gingham rose

I have always been drawn to old-fashioned things, and perhaps the period I am most particularly fascinated by is the Victorian Era. Often in this fast-paced world I look towards the Victorians and their love of nature and art, their obsession with beauty, and their strange and morbid preoccupation with death and the supernatural, and somehow it reminds me of all that is beautiful and interesting in life. There are certainly many aspects of Victorian life which one would not like to emulate (for example, consuming arsenic to achieve paler skin), yet there are still many lovely bits and pieces of it that are not too difficult to include in our modern lives. Here are a few ideas of Victorian-inspired magic you can use to make your life a little more enchanting.

#1: Press flowers or leaves.

You don’t need to purchase fancy hothouse flowers for this; any wildflowers you find growing will do just as well! There are so many things you can do with the flowers once they are pressed. You could use them in a scrapbook or journal, or perhaps create a pressed flower bookmark. If you want to be very Victorian then you may want to study floriography, or the Language of Flowers, and incorporate this into a letter or gift for someone special.

#2: Make a sentimental jewelry piece.

Purchase or make a locket necklace—perhaps you could find a vintage locket at a flea market or antique sale. Consider using the hair of a loved one and fashioning it into a plait to be incorporated into the jewelry. Though we may find it strange now, hair jewelry was immensely popular in the Victorian era, particularly as a form of mourning a deceased love one. If you are squeamish about using human hair, you could always go with the classic miniature portrait. In particular, silhouettes look very discreet and elegant.

#3: Take afternoon tea.

Pick a time in the afternoon, preferably sometime after lunch but before 5. Lay out linens if you have any and bring out the kettle, teapot, and porcelain cups and saucers. The Victorians would most often drink Chinese or Indian Assam teas, strong black teas that are well complimented by milk and sugar. Traditional accompaniments include hot buttered crumpets, cream cakes, madeleines, and finger sandwiches. If it is a weekday you likely have just come home from work and are too tired to arrange an elaborate tea service, and that’s okay. The point is to create a relaxing and rejuvenating ritual to soften that late-afternoon drowsiness, while simultaneously staving off hunger until a later dinner. On working days I keep my teatimes simple with buttered toast and jam—easy to make, but very satisfying to eat.

#4: Read by candlelight.

It’s easy to take modern electrical lighting for granted, but there is something special about reading a book with nothing but the flame of a candle to see by. Next evening that you choose to recline with a novel, try turning off the lights and lighting a candle. The natural light produced by the flame has a soft, warm color compared to electrical lightbulbs and it has a very soothing effect. If you live somewhere that you cannot light candles then you could buy plastic LED tealights, they are cheap and usually have a relaxing flickering effect to simulate a real candle.

#5: Hand-write someone a letter.

The art of letter-writing is sadly not put into practice very often as it has been heavily replaced by the more convenient methods of communication of email and text-messaging. But receiving a handwritten letter from a friend feels infinitely more special and tender than any kindly-worded email one might receive. There are so many options for creating your letter and so much opportunity for creativity. Drawings and sketches are a wonderful way to adorn a letter but if you are not confident in your artistic abilities there are all varieties and styles of stickers you can use instead. Take care when writing your letter, I usually draft mine out ahead of time on the computer or a notebook before committing to putting my pen to the paper. If you are feeling particularly ornate you could write using a fountain pen, and seal the envelope with a wax seal.

#6: Surround yourself with lace.

The Victorians were obsessed with lace—not just on their clothing, but they also used it to furnish their homes. Most modern clothing is sadly lacking in this beautiful fabric, but perhaps you could sew your own, or search for vintage pieces. Lolita fashion brands like Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Victorian Maiden also produce pieces with high quality and beautiful lace. If wearing lace on your body doesn’t quite suit you, you can look into adding more lace to your room using lace doilies, or perhaps purchasing lace at a craft-store and fashioning your own lace trimmings with which to adorn your furniture or curtains.

#7: Collect ferns.

Pteridomania or fern-fever was a fad in the Victorian era for collecting and studying ferns, particularly popular among young women. These beautiful and ancient plants are still quite commonplace and affordable. If you live near a forested area you could even forage for ferns yourself.

#8: Learn a new handicraft.

Just about every woman in the Victorian Era was proficient in some type of handicraft. Not only it was necessary for women to be able to sew clothes for themselves and their family, but making things by hand was also a hobby and a way of passing the time. Sewing is probably the most practical skill, and one should at least know how to mend a loose button. Other ideas include embroidery, knitting, cross-stitch, and calligraphy.