Wull,
sometimes I like the 'idea' of an altar. I mean a place where you put things, little signs to yourself about what you like or love or want to like or love.
But.
I actually don't know, why I like this idea. I don't have one, an altar I mean. And I don't want to get all fouled up in some existential molasses/morass about worship. I have a propensity to worship but, that I have put aside for the time being.
But a sign to myself, that might be good.

You who have altars, why do you make them? What do they do for you or mean to you? Is making an altar, I mean, let's face it. Some people in this world would come and see your altar and say, 'What's that for?' What would you tell them? Or do you only have people see it who would already understand it?

I think some people have altars from the time they're little kids; they're always collecting little things that are magic to them and they don't even have a vocabulary for saying why. And others have altars under their beds in a little casket-box. (or in their sock drawer, underneath the socks) On the other end of the scale might be people who step out into their door-yard and see the sky as that.
Or their mud-season road. Or their work-desk.

So, I guess an altar is a place you focus, to enhance that somehow.
You tell me. Thanks.

You have some of the reasons right there in your post. I think some of it varies person to person. Some people make altars even though they have no belief in a Divine Being. It's a place to affirm values/hopes/aspirations/goals/loves and so on. For some it is as simple as family pictures on top of a table, because family is the center of their being. For me, rocks are always present somewhere, on almost any tabletop, in addition to being on the altar I use for ritual and worship. I have various kinds of altars, both mundane and spiritual. I might create a temporary altar for a magical working. I use a safe place like my stove top for a healing candle and I have a Kuan Yin deity on the back of the stove, overlooking my cooking endeavors and spells there.

I could probably write a book about altars of all kinds (I have one outdoors also), and others have done so.

Thanks Tapati. I like Kwan Yin. I have a picture of her. Maybe it should go at the back of the stove to overlook my cooking and spills. I don't dare do spells.

Thanks though. Rocks. Yeah. Rose quartz.

I'm one of those who can't go without an altar, in the sense Tapati was speaking of, not necessarily holy, but a sort of a focus.

Right now, I have a small elemental altar in one corner of my kitchen, with rocks, water, candles, incense and a sandalwood fan. In the other corner there is my HK kitchen altar I am still fond of, with a little Murali Krishna, my guru and Gauranga. It's falling out of use, though, and I think it's only a matter of time before I change it into something Goddess-wise.
I am also thinking of arranging a family-altar in my bedroom, with kids, husband and my (female) ancestors (and perhaps dad, because he's really one great person!)
When I'm out with my kids, we make altar-like structures with stones and flowers, like mementos of some sort.