Last Updated on February 20, 2024 by Stacy Averette
We all have those small items we occasionally need for a project in our home but can’t ever seem to find because they’re lost in a junk drawer that’s a bottomless pit of random stuff. I hate it when that happens, don’t you?
I have a solution! Vintage Tin Canisters are one of my favorite storage hacks because they’re practical and pretty. I thought it would be fun to share a few from my collection and show you how I use them as storage to create my cozy, collected vintage style.
Practical and Pretty
Keeping my home decluttered and organized is a never-ending process. I have my share of clear storage boxes tucked away in closets but I love to display pretty vintage treasures that are also useful. Vintage Tin Canisters are a perfect solution. You can find them at yard sales, thrift stores, or antique stores for just a few dollars and repurpose them as storage containers for small items you want to keep in one place. I have quite a few in my collection and use them to corral tubes of glue (crazy glue, shoe glue, fabric glue, wood glue), rolls of tape (wrapping tape, painter’s tape, masking tape), command strips (all sizes), office supplies (file labels, scissors, stamps), and so much more.
You could even make pretty labels to help you remember what’s inside each one. I have a P-touch label maker and need to make some labels for my vintage tins. (I usually know where things are but Eric has trouble finding stuff when I “hide” it in a pretty container.)
Vintage Plaster of Paris
My grandmother gave me this vintage tin many years ago. She’d had it tucked away in a box in her “back room” for who knows how long. It’s my favorite tin canister in my collection and it’s held these old silk flowers for as long as I can remember. I think of her every time I see it. She was such an inspiration to me as a young girl and a vintage-loving homemaker. We spent hours riding the back roads going to rummage sales and “junk stores” looking for treasures. She would love to see how I’ve repurposed these treasures.
A Matching Set
The red rose canisters belonged to my grandmother, too, and I’m so happy to have the set. The large canister keeps rolls of tape handy, the medium one has various tubes of glue, and the small one holds wire pliers and wire cutters I use for making and repairing jewelry and other DIY projects.
Pantry Staples
This is another set I’ve had for years that I found at a thrift store. The large “flour” tin was the perfect container for a small fir tree last Christmas. (I know I took a photo but I can’t seem to find it!)
I use the copper ones to keep command strips, glitter, and other craft supplies handy.
Colorful Laundry Room
A pretty little tin is a great way to store scent beads or dryer sheets in the laundry room. As you can tell I prefer not to use the original plastic containers. Making spaces like the laundry room pretty is really simple and relatively inexpensive.
Cooking Pretty
I often use coconut oil for cooking but hate the ugly container on my countertop. My solution is to scoop the coconut oil out of its container and into a glass jar that fits inside this pretty vintage tin. It looks so much lovelier than the boring plastic one and I save the thick plastic coconut oil containers for storing leftovers in the fridge.
Herb Garden
Smaller tins are also perfect for planting herbs and enjoying them on the kitchen window sill. The container is pretty and the herbs smell so good!
Go On a Treasure Hunt
I hope I’ve inspired you to get creative and go on a treasure hunt for vintage tin canisters. I see them everywhere and if you start looking you will, too. When I find one I love I don’t always immediately know how I will use it but I buy it anyway. I always tell my friends who ask, “Should I buy this?”
Buy what speaks to your soul.
If you can afford it, buy it! You’ll find a way to use it or wear it! Pretty vintage tins almost always speak to me!
Surround yourself with beautiful things. Make your life a creative reflection of who you are and what you love.
Here’s a pin to share and save for later!
With the winter holidays right around the corner, it is time to begin putting away my vintage Halloween collections. I love these little Halloween goodies and honestly I am always a little sad to see them go. However, I know that with the proper care and a little effort, these pieces will remain safe and will be ready to go again next year! With that in mind, I am sharing a few of the techniques that I use to store my very favorite vintage collections. These tips will work for all of your seasonal holiday decor, from Vintage Valentines to Vintage Christmas. While I know that some of these tips are just common sense, I am sharing all of my steps below!
The very first thing to do is to find a proper location inside your home to store these delicate items. Because I live in the south, I try to avoid storing things in the heat, in the humidity, and in the direct sunlight. I recommend finding a cool, dry, dark environment inside your home. It is best to keep collectables at a room temperature between 68 to 75 degrees. You also want to avoid humid areas as well. Humidity levels should rest between 35% and 65%. I do not recommend storing valuable collections in the attic, basement, or garage. I keep my most precious vintage collections in a closet inside our home.
As I well know, sometimes you can run out of room in your home to store things – especially if you like antiques and vintage. If you choose to rent a storage unit to store valuable collections, make sure that the unit is climate controlled. Outdoor storage units are great for most items, but vintage collections should be in a climate controlled unit to adjust for humidity and temperature.
You must use care when packing vintage collections away for the next season. I always try to protect my pieces as best I can – from the elements and from each other. Over the years, I have had items get damaged while simply sitting in the closet. (For example, I had a candle melt – yes inside the house- onto a very special greeting card.) In order to avoid accident like this from happening again, I take great care in packing away my pieces individually.
Things that I use to pack individual items away include:
Over time, these things can collect dust. I like to clean off my items before I pack them away. I have found that even just a damp cloth on most things work well. I also like to use these pointed cosmetic swabs to get into ‘tight corners.’
After I have carefully wrapped up each item, I then pack things away in groupings. I like to use really sturdy containers such as plastic totes, plastic tubs, and cardboard moving boxes. I have even used banana boxes! (While I do use cardboard boxes, I prefer using plastic totes and bins because they seal up tightly). These boxes help to keep things organized and offer a lot of protection as well. I pack similar items together inside these boxes and when I am putting them into the closet, I try to put the lightest ones on top!
I like to leave a little extra space in each of my collections so that I can add to them as I shop throughout the year. That way, when it is time to decorate for a specific holiday, all of the items – both old purchases and new purchases – are all together and ready to go!
Because I wrap most everything individually, I have found that labeling each box helps a lot. It is so nice to go into my closet and immediately be able to tell what is inside of each of them. I also number my boxes. For example, if I have three boxes of Gurley candles, then I will write ‘BOX 1 OF 3, etc…”.
Over the years I have taken a photo of that year’s ‘display.’ I then print off the picture and put it inside the box. This makes it very easy for me to “recreate the look” the next season if I chose.