When it comes to home improvement, many Catholic families incorporate one or more religious items in every room. These pieces, whether they are statues, figurines, icons, or bas relief pictures, are there for more than just aesthetics. Every item has an underlying significance whether it is as a statement of faith or perhaps a prayer of intercession to that saint or angel. If you are doing a bit of redecorating or renovation, you might want to consider one of these traditional ways to use sacred icons in your home décor.
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1. Above Doorways as a Reminder of God’s Protection
While you will often find a crucifix over a doorway that is a symbol of the Lord’s protection against the evils of the world, you will also find various sacred icons in lieu of a crucifix. They may typically be sacred icons of the crucified Christ, but you can also find various saints that are said to be the patron saint of a religious intention you are praying for. When seeking religious items to improve your home, start with the blessings and protection of every room as signified by that sacred icon hanging above the entry door.
2. Fabergé Style Eggs with Hand-Painted Icons
These are among the loveliest of traditions in sacred icons. The eggs are standing on a pedestal with a flat slice across the egg where a sacred image can be painted. Fabergé style eggs are often decorated with gilded gold around the circumference, and these can be just as delicate as an authentic Fabergé egg, but obviously not nearly as expensive.
3. Religious Magnets to Hold Prayer Cards and Memos
Bearing in mind that a sacred icon is a picture of what humanity perceives as the images of Christ, the Holy Family, saints and angels, religious magnets make the perfect place to express one’s faith. No one on earth in this generation or for the past 2,000 years has actually viewed the real image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, sacred icons are painted by faithful believers over the centuries to represent their understanding of His countenance. From angels to saints, the Holy Family and representations of important Biblical events like the Last Supper or the Wedding Feast at Cana, there are icons on magnets that can hold memos or prayer cards to the refrigerator.
4. Tapestries to Hang on Walls or as Furniture Throws
Here is an amazing way to display sacred icons in home improvement and décor. There are tapestries of the Sacred Heart, the Blessed Virgin, angels, saints, and again, representations of Biblical events such as Moses with the Ten Commandments, the Last Supper, and the Wedding Feast at Cana. These can be hung on walls or as throws over a chair or sofa, but they are one of the loveliest ways to use sacred icons as a statement of faith.
If you are in the midst of redecorating or renovating your home and would like to include sacred icons in your décor, any of these ways would make the perfect improvement to any home and in any room.
