Vintage Tin Canisters: Practical and Pretty

Last Updated on February 20, 2024 by Stacy Averette

We all have those small items we occasionally need for a project in our home but can’t ever seem to find because they’re lost in a junk drawer that’s a bottomless pit of random stuff.  I hate it when that happens, don’t you?

I have a solution! Vintage Tin Canisters are one of my favorite storage hacks because they’re practical and pretty. I thought it would be fun to share a few from my collection and show you how I use them as storage to create my cozy, collected vintage style.

Practical and Pretty

Keeping my home decluttered and organized is a never-ending process. I have my share of clear storage boxes tucked away in closets but I love to display pretty vintage treasures that are also useful. Vintage Tin Canisters are a perfect solution. You can find them at yard sales, thrift stores, or antique stores for just a few dollars and repurpose them as storage containers for small items you want to keep in one place. I have quite a few in my collection and use them to corral tubes of glue (crazy glue, shoe glue, fabric glue, wood glue), rolls of tape (wrapping tape, painter’s tape, masking tape), command strips (all sizes), office supplies (file labels, scissors, stamps), and so much more.

You could even make pretty labels to help you remember what’s inside each one. I have a P-touch label maker and need to make some labels for my vintage tins. (I usually know where things are but Eric has trouble finding stuff when I “hide” it in a pretty container.)

Vintage Plaster of Paris

My grandmother gave me this vintage tin many years ago. She’d had it tucked away in a box in her “back room” for who knows how long. It’s my favorite tin canister in my collection and it’s held these old silk flowers for as long as I can remember. I think of her every time I see it. She was such an inspiration to me as a young girl and a vintage-loving homemaker. We spent hours riding the back roads going to rummage sales and “junk stores” looking for treasures. She would love to see how I’ve repurposed these treasures.

A Matching Set

The red rose canisters belonged to my grandmother, too, and I’m so happy to have the set. The large canister keeps rolls of tape handy, the medium one has various tubes of glue, and the small one holds wire pliers and wire cutters I use for making and repairing jewelry and other DIY projects.

Pantry Staples

This is another set I’ve had for years that I found at a thrift store. The large “flour” tin was the perfect container for a small fir tree last Christmas. (I know I took a photo but I can’t seem to find it!)

I use the copper ones to keep command strips, glitter, and other craft supplies handy.

Colorful Laundry Room

A pretty little tin is a great way to store scent beads or dryer sheets in the laundry room. As you can tell I prefer not to use the original plastic containers. Making spaces like the laundry room pretty is really simple and relatively inexpensive.

Cooking Pretty

I often use coconut oil for cooking but hate the ugly container on my countertop. My solution is to scoop the coconut oil out of its container and into a glass jar that fits inside this pretty vintage tin. It looks so much lovelier than the boring plastic one and I save the thick plastic coconut oil containers for storing leftovers in the fridge.

Herb Garden

Smaller tins are also perfect for planting herbs and enjoying them on the kitchen window sill. The container is pretty and the herbs smell so good!

Go On a Treasure Hunt

I hope I’ve inspired you to get creative and go on a treasure hunt for vintage tin canisters. I see them everywhere and if you start looking you will, too.  When I find one I love I don’t always immediately know how I will use it but I buy it anyway. I always tell my friends who ask, “Should I buy this?”

Buy what speaks to your soul.

If you can afford it, buy it!  You’ll find a way to use it or wear it! Pretty vintage tins almost always speak to me!

Surround yourself with beautiful things. Make your life a creative reflection of who you are and what you love.

Here’s a pin to share and save for later!