Skip to main content

Pretty Ways to Store Cooking Utensils (yes, using transferware!)

I used to store my everyday cooking utensils in brown transfer ware pitchers.  Now that we've moved, I am decorating with red in the kitchen and have decided to use red transfer ware pitchers for utensil storage.  It is so convenient having our most used utensils in sight and close at hand, and it's a great way to show off a small collection.  


Isn't this rooster pitcher darling?

No, you don't absolutely have to use transferware pitchers to store your utensils.  Below, Martha Stewart uses white ironstone pitchers to house some of her cooking utensils as well as....
vintage crocks to hold other cooking utensils (I'm guessing these are two different houses or props)

Chez Larsson uses a flower pot to hold utensils

Toni, at A Bowl Full of Lemons, also stores some of her utensils in an old crock.  I love this!


If you choose to store your utensils in any kind of breakable containers I highly suggest that you stuff some old rags or napkins into the bottom of each container as this will help prevent cracking and breaking when putting your utensils in the pitchers.  It seems that when Shawn, the kids or I unload the dishwasher and put up the utensils we sort of just drop them into the pitchers.  I had a 100+ year old pitcher I'd been using and cracked it all the way through from dropping utensils into it.  Since I've used padding at the bottom of them I have not had this problem.  You can see another post HERE where I talk a little more about this and show other ways I've used transferware for storing everyday items.


Here's a photo of my utensils when they were stored in the brown pitchers.

And, here they are again in red.  As you can see, I've added a couple more pitchers to the mix.  We use lots of utensils!
Initially I tried placing them directly on the counter, like this:

...but since we are limited on space, I decided to place them all on a shallow tray as I did before so that they can be easily moved around as one unit when additional counter space is needed.

I think a collection of advertising crocks/jars would also be a fantastic way to house utensils.  How do you store yours?  What other things would make cute storage containers for your utensils?

Have a wonderful week!



Joining: Seasonal SundaysPink SaturdayMetamorphosis MondayHouse in the RosesSavvy Southern StyleRomantic Homes504 Main, A Stroll Thru Life,  Common Ground, Feathered Nest Friday, Charm of Home, Funky Junk Interiors, Faded Charm, No Minimalist HereAt The Picket Fence,  Stuff and Nonsense, House of Grace

Comments

  1. I use stoneware pitchers and crocks to store my utensils. Love how it looks and sooo convenient!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love both, your transferware and the white. Very nice idea and very decorative! Thanks for sharing. Come and visit my granddaughters, if you can. Hugs. FABBY

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful! What a wonderful idea! I like the idea of placing them on a tray so that they can be removed when space is needed.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful transferware, I love the way the utensils look stored in them. That's a great tip about stuffing it to prevent breakage thanks for that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nancy, I love the look of using the pitchers for the utensils and agree that placing them all on a tray makes it easier to clear off the counter when needed. Plus I just like the look of corralling things on a tray. ;-) We have a copper vent hood with hooks across the back and sides that hold the metal whisks and utensils. The wooden spoons, spatulas, etc. are in a set of graduated sizes of pottery canisters. ~ Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Nancy, great ideas for storage, loving those white ironstone pitchers!! Really great inspiration here, thanks for joining in for VIF!! xo Debra

    ReplyDelete
  7. The red transferware rooster is gorgeous. Love the grouping on the tray. Thanks for the post.
    - Joy

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your transferware is gorgeous Nancy! I love that you 'use' it! My utensils are kept in old stoneware jars on the worktop - bottom padding had already been added ;o)
    Hope you are settling in well, and the back is broken on all those jobs!
    Have a great week.
    Rose H

    ReplyDelete
  9. This was such a visual and practical treat! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love how this looks. I think the padding idea is a great tip. The red transferware looks fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Fun pictures with great ideas! I use two old crocks beside my stove for cooking utensils and another crock beside the sink for paper towels.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nancy, when I look at transferware it reminds me of toile fabric. In fact, I used to call all of it toile. I'm sorry to seem ignorant, but what's the difference?

