Stroll along the thrift store shelves and you’ll probably encounter numerous tiny jewelry dishes. While sifting through them, you might stumble upon a couple of charmingly old-fashioned ones that capture your attention completely. Before long, you could end up with several fashionable but budget-friendly dishes. Nonetheless, ensure they aren’t left unused. You might place one at your entrance for holding keys or in your bedroom to showcase fragrances. This is merely an excerpt from the 19 inventive methods to repurpose and decorate with these retro finds throughout your house.
Many advantages come from choosing to repurpose and decorate secondhand vintage trays. Primarily, this approach offers an eco-friendly and budget-conscious choice because you’re utilizing something previously owned. These old-fashioned trinket trays vary widely in size, composition, and design, allowing for seamless integration into your home’s decor. They can feature materials such as metals, woods, ceramics, and even silver. Given their past life in another household, ensure thorough cleaning and disinfection before incorporating them into yours. The method depends on the material; use options ranging from glass cleaners and specialized metal cleansers to sanitizing wipes or simply water mixed with light detergent. Handle each piece delicately due to potential fragility. Afterward, allow sufficient drying time prior to display.
Read more:
Ways to Decorate Your Space with 12 Popular thrift Store Finds
Hold Your Jewelry
As a
method to streamline and arrange your jewelry collection for extra functional storage
Place your trinket tray where you often remove your accessories. Use this for smaller items like earrings, brooches, rings, and bracelets to ensure they stay organized and do not get misplaced. Although you could put necklaces on it too, be cautious as they might become tangled with each other or their chains. Position this tray on your nightstand, dressing table, in the bathroom, or anywhere convenient for when you take off your jewelry.
Put a candle on top
Enhance your candle with an ornamental touch by positioning a trinket dish beneath it. Candles often appear rather simple on their own. To introduce more depth and style into your decor, set your antique dish below them instead. Use this arrangement as a focal point for tables, nightstands, or countertops. If using bigger dishes paired with small candles, include a matchbox nearby. With smaller plates, opt for tea light candles to sidestep concerns over melted wax drippings.
Utilize as a Serving Tray
Given that trinket trays vary widely in size, they can be repurposed stylishly as serving trays for meals. You could arrange tiny bites such as pastries and cookies on them. Alternatively, you might use one as a butter dish. However, always ensure thorough cleaning post-use. Additionally, verify that your trinket tray is safe for contact with food since certain older items featuring paint or glazing might contain lead.
Display Your Plants
Enhance your room’s charm with your thrifted vintage trinket tray by turning it into a charming mini garden. Place this decorative piece on a tabletop, countertop, or windowsill and arrange small potted plants atop it. Succulents work wonderfully as they require minimal care. Ensure you choose a sturdy option such as metal that can withstand exposure to sunlight, water, and soil without rusting. Regularly cleaning the tray will help prevent discoloration and inhibit mold development.
Hold Your Cosmetics
Don’t let your bottles clutter your vanity or countertop; instead, use a vintage trinket tray to keep them neatly organized.
clever method to arrange your makeup area
,, you might consider placing your antique tray below to accommodate your fragrances, moisturizers, and various cosmetic containers. This approach allows for an elegant showcase of both cherished designer items as well as those long-neglected ones. By incorporating such a tray onto your countertop, you shield it from potential damage caused by cosmetics—particularly perfumes containing oil which could discolor your dresser over time.
Design a Focal Point for a Coffee Table
Seamlessly
decorate your coffee table
By incorporating your antique tray into the centerpiece. Place your tray at the middle of your coffee table in the living room. Next, put an embellishment such as a bouquet of flowers or a pile of periodicals to enhance the area’s aesthetics. Additionally, you could utilize the tray for organizing small objects like TV remotes and drink holders. An old-fashioned tray can further safeguard wooden or glass surfaces against marks and various forms of harm.
Place a bar of soap on top
Enhance your bathroom’s appeal by placing a tray beneath your soap dish. This not only adds an elegant touch but also keeps your countertop free from spills and residue, simplifying the cleanup process. Remember to regularly clean the tray itself to avoid bacterial growth. Given the humid environment of the bathroom, opt for hygienic, non-absorbent materials such as porcelain, ceramics, or plastics.
Include As Dish Soap
Maintain an organized look for your dish soaps by positioning a vintage trinket tray beneath them. Should there be extra room in the tray, utilize it to store items such as sponges, drain stoppers, and scrubbers, providing each item a specific place post-cleaning. Given the high-moisture environment, opt for non-absorbent materials like ceramics, porcelains, and plastics. Keep in mind that regular cleaning of this storage area will be necessary since soap residue and germs may accumulate over time.
