Beautiful Ways to Decorate with Old Pitchers

Old pitchers come in endless varieties and can be used for function and beauty throughout your home. these great ideas will show you how to decorate with old pitchers and start your own collection.

Here’s a question for you: How many pitchers do you own? I am admitting that I have totally lost count. I thought I knew about how many I had (a lot). But in putting this post together, I chuckled to myself, realizing I had WAY more than I realized!

No, I’m not counting watering cans, or teapots, or even coffeepots. I’m just counting pitchers, large and small. Any vessel that holds liquid, has a handle on one side and a spout to pour on the other. That’s the definition I’m going with. Today I will rationalize my hoard by sharing Beautiful Ways to Decorate with Old Pitchers. (Hopefully I’ll inspire you to round up a collection, too)

Today’s post is part of our bi-monthly Lifestyle of Love series, organized by my friend, Cindy, at County Road 407. This group loves all things vintage, antique, repurposed and farmhouse. Today we’re sharing how we use old pitchers or milk jugs in our homes. Can’t wait to see all the inspiration!

If you’re hopping over from The Ponds Farmhouse, I’m sure you loved Rachel’s farmhouse decorating tips for ironstone pitchers. She has a wonderful collection and great ideas. You will find the rest of the posts at the end; hope you can enjoy them all!

Beautiful Ways to Decorate with Old Pitchers

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Old Pitchers, A Favorite Vintage Find

Whether your pitcher is handed down from a special family member, or found at the thrift store, it can be loved all the same. Solid or patterned, any color or texture, old pitchers are as basic as a pair of jeans. They go with anything and everything, and you can always add one more to your stash;)

Pitchers can be found in a wide variety of materials. Sometimes they were made to match a set of dishes to serve as a small creamer. Often they were made as a stand alone product.

These are just some of the types of pitchers I have:

• silver plate
• china
• majolica
• ironstone
• restaurant ware
• pottery
• milk glass
• plastic (texas ware)
• enamelware
• glass

Thrift a Collection of Similar Pitchers

You may find yourself drawn to certain colors or styles of pitchers. My taste is fairly broad and is often driven by the seasons. I picked up a large brown drip pitcher inexpensively. I doubted I would use it much, thinking maybe only in the Fall for sunflowers. But I’ve been amazed at how beautifully it looks with many bouquets. It inspired me to start a family;)

Recently I found four baby brown drip pitchers, too. Think they’ll be perfect for serving our home brewed maple syrup warm on waffles. They look pretty cute on the windowsill with flowers, too.

How to Decorate with Old Pitchers

Decorating with old pitchers is as easy as pie. Their classic shapes have great architectural style and can be added into any vignette. If you need a pop of a certain color, or a metallic texture they can fit the bill.

Often when I’m decorating, I’ll want a pop of yellow in a vignette or in a cabinet display. My collection of yellow pitchers gets used often from Spring until Fall.

Sometimes they’re used just empty, sometimes they’re filled with seasonal foliage. Who needs vases when you have a pitcher collection?

Often I find myself wanting a metallic accent to add to shelves for a little patina and shine. Silver and pewter pitchers can be great for this purpose. They are a decorating chameleon and will be used often.

(noticed another Christmas green pitcher in this pic, I forgot I had;)

What Can You Put in a Pitcher?

Of course you can use a pitcher as a vase and put fresh or faux flowers in it. But there are other fillers you can add for beauty and charm, too:

• flowers and foliage, fresh, faux, dried
• rolled fabric napkins
• plant clippings
• plant
• candles
• candy (candy canes for Christmas)
• mini topiaries

Old Pitchers Used for Function and Beauty

Larger pitchers can obviously be used to serve beverages, as well as be filled with fresh garden flowers. Smaller pitchers are great for serving gravies, dressings, or syrup. They also are perfect for small bouquets in bathrooms or on windowsills.

This textured vintage green ceramic pitcher is one of my favorites for filling with fresh garden flowers, or seasonal bouquets from the store.

This pink Luray pitcher was my great grandma’s. It looks just as beautiful during peony season as it does late summer when the hydrangeas are at their peak.

Patterned Old Pitchers are Fun, too

Many of my pitchers are solid colors and are great for adding a punch of color while you’re decorating. But sometimes cute patterned, textured versions catch my eye and need to come home, too.

This little vintage mushroom pitcher has yellow inside. It’s cute as a button on it’s own.

Create a grouped display if you have several similarly styled pitchers. I love the old majolica-styled versions, and sweet, flowery vintage creamers are pretty, too.

Recent Old Pitcher Finds

Recently I came across this interesting small stainless steel pitcher. It has the letters USVA on the front. It seems like it may have been used to serve cold milk or cream, possibly at a Veterans Hospital? Let me know if you know more!

I also scooped up this vintage green enamelware pitcher. It coordinates perfectly with a pretty yellow with green coffee pot that doesn’t have a lid (and therefore became a pitcher;) Perfect for flowers on the deck!

Just When I Thought I’d Found Them All

I started giggling when I came across this rooster themed display with my mom’s dishes. Yep…there’s at least four more pitchers. And I remembered I scored an amazing rooster pitcher at an estate sale to match! Yes, I think I am a pitcher hoarder. First step is to admit it. And then admit if I come across another cute one for cheap, it will probably come home with me, too;)

Hope you had fun seeing my pitcher collection! And hope you’re inspired to pull yours out and give them new life. Or maybe pick one up when you’re thrifting and vintage treasure hunting. You can always add one more;)

Enjoy more of the Lifestyle of Love series HERE.

Be sure to visit Cindy at County Road 407 next; you’ll love seeing her pitcher collection and ideas, too!

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