The Surprising Hack That Puts Vintage Ashtrays To Clever Use In The Kitchen

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There is a treasure trove of incredible vintage thrift store items you can make use of around the kitchen, just waiting to be uncovered. If you're willing to look at these finds through a creative lens, you open up a whole new world of possibilities. Sometimes, if you can look beyond an item's original purpose, you can find a unique new use for it around the house. Vintage ashtrays are easy to track down at a thrift shop, but if you're not a smoker, you may automatically look past these pieces. With a keen eye (and a little creativity), you can hone in on the full potential of this quirky vintage decor item that you should always look for at the thrift store. Vintage ashtrays make beautiful spoon rests, if you can track down the right kind.

From 1920s Hollywood glamor to the bright, whimsical style of the 1960s, the look and feel of ashtrays shifted and morphed to fit each new era. There are countless styles to choose from, some more obviously geared toward smoking and others appearing more like a shallow candy bowl. These pieces are made out of a variety of materials – ceramic, glass, crystal, precious metals, and more. Some of these pieces can be considered valuable collector's items. Search for pieces manufactured by companies like Wedgwood, Rosenthal, and Noritake that weren't traditionally ashtray manufacturers but produced them anyway. You can also find some nostalgic ashtrays from cool, old-school nightspots and eateries from the last century. If you're not as concerned with the value or history of a piece, you'll have an even wider selection of interesting finds to filter through.

Generally speaking, it's pretty easy to track down vintage ashtrays that will look great as spoon rests. Different styles may be easier to track down than others at your local thrift or vintage shop. If you want to find a specific style, you may be better off browsing online sources, such as Etsy, or specialty collectors like The Oblist. When on the hunt for an ashtray to use as a spoon holder, there's one unique attribute to be on the hunt for. Some pieces will feature a divot on the lip that was originally intended for resting your cigarette or cigar. If you can find one in this style, it will be even better suited to double as a stunning vintage kitchen essential – you can rest your spoon handle right on the indentation.

Ashtrays can serve other purposes around the house, too. Since many of them are shaped like mini bowls, you can use them as trinket dishes to hold rings, matchbooks, or other small odds and ends. You can also consider using vintage ash trays as a soap dish for your bathroom or kitchen. They may also look great styled on a shelf among other vintage treasures. These beautiful pieces are so much more useful than you may first assume. So next time you're sifting through the stacks at your local thrift, don't overlook the vintage ashtrays.