# Whimsical ways to use vintage silver, china and other items.



## PamfromTx (Jul 20, 2021)

As I frequent Goodwill (mostly to donate), yard and estate sales, I see a lot of the same types of items. Two of these are old silver (silverplate or sterling) and china or ironstone. 

Sometimes when I am standing in someone's garage sorting through their former belongings and I spot an ironstone plate stand, soup tureen, or silver tray that I like, it's hard to think of where I am going to use it, at that moment.

But, I buy it anyway, knowing that I'll find a spot for it.  Half the fun in the finding, is inventing ways to render it useful, don't you think?

After last week's trip to a estate sale that was over-loaded with china and silver, I remembered the idea file I have had on my hard drive (for years!) and found a plethora (word of the day) of ideas for how to add charm to your home with these finds.

Can you give us any pointers or ideas on what to do with our finds?  Can you imagine the fun I'd have at @debodun home?!?


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## hollydolly (Jul 20, 2021)

Pam are those china cups in _your_ home on the wall?...if they are, they are then I've never seen anything like that, what a designer brain you have.. I wouldn't have thought in a million years to do anything like that..fantastic


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## PamfromTx (Jul 20, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Pam are those china cups in _your_ home on the wall?...if they are, they are then I've never seen anything like that, what a designer brain you have.. I wouldn't have thought in a million years to do anything like that..fantastic


No, none of these photos are from my collections.  I just save the ideas.


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## hollydolly (Jul 20, 2021)

PamfromTx said:


> No, none of these photos are from my collections.


still,  they're great ideas tho'...


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## PamfromTx (Jul 20, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> still,  they're great ideas tho'...


I agree, I have a totally  different decor.


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## officerripley (Jul 20, 2021)

A friend of mine used to frequent thrift shop and yard sales throughout the year and when she saw a pretty china or porcelain plate (either dinner or salad size)--and you know how no matter how expensive the set it came from might have been, if there's only one it's usually a reasonable price--she'd buy it. Then when the winter holidays came, she'd bake cookies, arrange them on the pretty plate, cover with clear plastic wrap and a pretty bow and voila, a nice gift to give someone. She found some of the most beautiful plates.


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## PamfromTx (Jul 20, 2021)

officerripley said:


> A friend of mine used to frequent thrift shop and yard sales throughout the year and when she saw a pretty china or porcelain plate (either dinner or salad size)--and you know how no matter how expensive the set it came from might have been, if there's only one it's usually a reasonable price--she'd buy it. Then when the winter holidays came, she'd bake cookies, arrange them on the pretty plate, cover with clear plastic wrap and a pretty bow and voila, a nice gift to give someone. She found some of the most beautiful plates.


Excellent idea!


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## Sliverfox (Jul 20, 2021)

At one  of the  craft  events we  go to some one was making  lawn decorations out old plates.
Not sure how they  glued them together.


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## officerripley (Jul 20, 2021)

Sliverfox said:


> At one  of the  craft  events we  go to some one was making  lawn decorations out old plates.
> Not sure how they  glued them together.


That sounds really pretty, maybe kind of like this?



Or wow, look at these, how cute;


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## flowerchild (Jul 21, 2021)

My mother-in-laws teapots, just a few


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