    Penne

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love transferware pitchers, Nancy, and I think it's a great idea to use them to hold your everyday cooking utensils AND display the transferware at the same time!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love your display! You can look at my blog and see that you put all my favorite things (or at least some of them)....transferware and white pottery. Lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  15. It only makes sense to combine function with beauty! I use small crocks for my utinsels and a larger one for my rolling pin collection.
    'hugs from afar'

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Penne,

    Well you are not alone in calling transferware toile. Toile is French for cloth or canvas and refers to the monochromatic images produced on fabric.
    Transfer ware is pottery and relates to the unique printing process in which the designs are transferred to it.

    I have two different posts you may be interested in reading. One is specifically about toile fabrics: http://nancysdailydish.blogspot.com/2010/07/toile-de-jouy-and-transferware-black.html
    And the other is about the transfer ware printing process: http://nancysdailydish.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-is-transferware-and-how-is-it-made.html
    Both posts also give a brief history about each.
    I hope this helps!

    Nancy

    p/s feel free to email me at the button on the top, right side of my blog if you have further questions. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great idea. I use a pampered chef utensil carousel, but this idea is much lovelier...

    http://jeanneselep.blogspot.com/2011/06/easter-hutch.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. Really great ideas! Love the red and white in your kitchen....

    ReplyDelete
  19. How funny that you did a post on this subject. I just ordered a HUGE Spode Blue Italian Pitcher to go on my counter for my big utensils. I can't wait to get it. Love your ideas. thanks for sharing. :)

    ~Liz

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Nancy! Thank you for your visit!

    I love the idea of putting everything on a tray so that it can be quickly moved when space is needed. Your transferware is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Happy Tuesday!

    Love this idea!

    If you get a chance, please stop by my blog and enter the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This looks so pretty , Nancy! It is nice to have everything near the stove, ready to grab when you need it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hello Nancy,
    I am so inspired by this post! I have two containers housing my utensils - they get so crowded and confused - love your transferware pitchers in the basket - looks wonderful and love the Martha Stewart and Bowl Full of Lemons inspirations - I just joined Pinterest and created a pin to this post - still learning this - it is so fun. Visiting via Show Off Your Cottage Monday,
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  24. Good idea. I have limited space for storing utinsils. I have some cute pitchers .

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love this idea and all of your red transferware is stunning. The tray idea is a fabulous one. I hope you are getting settled in the new place and I can't wait to see how you've decorated. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your post has inspired me to look for some sweet pitchers to house all my utensils and ditch the crock I've been using forever! Thanks for the tip about lining the bottom, too!

    ReplyDelete
  27. this is so beautiful i am definately going to work on finding some of these..thanks for the inspiration

    ReplyDelete
  28. Everday utensils don't need to look utilitarion, as you have just proved. This is lovely, espescially in those beautiful containers.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Nancy, I'm visiting from WUW. I love how your using your red transferware for your utensils in your kitchen. Its a wonderful way to display and enjoy and serve as storage too. Great idea. Love your blog so I'll be your newest follower.

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hey there, I'm visiting from WUW! Great ideas, practical storage, so appealing! Thanks for sharing!
    Blessings!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Absolutely gorgeous! Right now I have my utensils in a yellow pot. As we change our kitchen I'd love to use something like you have shown.

    Do you still have an Etsy shop?

    ReplyDelete
  32. Nancy:

    You have such a magical touch - whether they be brown or red - you've done a wonderful job. So happy to see the house coming along with such splendor.

    - The Tablescaper

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love these ideas! I found a wire basket at HomeGoods that I am using but I would love something smaller with it for the smaller utensils that are in the drawer now! I am going keep on the look out for something like this!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I love to use trays on my counters to keep stuff a little more organized. Easier to clean too! I found your link at The Charm of Home. Great post...and great inspiration. Think how many drawers you could empty by putting all the utensils in pitchers? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  35. So pretty, and I love grouping it all on a tray.

