9 Creative Ways to Use Vintage Scales

I absolutely love finding quirky old things at flea markets and yard sales – vintage cameras, typewriters, scales, radios, books.  They are so much more fun and interesting to decorate with than the same old candles and vases everybody else has.  Plus, bonus, they’re usually super cheap!  The downside?  Sometimes I get some super fun vintage find home and realize I have no idea what to actually do with it!  I know I can’t be the only one with this problem, so today I want to share some of my favorite ways to use two of my favorite finds – a pair of old scales.  Plus it’s thrifty style day!  So after you read about how I use my own thrifty finds, I’ve got seven other thrifty bloggers for you with amazing ideas you aren’t going to want to miss!

I found this old balance scale at a yard sale for only one dollar.  It wasn’t particularly fancy with off-white paint and a big acrylic jewel in the middle, but I knew it had major potential.

 

I painted the lower half with a few coats of Annie Sloan chalk paint in graphite and it instantly looked a hundred times better.  So now it’s cute, but what do I actually do with it?  So many things!  I’ve found it is awesome to decorate with because it adds great height to any vignette. One of my favorite things to do is use it to hold a pair of basic pillar candles.  Definitely a statement candleholder!

I’ve also found that it is one of my favorite, easy ways to decorate for different seasons. In the fall, it holds a pair of tiny painted pumpkins.

 

At Christmas, it is the perfect display for a few of my best vintage Christmas ornaments (another favorite yard sale find!)

 

And in the summer, it makes a perfect display for seashells collected during family beach vacations.

And it may not be quite as cute as seashells and Christmas ornaments, but one of my favorite practical uses is as a landing spot for keys and loose change next to our front door.

 

So what about that other cute little scale?

My little scale happens to be the cutest little baby scale, but I’ve seen so many different versions.  I’ve seen gorgeous rusty blue scales, bright yellow scales with dancing vegetables on the face, even utilitarian black and white for all you neutral-lovers out there. I don’t know about you, but I feel like a scale with nothing on top looks sad and naked, so I always like to give my scale a little something to hold.

Currently it is on our bookshelves acting as a bookend for a few cute old books. (The large one on the side wasn’t so cute, so I covered it with scrapbook paper.)

In the fall it was the perfect resting spot for our adorable blue Cinderella pumpkin.  (Plus it was fun to see how much our pumpkin weighed in at.)

 

And it also makes a perfect resting spot for a beautiful plant in a cute painted pot.

 

Probably my favorite use of the old scale was as part of the buffet at my son’s first birthday party.  I basically just gathered things from around my house and threw them together to make a cute spread.  The only decoration I bought specifically for the part was the little 1 candle!  (That tiny little chest of drawers was another recent thrifty find – only $5!  I’m thinking it may end up getting a bit of a makeover, but for now I’m enjoying the natural look.)

 

I haven’t used this little guy at Christmas time yet, but I’m thinking a little scale would be perfect as a landing place for that pile of Christmas cards.  Or it would look super cute topped with a little stack of tiny wrapped packages.

What ideas would you add to the list?  I’m always looking for new creative ways to mix things up!

And if you’re looking for more creative ways to use those vintage treasures, you may want to check out my tips for using vintage items as everyday storage.

Now head over and check out the latest thrifty ideas from the rest of the gang.  These ladies never cease to impress me with their style and talent!