how to use thrifted silver in Christmas decor

Hello friends!  Welcome to the next installment of THRIFTED GOODIES! If you enjoy thrift shopping and love the thrill of the hunt, then, this post is for you.  Silver plate is one of the things I always look for while thrift shopping, and thrifted silver makes great accent pieces for the Christmas holiday.

The Thrifted Goodies series consists of monthly posts where Rachel from the Antiqued Journey and I share thrift store goodness. Topics might include particular finds, tips, techniques, stylings and general advice about thrift shopping mostly for home decor in general.

Rachel always finds the most amaZing thrifted pieces, and you don’t want to miss her latest post. If you don’t know Rachel yet, make sure to hop over, introduce yourself and check out her Thrifted Goodies – Volume 17 vintage Christmas decor.

This month we have Cara from the Vintage Style Gal joining us for triple the fun. Cara is incredibly creative and innovative with her decor ideas and today she’s sharing her thrifted Christmas finds. Pop over and check it out and say hello.

my silver addiction fascination

I love me my silver. I always find fun pieces at thrift stores and I use them all the time. I use them in the traditional sense, but I also like to uses pieces in unconventional ways.

I also don’t mind it tarnished. I think it gives certain pieces character and it shows they have been around and have stories to tell. But a good polish always makes these pretties sparkle.

Thrifting Tip: Don’t let tarnish deter you from a silver piece since a good Polish is an easy fix.

think outside the box when looking at a traditional silver piece

Serving pieces

Traditional silver serving pieces are probably the items I use in the most unconventional manner since many of these pieces aren’t really practical for their intended uses any more. Although, I do use silver pieces while entertaining all the time.

A silver cake plate below serves as a base for a cloche holding a holiday Putz house.

A gravy boat doubles as a container for forced bulbs. I love forcing bulbs during the winter and I talked about it here {forcing bulbs & more}.

There are so many silver containers and bowls, which can hold ornaments and decor. Below there’s a chafing dish, a basket and a trinket tray, holding a variety of holiday baubles. The trinket dish actually holds the glitter ornaments I shared here {glitter old fashioned Christmas light bulb ornament DIY}.

Trays, trays and more trays

Ok, I’ll admit it, I have a r.i.d.i.c.u.l.o.u.s amount of silver trays. But in my defense I use them all the time in a myriad of ways. I do not discriminate, I love all shapes, round, rectangular and square plus I love footed or handled or tiered. They all speak to me.

Silver trays create a great footprint for so many decor vignette and seasonal stylings. The round tray below is a great base for a wintery putz house under a cloche on the right.

Here’s another wintery scene on another elevated tray. This tray is actually a lazy susan and it was a great find years ago.

This tiered tray gets dressed up in many party dresses, but this is one of my favorites from last year’s {winter wonderland tray blog tour}.

I love using basic round silver trays as chargers for holiday tablescapes. I have a mismatch set and whenever I find one at a great price I pick it up. I look for the $5-8 range, but they have come up in price.

This is the latest round tray I found and the handles just grabbed me. I paid a bit more, but details like handles and feet always warrant a few more dollars. I shared this {candle ring DIY} yesterday in case you missed it.

I highly recommend having a couple or more ? trays in your decor arsenal. They are a great stage for so many decorative endeavors. You don’ have to own as many as I do….., but hey, admitting the problem is the first step, correct? ?

Pitchers and creamers

Whether they are ironstone, transferware, silver, etc. pitchers are always great decor pieces.

You can fill them with greenery, baubles, or faux stems and so many other things.

And just like the trays and other pieces the pitchers and creamers come in a variety of styles. Some have feet while others are plain and many are super ornate. There’s something for everybody.

Candlesticks

I have a fun collection of candlesticks, which I have curated through the years. They are mismatched and so fun to style in different ways.

My favorite way to use the candlesticks is in table stylings. And although I use them all year long, they are perfect during the holidays.

They also make great bases for tabletop decor Christmas trees. Here I used them for my book page trees

Chalices, Goblets, and Compotes

Silver goblets are a favorite of mine to use for seasonal decor because you can use them for smaller scale items plus they look great solo in vignettes.

I styled a forrest of bottle brush trees that gives me all the Christmas vibes.

I used my only compote for this paperback tree. The silver compotes are one of my covered items but they are scarce and the ones I find tend to be on the pricier side. Hence they stay on my ongoing list until I find one at the right price.

Thrifting Tip: Keep a running list of items you would like to find thrifting, including measurements if necessary. Adding a note in your phone is a good way to have an on going list with you at all times.

final thoughts on the thrifted silver decor

Thrifted silver can sometimes, or many times, be a diamond in the rough. Not only can it be tarnished, but it can also be pitted or dented or have other defects, but I believe it’s all part of the charm. If you are ok with imperfectly, perfect pieces then this will speak to you.

Thrifting Tip: Don’t look at a piece based on it’s past life, but look towards the future and how you can use it in an innovative and unique way.

I hope you enjoyed the Christmas thrifted silver. Don’t forget to visit Rachel at the Antiqued Journey and Cara at Vintage Style Gal for more thrifted goodness.

other Thifted Goodies series posts

“Melted down, silver is worth a little more than four dollars an ounce. But carved, inlaid, and engraved, and identified with a particular year, it becomes the direct reflection, often the literal record, of human history, our movement through time.”

Peter Landesman

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sharing @ between naps on the porch