    ReplyDelete
  36. glass jars, wire baskets of different sizes, old tins (like antique tins or coffee tins), brown crockery pitchers, majolica pitchers, old wooden boxes such as cheese boxes or other such boxes, collection of cobalt blue or ruby red glass pitchers, bottles or other containers.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Your transferware pitchers are beautiful, and now they're out on display. I also love decorating with red transferware in my kitchen. Great advice on putting some cushion in the bottom. Sorry your old one got cracked.
    Have a great weekend!
    ~ Julie

    ReplyDelete
  38. What a pretty place to store utensils - beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Nancy,
    This is fabulous and your rooster pitcher is so cute. I just put mine in the drawer. Our counter space is so small no room for them on top. Your new house is looking very pretty. Thanks for linking this up to HSH!
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  40. I also use crocks and spatterware to store my kitchen cooking utensils and the occasional piece of Italian pottery! I agree, gathering them together on a tray makes a great grouping!

    ReplyDelete
  41. How happy it makes me to visit your blog and "play" in your dishes. You have the prettiest collections.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I love these kinds of containers for utensils. I use the old family cookie jar & crock, because they are green.
    Have a beautiful PS weekend.
    TTFN ~
    Hugs,
    Marydon

    ReplyDelete
  43. I just LOVE this Nancy! It looks so charming and it such a clever way to have beauty meet function. :-) Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Inspiration Friday this week!
    Vanessa

    ReplyDelete
  44. This post made me get a cheery yellow Cheerios pitcher from my stash to hold my spatulas. I love objects with advertising.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Great ideas! The flower pot idea is kinda cool, too! Now I'll have to check my cupboards for containers.

    I love your red transferware.

    Happy Pink Saturday!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Such a great idea. I'm going to keep my eye for some transfer ware!

    ReplyDelete
  47. I agree I like to keep my most used items out. The tray idea is a good one also. Love the transferware.

    HPS

    LL

    ReplyDelete
  48. Gorgeous Nancy!! I adore that darling rooster!! What a sweet post~thanks for sharing this at FNF this week! :)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Oh girl....I am so glad I wandered by to check on you!!! It is lovely to find you posting often once again!!! As you know I am in the process of changing my "storage" from red and white transferware to brown and white!! I laughed when I read this post....our kitchens must be doing the backwards flip!!
    Hugs to you and I hope things are going well. You are still on my special list!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Beautiful. If kids cooking utensils were so beautiful, I think my kids would love eating.

    ReplyDelete
  51. I really like your blog... Its so informative.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I want them so bad. I hope i can get some clearance sale on these stuff.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from my readers. I appreciate the time you take to post a comment and I read them all.

Popular posts from this blog

English Cottage Living Room - Before, Partly After & Still a Work in Progress

I am sorry for not posting more pictures of the progress we've made settling into this new (to us) home.   It seems life rushes by so fast and that at times, doing little things, even those that I love and enjoy, often get pushed aside and onto the back shelf of my mind where I tell myself, "I'll get to this later".  Well, it is later and though I don't have as much to share with you as I'd like, I'm going to at least share my favorite spot in our living room.  I promise to show the rest of the room soon but for now the opposite half of the living room has been occupied by my daughters boyfriend who has been staying with us for the past 7 or so weeks until his apartment is ready for him to move into, and so the couch is usually made up for him to sleep on!   Here is a photo of the current living room just as we found it, a small room just off the entry of the house with a nice marble and wood fireplace surround, hard wood floors, beautiful crown mouldi

The History of Johnson Brothers and The Friendly Village Tablescape

Last week, Shawn and I popped into a couple of estate sales and I picked up over 100 pieces of Johnson Brother's The Friendly Village .  I think I may have to hang on to 12 of the dinner plates and use them this year at Thanksgiving but the rest of them, including this 48 piece service for 8, will be you know where. I don't know about you all, but I have had enough of Summer and I am down right ready for the cooler temperatures of Autumn.  I've been doing a lot of rearranging around the house….I'm in one of those zones where I've got a zillion projects going on, even if half of them are just in my mind that I'm contemplating!   We've also been moving kids out and around.  Three of them are out and the three still at home are moving or rearranging their rooms around.    Since I am yearning for Fall, haven't posted any tablescapes in a while and just got these Friendly Village pieces I decided to set the table with them.      Oh great, I

