Here is a website that I feel provides the most complete list of ideas in creating a home altar. It is a "Traditional" Catholic website:
http://www.fisheaters.com/domesticchurch.html
There is not much really else to add to the list, but I found some things that might be of interest to my own.
There are some general ideas for discussion about the domesticated church and how the "Family Altar" or "Prayer Closet" is incorporated.
So the first natural question is going to be:
1) Who here has their own "home altar?"
2 A) If you do have one, what does it include? (icons, crucifix, prayer kneeler, etc.)
2B) if you do not have a home alter, what do you use to help bring about family devotions? (i.e. do you set a time (after dinner, right before bedtime) or stage a mood (play some music, light a candle, dim the lights) prior to reading scripture or say a Christian cl***ic like "Pilgrim's Progress" or "In His Steps" or "My Utmost For His Highest?)
3) Is a home altar a good idea?
A1) does it work for you and your family those that have created one?
A2) Are there any other suggestions that might be useful to add to your prayer closet?
B1) for that that do not have one, What kinds of objections do you have concerning it?
B2) What kinds of things might you adapt into your own prayer closet that is suggested by the website, or what kinds of suggestions might you include that is not on the website.
My answers are as follows:
1) I sort of have one, but it is a temporary and growing one. Something I can set up easy on the go.
2) I own a few icons... San Damiano Crucifix, icons of Christ, the Theotokos, St. Basil the Great with St. John Chrysostom, the Nativity of Christ, Sts Patrick, Francis of ***isi, and Joan of Arc seperately. For traveling, I own a small Dipytich of Christ and the Theotokos.
Various prayer ropes... an Orthodox Jesus Prayer rope, Dominican Rosary, Franciscan Crown, Anglican rosary... to name a few.
Of course, I have several books on prayer and devotionals... Imitation of Christ, Dark Night of the Soul, plenty of Scripture, and the four volume Liturgy of the Hours.
I have a black marble vase for liturgical flowers and a black marble bowl I can use as a baptismal font.
I also have something I bought from Iraq that is uniquely muslim, but I am going to use it for my home altar... it is a lined box with the top has some folding arms that prop up to be used to place the scriptures on. Imagine it with a "V" shape that turns into a sort of "M" or upsidedown "W" and can collapse flat. I have various sizes of some wooden stands that when propped open looks like a "X" and collapses into an "I" or imagine like a "H" shaped where the middle is interlapped. Hard to show without a picture.
I believe I have attached a picture of the "X" shaped one. I'll use the box for Scripture, and the others for the Imitation of Christ and the Liturgy of the Hours.
Will be using votive candles in front of icons.
A few holy cards with Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed, Prayer for Peace (attributed wrongly to St. Francis of ***isi, but definitely Franciscan)
3) I believe the family altar helps focus our senses on the things of God. I hope to get a censure to burn some incense, might have a salt box and get some sea salt blessed. In this way, I can have the sense of taste to remind me that we are the salt of the earth and the sense of smell with the incense and the smoke rising to remind me of our prayers offered up to God as Revelations mentions. I have already added an idea for the home altar not mentioned in the site in using the book stands.