Playdate part 2: Think outside of the box…

 Think outside of the box… or the container or the cloche, or whatever you are using for display purposes, think outside of it!

There are so many awesome vintage things out there, so many ways to re-use those wonderful things from the past. Use them, maybe not how they were intended but re-use or love them again. In this post I will be showing you some of the different ways I, “think outside of the box”, or container or cloche! Playdate Part 2 at, Tin Barn Market will focus on re-purposing  & re-inventing all of those yummy vintage finds that you may walk right by, not because you don’t love them but because you just can’t think how you’d use them in your home. I hope you enjoy more eye-candy from Tin Barn, along with some tips I’ve learned along the way. PS, for those of you that do shop at Tin Barn, you may recognize the image above… chalk paint and hand lettering give you their slogan, I  love this happy accident — the star took the place of the “a” in, create… fun!

I adore these vintage meat grinders, they are so utilitarian and rugged. I love contrasting them with pops of colour and items that you just wouldn’t think to use, like pens, or flowers, or moss as pictured. Confession time, moss is my personal fave! But let your imagination go, you could fasten one of these to your bathroom counter to hold your tooth brushes. Sky is the limit my friends. I enjoy them on shelves just like they are or with pops of moss and colourful flowers. What an interesting vessel to hold the chalk by your chalkboard!

How many cloches have you walked by in a beautiful store and left them there? I know I have walked by a few myself… oh I’ve tried using them in displays, but you know it’s not a success when Mr Meticulous looks at you like a pup with the cute little tilty head thing going on. Mystery (to me) solved, when I was styling at Tin Barn, I had an epiphany… driftwood, old news papers crumpled up… rolled up pages from an old book tied with jute. Really it’s limitless, I have one at home with beautiful industrial gauges under it… buy them, they aren’t just for dried up old flowers any more!

Pretty driftwood… sigh!

I posted this on my FB page… I can imagine these vintage liquor decanters on a beautiful retro bar cart! Very Mad Men-ish, right?! I asked, what if you don’t own a bar cart? Or even like liquor? Do you walk by these beauties because you’re not sure what to do with them, it’s not “practical” to have them filled with liquor?Why not glitz up your bathroom vanity with one of these collectibles, put your Scope or Listerine in a liquor decanter! Bam, instant glamour!  Or… use them for your beautiful bracelets and bangles… your luxurious bubble bath or some epsom salts on a pretty shelf? Use them for your yummy maple syrup! Again, think outside of the liquor decanter, fill them with what you love, add that sparkle and glamour to any room YOU choose!

I love crates! There I said it, like many of my other obsessions, I tend to bring home a lot! What could you to do with them all? Stack them, hang them on your walls, put smaller crates on your desk and stagger office supplies on them. Put little drawers that are “homeless” and put them inside the crates… I am telling you there are so many ways to re-use these beautifully aged wooden crates!

If you are like me, you LOVE family photos! I adore displaying photos of my family, vintage photos as well as newer snapshots! But I gotta be me and I need to switch it up a bit, make changes! So, since you can’t change your family (although sometimes – 😉 – I’m kidding) I like to switch up my photos. I have very few that are framed in the traditional sense, for just that reason, I like change. An old air return grate for example… wrought iron & patina galore! Lean it on a shelf and use magnets to display your treasured photos. How interesting!

A vintage tennis racket-press is just perfect for “framing” your pretty pictures, it creates a visual frame without it being permanent! Pair that with some of your treasures tucked in behind and you are telling a story, not just displaying a photo.

I would love to hear your ideas and how you use your awesome finds, how do you, “think outside of the box”?

If you’ve missed part 1 in this series… no worries, you can see it here!