More Traditional Red White & Blue Rooms with Transferware

A couple of weeks ago I shared some pictures of beautiful rooms in red and blue color schemes decorated with transferware .    Here is another roundup of rooms that I adore, all with red and blue color schemes and all with transferware!  Enjoy!  (via Traditional Home) (via enchanted home) (my old living room) Joining some of the following parties: Between Naps on The Porch Transformation Thursday at  The Shabby Chic Cottage Feathered Nest Friday at  French Country Cottage Friday Inspiration  At The Picket Fence Cindy at  My Romantic Home Funky Junk Interiors Charm of Home No Minimalist Here WOW  Amaze Me Mondays  Making Monday Link Party  Motivational Mondays  What'd You Do This Weekend?   Inspire Me Monday   Make It Pretty Monday   Monday Link Party  Inspire Me Monday 

My English Country Mom Cave

Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch is hosting a Home Goods Mom Cave contest with four lucky winners.  Come on in to my little niche I've carved out of my house.  This is where I work, create, relax, read and chat with friends and family. This is one of my favorite spots in the house to read about one of my favorite subjects...English transferware or poetry, and drink tea.  I often start and end my day right here. Next to the chair is an antique dumbwaiter which holds some decorative items as well as lots of poetry books.  This is the view of the room from the wing back chair.  This cozy room serves as a small living room, although it's not uncommon to have 8 or 9 of the girls in here during family gatherings.  It's usually where we all wind up to have coffee and visit. . On either side of the sofa I display some of my vintage Canine figurines on Spode meat drainers. Above the sofa are some of my favorite paintings.  The one directly over the sofa my Mom pain

Decorating with Brown Transferware & $100 GIVEAWAY

Brown was introduced as a transferware color around 1829-30 and is the least expensive of colors to make. Therefore it is fairly common, so far as transferware goes, to find.  It is also one of the most collected colors and it is probably the most versatile of colors in my opinion.  Brown is neutral and looks good with any color scheme from pastels to rich jewel tones, but it is with the ushering in of Autumn that I see it popping up in home decor and vignettes the most.  Though, most of these rooms and vignettes are decorated with brown pieces year round, it just seems the perfect time to share them.  I may have to do another post because there are so, so many more equally beautiful spaces that have incorporated the use of displaying brown transferware  and I can't fit them all here. So, check these lovelies out and then stick around for the giveaway at the bottom of the post. This vignette just stole my heart the first time I saw it.  So many of us have vintage luggage

The Aesthetic Movement and Transferware

What is the Aesthetic Movement? The Aesthetic Movement refers to a period of time in the late 19 th century (1870-1900) which was a backlash to the formal Victorian years.  Artists and writers of the Aesthetic movement period maintained the belief that art should provide refined sensuous pleasure, rather than convey moral or sentimental messages.  They believed that art did not have any didactic purpose; it need only be beautiful.  Japanese art had a great influence on Aestheticism. Aesthetic interiors were often decorated with Japanese prints, screens, fans and other objects. An appreciation of the art of Japan is seen in the work of many Aesthetic artists and designers such as James McNeill Whistler and E.W. Godwin. photo credit Country Living The Aesthetes developed the cult of beauty, which they considered the basic factor in art. They ascertained that life should copy art and considered nature as crude and lacking in design

Decorating with Blue Transferware and a GIVEAWAY!

   If you haven't already been over to Enchanted Home , you'll want to go over after you finish this post because the wonderful Tina, who authors the incredibly gorgeous blog,  has a great post up about decorating with dishes plus she's hosting a giveaway to my online shop, English Transferware !  Details at the end of the post! I know Tina loves blue and white (just look at her header and you'll know!) and has a collection of her own. In honor of Tina, I've decided to share some of my favorite images of rooms decorated with and often around blue transferware collections.  You can see more rooms decorated with blue transferware on my Pinterest board . To me, Charles Faudree is just about as synonymous with English transferware as he his with French Country Decorating...he seemed to always find a use for it in his incredibly detailed decorating schemes.  Isn't this bedroom charming? I love this next image from Decor Magazine.  Look how the blu