I frequent a lot of auctions, and at nearly every one of them, I find someone’s gorgeous old silver tea-service, which consists of a tea pot, a coffee pot, a creamer and a lidded sugar bowl, all on a footed and handled tray. 
many most none of us have the time to sit around drinking tea (with, or preferably without pinky finger extended), what happens to these tea services? My suggestion is that you start thinking of alternative uses for the pieces. Let’s deconstruct the service and see what you can do with each piece!
For me, I start by using the tea and coffee pots for vases. After all, they’re filled with water when in their original use, so why not fill them with flowers?
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If you think that you’re never going to use the tea or coffee pot again in its original purpose, you can remove the lid by taking out the pin that holds the hinge. But be sure to save it!
One of the great things about the sugar bowl is that it usually comes with a lid! In my guest bathroom, I use a creamer to hold tooth-brushes and –paste, and the lidded sugar bowl to hold cotton balls. 
If you can find a set with a monogram on it, all the better. And if the monogram is yours, that is the BEST! But if not, just invent an instant ancestor with that name and make up a fabulous story, or give it to a friend with that initial. They will love it!
Here are some other ideas of what you can do with old pieces of silver. Funnily, on my desk at the office, I have an old sugar bowl filled with pens, pencils, scissors and exacto knives! Honestly, it is such a shame that this great old silver is no longer appreciated.
I would love to hear what you do with your old silver and if you have any great ideas to share.
Hello Meg, I love the idea of finding new uses for antiques. In Cleveland I have a great Eastlake sugar bowl that I use for pencils, etc. Looking around over here, I realize that I need a few upgrades, but I do use some tin cans whose design was too good to put in the recycling.
ReplyDelete--Jim
The dog's water bowl sits atop a footed salver to catch spills.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. I recently down-graded Figue from Royal Copenhagen to metal bowls. She actually likes them better because they don't move around.
DeleteMeg--
ReplyDeleteThis is a great piece today!!! I love your (and others) creative ways of using old silver--it is so beautiful-- a shame to relegate it to a curio cabinet!! I have some silver candy dishes that I use
in our bedroom--one on my husband's dresser for his watch, credit cards, golf tees--anything that comes out of his pockets! One on my nightstand for my glasses, watch, chap stick, cough drops--so they are easy to grab if needed!! I do use the silver coffee pots and pitchers for vases....
I have a couple of silver clamshells with tiny ball feet that I use to hold business cards on my desk at work.
DeleteGorgeous. I use old crystal as you show, but silver, not yet. Perhaps this is my inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you have a bit of silver around the place! xo
DeleteHello Meg,
ReplyDeleteThe dahlia arrangement, all dark and mysterious, looks divine in your silver pot. So glad you are re-purposing what might otherwise not be used. I wrote a few posts on this very thing which I refer to as "relics reimagined".
Those dahlias! The colours are so deep and lush. I will check out your reimagined relics!
DeleteI love this post! I have an amazing tea/coffee service that my mother bought me years ago from London's silver vaults. I used it frequently for bridal and baby showers, but let's just say my peers and I are a little beyond that demographic now! Beyond Christmas morning, this service stays wrapped in plastic to avoid tarnishing. I can't believe I never thought of using it in an alternative way. Time to take another look!
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