Place It Beside Your Bed
A great way
to decorate your nightstand
The idea is to position your antique trinket tray atop the piece of furniture. These vintage trays bring sophistication and character to your room. They serve as an ideal resting place for items like your mobile phone, eyeglasses, wristwatch, and television remote control. Should your nightstand be crafted from wood, using a tray can help shield the surface against scuffs, ring marks, and various forms of damage. Enhance this setup further with additional touches such as a reading light, a decorative plant, literature, or personal artifacts.
Position the salt and pepper shakers on top.
Enhance your dining experience by placing a decorative trinket tray atop your kitchen table to corral your salt and pepper shakers. This approach not only adds a stylish touch but also allows you to creatively reuse a vintage find from your collection. It keeps everything neatly organized for convenient access and simplifies cleanup as well, allowing you to easily lift the tray and tidy up what’s beneath. Additionally, the tray shields your tabletop from potential spills or residues left behind by seasoning use.
Design a Utensil Holder for Cooking Spoons
Avoid having stains and spills on your countertops by utilizing an old trinket tray as a resting spot for spoons. Opt for materials such as ceramic, glass, or metal—these options are both safe for contact with food and simple to clean. Placing these items can help prevent germ transmission from surfaces like your countertop or stovetop during meal preparation. Be cautious though; some antique trays might require gentle handling due to their fragility. Hence, it’s advisable to rinse them manually post every usage rather than tossing them into the dishwasher.
Showcase It as a Decorative Element
Occasionally, you might not require using a tray to carry items; instead, consider styling one as an attractive feature within your living area. Position antique trinket trays decoratively atop shelves or mount them on brackets along walls to infuse character into any room. Choose a tray that complements the theme of what you’re showcasing. This approach allows you to integrate your tray seamlessly into nearly every corner of your abode.
Hold Your Small Collections
Are you fond of collecting marbles, stamps, stickers, and similar tiny objects? An excellent method to organize your collection is by arranging them on a repurposed trinket dish. Place this display on a shelf or countertop. Enhance its appearance with additional decor for an elevated look. Ensure the selected tray offers enough depth to prevent your items from spilling over. Various strategies can help preserve your collection, such as showcasing figurines or ensuring easy access without misplacing things.
Store Tea Supplies
If vintage trays bring thoughts of tea to mind, they can be beautifully styled and reused as organizers for your teatime essentials. Place them near your kettle to corral items such as tea bags, jars filled with loose leaf teas, teacups, petite teaspoons, and sugar cubes. These trays serve not only an aesthetic purpose but also act functionally by safeguarding surfaces against drips, moisture marks, scuffs, and more. Additionally, using a tray simplifies carrying both your teacup and saucer effortlessly throughout your house.
Hold Your Spices
Enhance your kitchen’s appeal by using a shallow tray to organize your frequently used spices. Place essential items such as salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the tray. Position it atop your stove, beside your countertop, inside a drawer, or within a cabinet. Elevate this idea further by converting your round vintage tray into a functional lazy Susan.
Use It in Your Lounge Area
A fun way
to adorn your bar cart
Place a vintage tray either on the countertop or within your shopping cart, then arrange shot glasses along with various bar tools atop it. Alternatively, you could position several bottles or drinking glasses onto the tray to add depth. Whenever visitors arrive, transport this ensemble complete with signature cocktails using said tray. Even diminutive decorative trays may serve as holders for supplementary items such as salt and lime wedges meant for enhancing drinks.
Position On A Desktop At Work
Fed up with struggling to locate a paperclip? Keep all those tiny objects on your desk organized by using an elegant antique tray. Use this tray to store Post-its, paperclips, pushpins, binder clips, and even pens. Position it atop your desktop for easy access to frequently used items. Alternatively, if your workspace includes a drawer, you could slide the tray inside to further streamline your area.
Include On Your Hall Table
You can add a
upscale feel for your entrance hall even with thrifty finds
By using your retro tray both as an accent piece and organizational tool, enhance your foyer’s aesthetic. Place the tray atop your console table at the entrance. Enhance its appeal by arranging potted plants, literature, a lighting fixture, and additional ornamental items around it to create a cohesive look. Whenever you return home, use the tray to deposit your keys, wallet, or coins right away, establishing a designated spot for these essentials upon entering. Additionally, having everything centralized within the tray simplifies tidying up.
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