In the Dec/Jan issue of MaryJanesFarm, “Magic Happens” (on newsstands Nov. 10), I led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win my canteen wall vase shown on p. 59.
In my article, “Holiday Décor from Vintage Finds,” I gave you ideas for creating unique décor using secondhand-store bargains. For a chance to win my canteen wall vase, tell me about your favorite vintage find in the comments below by Dec. 1. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner the second week of December. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!
If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
Was yard saleing one day and found old Christmas plates and cups exactly like my great grandmother had. Just had to get them.
I have not been out lately on a vintage looking trek through antique stores. Last Summer, however, I did find the coolest book named Primer of Hygiene with the first copyright in 1910. Being a nurse, this caught my eye and I had to have it. The book is in pretty good shape and what was fascinating was reading what was standard knowledge for human health at the turn of the century. Interestingly enough, many recommendations have not changed of how to live a healthy lifestyle. The book was also meant to be used in the classroom and contains study questions and suggestions for class discussions at the end of each information section. If everyone still read this text and learned the basics from it, we would have a healthier population!
That’s a beautiful re-use for that canteen and cookie cutter! I have a huge collection of vintage aluminum bakeware, coffee pots, etc., which includes two similar “canteens” except that they’re bedwarmers!!
Just the other day I found something I’d never seen or heard of – a sad iron heater! When I googled it I found they’re also called railroad or camp stoves. It’s about 8″ high, a Kerosene reservoir forms the base, there’s an adjustable wick (wider than a lamp wick) and on top a place to sit a sad iron to heat it! Imagine! You could heat an iron without lighting a fire in the stove in the summer heat. But more than that, can you imagine ironing with something weighing over five pounds, and trying not to scorch all those pleats and ruffles in those lovely Victorian gowns and blouses. Oh my! But are we fortunate or not? Seems things were so much more uncomplicated then.
Thank you Mary Jane for this sweet opportunity!
oh, this is clever..I really like this wall vase…the last vintage item I bought at an antiques store was an old wood garden tool carrier. It has a beautiful patina to it and has six sections…four smaller ones on the ends and two bigger ones in the middle, with a wonderful wood handle on top of it that runs the whole length…I cleaned it with a gentle antique wood cleaner and then put in six golden depression glass jello dishes with tiny beeswax votives… inside…oh, the glow is wonderful and it sits on the middle of my dining room table with a vintage crocheted table runner under it..another find in the antiques store..
I love finding embroidery hoops and crafts to do with them. But I really love finding doorknobs!
I found in a small town near us a lovely pyrex bowl that finally finished off my set. I felt so very lucky because apparently from what I’ve researched online, this particular color is rare. Sure was whistling a happy tune that day! P.S. Your canteen planter is adorable! I’m going to ask my brothers if any of them still have their Boy Scout ones so I can try this 🙂
My husband found a box of burlap bags turned inside out with all kinds of quaint printing on them. I keep one hanging and trade them out once a month.
On a trek to visit my daughter at college, I stumbled across a couple of vintage PINK glass milk bottles, 1 pint,1 quart and a pink storage jar that is pebbly glass at the top, and clear at the bottom. They make a wonderful set; I put fresh in the milk bottles and save the flower heads in the jar for a pretty focal point in my room!
My favorite vintage find for glamping is a wooden ironing board in excellent condition. Found it at a thrift store for $3.00! We love to use it on one side of the glamper trailer tongue, hang Scottish themed tablecloths on it, decorate it with vase of flowers, solar lights, etc. Tickled pink for such a find!
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this giveaway!
CJ
This vase is absolutely beautiful! My favorite vintage finds are usually clothes. Certain clothing items that are vintage are fun to wear because they’re unique in this day and age.
Where to begin! I can never pick an all time fave but a current one is a lovely vintage warming baby food plate. It is divided in three sections, painted in each a kitty, a puppy and the biggest is little bo peep and her sheep. It is real heavy! I bet it kept baby’s dinner warm a good long time! It seems to be stainless steel, porcelain and Bakelite.
