• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

An Oregon Cottage logo

  • Recipes
    • Best Desserts
    • Easy Salads
    • Easy Side Dishes
    • Homemade Breads
    • Sourdough
    • Homemade Soups
    • Pantry Basics Recipes
    • Simple Dinner Recipes
    • Simple Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Simple Snacks
  • Canning & Preserving
    • Canning Recipes
    • Dehydrator Recipes
    • Freezing Produce
    • Fermented Food Recipes
  • Gardening
    • Yard & Garden Tour
    • Vegetable Garden
    • Flowers, Beds & Borders
    • Gardening Tips
    • Ultimate Vegetable & Fruit Guides
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • 1900 Farmhouse
    • 1982 Ranch-turned-Cottage
    • Easy Handmade Gifts
  • Shop
    • Flexible Planner, Cookbooks, Ebooks & More
    • An Oregon Cottage's Amazon Shop
    • Shopping and Gift Guides
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Organic Gardening
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Get my newsletters + access to a library full of printables!

    Home » Easy DIY » Cleaning & Organizing

    May 4, 2012 | By Jami

    13 Ways To Organize With Vintage Finds

    Organize your office or workroom supplies using vintage and thrifted items for a one-a-kind look that's as beautiful as it is useful.

    ways to organize with vintage finds

    While I was cleaning out my office/workroom recently, I realized that I used many of my favorite vintage finds to organize all the little things that are a part of most offices and studios.

    Most of the things I now use as containers were purchased super-cheap at thrift stores and yard sales or were given to me by people who know I appreciate old things.

    TIP: If you like vintage things, get the word out to your family and friends- it's the best way to make sure things pass your way first before heading to the thrift store! Most of my favorite dishes, furniture and accessories were given to me...usually after I'd go on and on about how much I like old things.

    So I thought I'd gather them together and show how I use these things to hopefully inspire you to organize with vintage finds, too.

    13 Ways To Organize With Vintage Finds

    Bulletin-Board-view_blog
    1. The bulletin board above was created by edging a store-bought cork board with salvaged molding.

    2. It holds push-pins made from vintage buttons and costume jewelry, which I LOVE.

    3. A vintage cigar box becomes a card hold holder by drilling a hole in the top to hold a great old cabinet knob- leave as is or tie a label on the knob like I did.

    4. A rustic basket holds scrap fabric balls...for the day I finally make that rag rug.

    5. The photo holder on the right is my newest thrift-store find- only $2 and it holds all of the little note papers that I used to have stuck all over the place. I love, love, love this new use for an item I never thought I'd need (and the sweet tiles behind it were made for me one mother's day day...sniff).

    6. An old, slightly tarnished silver tray corrals Post-It's and my glasses (oh yes, dear people, reading glasses happen to most of us at some point- sigh)...

    7. Plus a vintage white pot I use to hold small scissors, pens, pencils and other crafty tools.

    8. In the background you can see more thrift-store/vintage pots to hold craft items (the sweet little green pot that holds my business cards, though, was made by my daughter). The longer ones are particularly good for small rulers, bags of needles, boxes of sewing gadgets, and such.

     

    9. Vintage canning jars (remember when I got mine?) are perfect for holding paint brushes. Can you tell I love buying white and green pots to use for other things besides plants?

    10. More canning jars- this time old 1/2-pint sized jars on little shelves that organize buttons. With a separate color in each jar, they add a pop of color against the walls.

    11. Old gym lockers (which I "rescued" when a former church was upgrading to regular storage shelves- score!) hold ribbon and fabric on top of the bookshelves.

    12. Pint-size vintage jars hold my collection of shell and vintage buttons.

    13. Large, quart and gallon size jars hold pieces of lace, costume jewelry, and sewing supplies like zipper and roman shade tape.

    Oh- you may be wondering about all the zinc caps? They did not come with the jars I was given, but once I realized how old the jars were (and that I'd be using them for storage and not canning), I started looking for some.

    I found a lot of 30 for $24 on Ebay (which at less than a dollar each was a great deal!) - and I think the lids perfectly compliment the jars in their capacity as storage containers- and decorating accessories.

    So now I'd love to know- what are some of YOUR favorite ways to organize with vintage finds? 

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Teri says

      February 01, 2014 at 12:16 am

      I'm on board! Jars, little dishes and trays are things I always look for at thrift and antique stores, and they're usually affordable even on a tight budget. I abide by the $5 rule for most purchases, but for a few jars, you can often make out even cheaper than that! Some of my favorites are not vintage, but are tall canisters that used to hold nice Scotch whiskey bottles. They're great for tall crafty things like rulers and knitting needles. Thanks for your tips; I really dig your style!

      Reply
    2. Heather says

      April 20, 2013 at 1:38 pm

      Baskets! I find baskets at thrifts and garage sales, and I love to use them, especially the square ones. They're great on a coffee table for remotes and odds and ends. I use them in the office for larger crafting items. And I decorate them with the ribbon I'm always buying because it's so cute...but I was never sure what to do with it!

      Reply
    3. Kelly says

      March 16, 2013 at 6:57 pm

      I love your use of canning jars. I use them for fabric scraps, ribbon, zippers, clothespins...pretty much anything that fits in them!

      Reply
    4. Kayla Danelle says

      May 04, 2012 at 2:18 pm

      beautiful!!!

      Reply
    5. Lady Farmer says

      May 04, 2012 at 4:14 pm

      I like using old canning jars, too. I have buttons, wooden spools, etc. in some with glass lids and wire bales. I have other sewing/crafting supplies in a collection of tins and baskets and some old fashioned (looking) glass storage jars with threads and lace. I collect too many things, and hubby wants them to have a purpose, so I store stuff in them! ;~P And I can look at them whenever I want!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Jami Boys headshot

    Hi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My goal is to help you live a simple homemade life on your terms: cooking delicious real food, painless gardening, and making easy things that are totally worth your time. 

    Read More →

    Popular Posts

    • Easy, Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Tutorial
    • Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Onion Dijon Sauce
    • Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
    • Original Brown Paper Floor Tutorial: A DIY Alternative to Wood Floors
    • How To Freeze Green Beans The Easy Way Without Blanching
    • 5 Reasons To Grow Cucumbers On A Trellis (And Taking Up Less Space Isn't One Of Them)

    ALL OUR CATEGORIES

    • Mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Terms of Use & Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Collaboration & Advertising

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer: All Content Provided On An Oregon Cottage Is For Informational Purposes Only. The Owner Of This Blog Makes No Representations As To The Accuracy Or Completeness Of Any Information On This Site Or Found By Following Any Link On This Site.

    Copyright © 2009-2023 An Oregon Cottage | No Content On This Site, Including Text And Photos, May Be Reused In Any Fashion Without Written Permission.