I love the Christmas apron in the middle!)

• Temu – Surprised! Expect 2-3 weeks for delivery. These are too cute though!

• Department Stores – I was surprised to find so many. There are some adorable ones, and they come in a variety of price ranges.

If you are looking for an apron, here are a few that I found. There are so many to choose from, so I am only sharing a few.

They are all so cute!

Link to Cute Floral Set of 2 Aprons at Wal-Mart (Very Inexpensive!)
Link to Set of 12 Aprons
Flower and Love Aprons (Very inexpensive from Amazon)
Link to the tiered flowered apron

They come in different sizes and shapes. You can get an old fashioned cobbler style apron or a half apron at many of those places. I have even seen where you can order a custom apron, choosing the material, design, and style. Delivery time will be increased for a personalized apron, so keep that in mind. Etsy would be a great place to start!

Join Us

Join me each week as I share faith, food, and family recipes & ideas (all through the legacy of Grace and Joy). Sign up below to receive them directly to your email address.

What about you?

Do you wear aprons?
Do you have any of your grandmother’s aprons that have been passed down?
Will your family see your apron the same way I see this one?

I would love to hear your stories! Please share your thoughts and grandmother stories!

Related Posts

How to Preserve and Pass Down Your Family History
Showers of Blessings
How to Preserve Family Recipes with Sentiment

Until next time,

disclosure: Amazon affiliate advertising program (and other affiliate links) are used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure and privacy policy on the website. 

“Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.” Genesis 9:3