21 ways to use vintage treasures as home storage solutions

When it comes to my home, there are two things I feel very strongly about: I love vintage. Choosing vintage furnishings & décor allows me to create a style that is exactly my own, from a combination if different eras. As an added bonus, the vintage goodies have proven to be well-made (how else would they have lasted this long?) and I’m doing good for the environment by using something that’s already in circulation, rather than shopping for newly manufactured products. But I hate knick-knacks. If an item’s sole function in my house is to sit on a surface and collect dust, it won’t last through one of my [frequent + ruthless] purging sessions. The name of my business is “Rosy Blu”, and BLU stands for Beautiful, Loved and Useful–if something doesn’t meet these three criteria, it’s won’t likely make it into my shopping basket. But luckily, these two strong inclinations can diverge. Here are 20 ways to use and repurpose vintage finds into excellent storage solutions for your home:

1. China plates, large or small can be used as plant saucers to catch water under plant pots 
   
2. Keep a china saucer or small tray next to your shower or bathtub to hold jewelry and hair bands while you bathe
3. Keep a small custard cup or bowl next to the kitchen sink to hold your rings while you’re washing dishes
4. Use a tea cup and saucer as a quirky pot for a small succulent plant
5. Or, if you prefer, a tea cup makes a lovely candle holder (simply place a tea light inside, or go all out by pouring melted wax over a wick to make your own)
6. Use vintage mason jars as impromptu flower vases
   
7. Mason jars are also great for storing leftovers
8. Vintage jars and bottles make beautiful storage for homemade household products (shameless plug: I recently published an ebook with 12 super-simple, non-toxic DIY cleaning, body care & pantry products. Learn more at www.idontbuythat.com)
9. Using a tray will magically make a collection of different objects look like it belongs together, on a countertop or table surface, for example.
   
10. Use a large flat tray near your front entry to collect mail (preferably with a vintage wastebasket underneath!)
11. Vintage Tupperware with lots of compartments is great for organizing the junk drawer—fill the compartments with office supplies, pens, keys and other odds and ends that don’t fit anywhere else.
    
12. Vintage condiment containers, like jars, bottles & crocks still make excellent storage for condiments, with the added bonus that you can gaze on a lovely container rather than a flimsy plastic one.
    
13. Vintage biscuit tins come in all shapes and sizes.  The one pictured is a great size for storing tea bags in the pantry
    
14.  Use a wide, shallow biscuit tin on your coffee table to store stacks of printed photos, safe from dust, but easily accessible when you want to flip through them.
15. Use a vintage canister on the kitchen counter to store chargers and devices out of sight when they’re not being used
16. Vintage canisters and jars of all sizes make perfect pantry storage.
17. Vintage canisters can also be used in other areas of the home, too: for crayons, nail polish or sewing notions, for example.
18. Use a lovely decanter or bottle with a cork lid to hold mouthwash next to the bathroom sink
19. Use a pretty vintage bowl to display fresh fruit on your kitchen table (and BONUS! Promote healthy eating when family walks by)
20. Vintage jars, bottles or pottery of all sizes make great collectors for loose change
    
21. Use small jars with wide lids to store cotton balls, q-tips and other odds & ends in the bathroom cabinet

Michelle Urbick is the creator of Rosy Blu, and she’s on a mission to bring homemaking back (and make it fun, easy and beautiful). Visit her website, her vintage shop or learn about her new ebook: I Don’t Buy That.