My boyfriend was looking at some pictures for a nearby estate sale and there was an old sewing machine shown. I collect sewing machines, but my boyfriend wanted to go see this one because he thought it was an industrial machine that he could use to make seat cushions for his pontoon boat. We went to the sale and when we saw the machine it was a lot smaller than it looked in the picture – and BEAUTIFUL! It turned out to be a Wilcox and Gibbs treadle sewing machine from somewhere around the late 1800s. It’s cabinet and the machine are in excellent condition – and it is a chain stitch treadle machine. So – my favorite vintage find was my Wilcox and Gibbs treadle sewing machine. It was my 18th sewing machine (I now have 21 – 12 of which are vintage) and it is the most beautiful one of all.
My favorite vintage find is any old edition of a book. Thanks fro the giveaway
Marilyn
I found a ceramic Christmas tree that you put little Lite Btrie type ornaments in the little holes. Reminds me of grandmas.
My favorite vintage finds are some old tea cups and saucers I use to hold my pins and needles when I sew.
My second favorite vintage find would have to be a piece of furniture(it’s hard to explain!). The woman we bought it from took an old headboard and footboard from a bed. She put them close to each other and added shelves, she painted it green. It is just beautiful! It sits outside on our big deck and holds up my mothers orchid collection.
My favorite would have to an old set of schoolbooks. I found then in an antique store. It was missing the fourth primer, but I bought it new from the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum. But they are just gorgeous books in amazing condition.
I also have an old lantern collection, my most recent lantern is one I bought from an Amish bakery. They had used it until it both ran out of wick and started rusting. My favorite would have to be a decorative lantern(I don’t think it has ever been used) that was my great grandmothers. It fell one day and the beautiful pink glass chimney broke, I still have the base.
I discovered a recent find that I love – it is from a huge store along CA Hwy 395; the store appears out of nowhere along that desolate road, so of course we had to stop. I was with business colleagues on the way back from a seminar, and no one objected to stopping! Outside the building in the front yard was a collection of just stuff, from big metal equipment left over from area mines, to a little, randomly placed, dirt encrusted white enamel bowl. I picked it up and dusted it as best I could, and saw it was old, but perfect. I also saw it was priced to sell.
I took it into the store and handed it to the shop owner, who held it for me while we all looked around. By the time I got back to the front counter, the shop owner had washed the bowl for me, and it was indeed in perfect condition. I plan to use the bowl in my soon-to-be renovated camping trailer. The bowl, the trailer, it’s all meant to be.
My favorite vintage holiday items : a piece displaying Santa that was in my home when I was growing up. A hobby of mine is finding antique ornaments I antique shops. I have ornaments that were my mothers & grandmothers which I recall on their trees and I am past 50 years of age.
I wasn’t even shopping, and happened to glance up and saw a vintage glass measuring cup with a beater contraption inside. The beater has a wood type knob “holder” and beneath the wood knob handle to turn the beaters inside the bowl is a metal cover that sits atop the glass measuring cup. The glass is an 8 cup measure. I had to buy this. When my grandchildren visit every other weekend, Saturday is our “egg” breakfast day and my 4 year old granddaughter goes after the glass measuring cup with beaters and she beats the eggs for our scrambles. On Sunday, my 7 year old grandson uses it to help make the batter for our waffles. This beautiful piece, which I’m sure was not given away, but saved, has found it’s way into my home, and is creating cherished memories for our next generation.
My favorite vintage find so far is an old cigar box full of 100 year old paper dolls and lots of clothes for them.
It’s hard to pick, I have a few, but it’s not hard to describe the feelings of of awe when I come upon something that has a history I know nothing about. I can see and feel the signs of use and age that inspire me. One of these items is an oak kitchen work center with the drawers in the base that when opened are actually metal bins with deep, rounded bottoms. It’s beautiful.
My favorite vintage find was at a yard sale about 35 years ago I found an old thread chest by Merricks American Thread company. Four long draws 2 smaller ones. I paid $12.00.
My favorite find was a ventage J & P Clark cotton sewing cabinet. Found in Comfort Texas a few weeks ago. It is in wonderful shape.
I found a lovely etched pitcher at a thrift store just like the one my grandma always used . It made me think of Grandma every time I used it. It didn’t survive a clash with the granite counter top a few years ago and I still miss it.
I work at an auction every Thursday night after my regular job, so it’s hard not to buy things when the price is right. I like to get things to use in my garden, like an antique hose reel, or sprinkler, or an old chandelier to hang in our maple tree. it looks fabulous!