The Functional Thrift Store Find That Adds A Vintage Touch To Your Kitchen

So many of the forgotten vintage kitchen trends of the last century could serve a modern home kitchen more than you may think. Whether used for their intended purpose or adapted to suit your day-to-day needs, it's worthwhile to look backward to find unique, standout décor pieces for your home. One excellent thrift store find you can get some great use out of in your home today is a vintage paper roll cutter.

These practical kitchen tools were originally used to wrap up meats in butcher paper for storage. They came in an array of sizes. Some of them were meant to sit on your countertop while others were wall-mounted. It can be a bit tricky to track this particular vintage kitchen accessory down at the thrift store. You may need to try your luck somewhere with a more curated selection, like an antique shop or estate sale.

It's also fairly easy to find vintage paper cutters online on eBay or Etsy. They're typically, give or take, anywhere between $50 to $150. The price will depend on the style and condition of the paper cutter. Some antique paper cutters can be upward of $1,000 if they're in good shape.

Many of these true vintage pieces won't come with any paper. Luckily, food-grade butcher paper is readily available in various sizes at big box stores like Walmart or Target for a relatively reasonable price (e.g., ~$16 for a 100-foot roll). You can also opt to purchase a brand new vintage-inspired paper cutter for a fraction of the price of older collector's pieces.

There are plenty of uses for this old-school design feature in your kitchen and home today. You could always, for instance, choose to revive the tradition of wrapping your meat in paper. Butcher paper is still a great way to store cooked and raw meat in lieu of plastic bags. Fresh meat can last anywhere from one to five days in the refrigerator. (Here are other vintage kitchen trends that we'd love to see being used today.)

Another practical use for this vintage item is mounting it on the wall to use as a to-do list, a hand-drawn weekly calendar, or just a space to jot down notes. Simply pull down the paper and pin it at the bottom. Mount a container for pens or markers right next to the paper cutter. Once you fill up a length of paper, simply cut it, recycle the used paper, and pin down a new section. This is not only practical, but also a cool and unique stylistic element you can add to your kitchen, living room, or office.

Another fun application for a vintage paper cutter is styling it as a gift wrapping station. Even if you're just using it for the occasional birthday or holiday gift, there's a certain nostalgic, warm look it can offer filled with pretty wrapping paper. Look for a wrapping paper design that will look right at home with your other décor. Consider switching it out seasonally. Vintage-inspired wrapping paper may be perfect for the overall aesthetic. You can complete the wrapping station with twine and ribbons, tape, and whatever else you may need to wrap gifts.