Although many people prefer to purchase new items, others get a kick out of locating vintage items with which to decorate their homes. Often found at garage sales and secondhand stores, vintage items allow you to combine the past with the present to create a unique decorating theme. Finding interesting ways to use them in your home is simply part of the fun.
Here is list of creative DIY vintage decor ideas.
1. Old Photographs
Whether you know the people in them or not, old sepia and/or black and white photographs are invaluable when you want to create an old-fashioned look in your home. Frame them in antique frames or place them in new ones with an antique look to fit with your vintage theme.
2. Postcards and Greeting Cards
If you locate a cache of vintage greeting cards and postcards, grab them quick and use them to decorate your home. Frame each one in a small individual frame or overlap several in one large frame to create a collage that you can hang on the wall for a one-of-a-kind look.
3. Board Games
Whether they have all the pieces or not, old board games make interesting decorative items for any home with a vintage theme. Hang the game board on the wall or display it on a side table. Place the pieces on it as if a game is in session or display them on a small shelf situated just above the board.
4. Suitcases
Vintage suitcases are a real find, especially if they’re covered in stickers from the locales the owners visited in the past. Stack several suitcases on top of each other on their sides to create an interesting end table or display them in a nook or corner with framed vintage postcards on the wall behind them.
5. Glass Bottles and Jars
Glass bottles and jars from days gone by are especially useful in vintage decor, particularly when the glass is colored. Situate a concentration of perfume atomizers and bottles atop a mirrored panel to create an eye-catching display or use old glass jars as containers for small items or as impromptu flower vases.
6. Canisters and Containers
Canisters and containers from the past often have logos on them from products that are no longer available. Use them to store flour, sugar and tea in the kitchen, pens and pencils in the study or combs and hairbrushes in the bathroom or on your dressing table.
7. Tools
If you’re particularly drawn to old-fashioned tools, don’t despair. You can use them in your vintage decor as well. Hang a multitude of them on the side of a weathered barn or outbuilding or attach them to the bare space on the wall above your kitchen cabinets for an authentic country feel.
8. Plates and Dishes
Vintage plates and dishes immediately set the tone when displayed correctly. Hang plates with pretty floral patterns in any room of the house or display them on stands on a shelf. Group several plates together in one area for maximum impact.
9. Furniture
When you come across a piece of vintage furniture that you simply adore, instead of refinishing it, leave it as it is. The wear and tear add to the vintage look and allow you to embrace a shabby chic style. Simply clean any dirt and grime from the item and use it as is.
10. Storage
Vintage pieces make great storage containers. Whether you found an old apothecary table with lots of drawers, a roll-top desk made from fine wood or a wooden cabinet filled with cubbyholes, you can use them to perform double duty as an interesting aesthetic piece with a practical purpose.
When you have a vivid imagination, you’re able to look beyond the harsh conditions that many vintage items have endured and use them as an integral part of your interior decor. By thinking outside the box, you’ll easily find ways to use vintage items in new and attractive ways.
