Yesterday, I shared some of my newly acquired yard sale and flea market finds and this vintage milk delivery box was among the deals. It didn’t look like this when I bought it, though.
The box was in excellent condition with a clean interior (it wan’t all rusted and nasty), but the paint advertising the dairy had worn off. This box fit several categories that I look for in what I buy. It has a story, it is multi-functional, and it’s great storage. I can image one of these sitting on my front porch when my house was young (it was built in the 1940’s.) I am not old enough to remember those days, but we did have bread, beer, and sodas delivered to our door when we lived in Germany. 
I decided to use the blank front to my advantage and marry the vintage piece with a modern product. Chalkboard paint was the perfect solution. This box can become anything you want it to be.
How about as an ice bucket or cooler for drinks? If I was using this for ice, I would want to put a plastic liner in it, just to be safe, but the insulated box would keep your ice chilled as you guests linger through the evening hours.
I also immediately pictured it being a perfect and stylish place to store powdered laundry detergent. It’s almost the perfect size to drop a small box of soap into.
Idea number three is to use it as diaper storage. A clever girl, Katie Bell, used one she found at a yard sale this way. I store my diapers in a metal bread box, so we are definitely on the same track. I tested it out and it is the perfect size for half a box of diapers.
It’s a great idea to keep diapers handy and hidden in a common room.
Some other ideas…
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Use it as a planter or to store potting soil. To successfully grow a plant in it, make sure you drill holes at the bottom or fill it with gravel to provide proper drainage.
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It’s a good size to hide your non-pretty toiletries in the bathroom, like hair products and lotions. It would also look great sitting on the toilet tank to keep extra TP rolls on hand.
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If you have a great porch, why not sit one on the steps as a nod to the past? Sometimes an item doesn’t need to be repurposed to be used in a creative way.
Now, go enjoy the fireworks. Happy Independence Day!
I linked this up to SNS over at Donna’s blog.
33 Responses
Cool find and I love the ideas on how to use it, very creative!
I seriously need to move by you. You find the most amazing treasures!
Have a blessed 4th,
Christa
I have one too that's bit wider but just as tall. We keep it in the kitchen area and it holds extra paper towels, toilet paper, a roll of bubble wrap. I love it. There are so many things you can do with it. We put numbers on ours. If you want to take a look:
http://3ringcottage.blogspot.com/2010/02/get-your-numbers-on.html
Oh gosh, with so many uses, I really want on. But I guess there is no chance that I will ever find anything like it over here. But you have peaked my interest, one more thing to look out for.
I love it andyou gave such cute ideas 😉
I absolutely love it! You are so talented and creative! Where in the world do you find this stuff? I noticed your table in one of the pics. Did you paint it or did it come that way? Trying to get some ideas on what I want to do to mine! It needs a desperate facelift.
What a find… Love it!
That is really cute, love all your ideas for different storage uses. My first thought was that I wonder if you would have been able to recontruct the original signwriting on it…but the chalkboard frontage makes it so much more versatile 🙂
xx Karen
ps. like the above commenter, I love the glazing on the dining table too 🙂
What a neat piece and so many different uses. Love it. Hugs, Marty
Seeing the milk box caused my mind to fly back 39 years ago when we lived in the very northern tip of Maine. The milk man always placed the milk in the "ice box" at the back door to keep it from freezing in the winter time. Sure wish I had saved that box. You have some great ideas for it.
Have a great day!
Karen
Ladybug Creek
PS I now live in deep south Texas where no one would even begin to understand the importance of using these boxes for milk. lol
I love the texture and the multiple uses you showed for it. A truly wonderful find.
I REALLY love the milk bottle full of milk. YUM!!!
Cheers,
Laura
That is an amazing find. Love what you did with it. I can remember when I was very young, my grandma and grandpa still got their milk delivered to the farm. I don't remember if they had a box like this though. If she didn't live so far away, I'd go did through her garage and see. Now that I love junk…her place would be a treasure trove LOL!
I love the idea of it being multi-purpose! Thanks for sharing this great idea.
XO
Lenore
I'm flattered to pieces that you mentioned me. And at the risk of sounding of obnoxious, it's possible, just ask my kids, I also have a metal tool box and it's a great size to keep library books…with the lid open, obviously.
Girl you always so inspire me each time I come by here…Love the milk box and I so remember these…But then I'm a bit older than dirt so I would…Happy 4th to you my Dear friend…Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria
great idea with the chalkboard paint! i found one of these at a co-op antique store but it's covered in metallic silver paint…yuk! i have wanted to strip the paint in hopes of finding galvanized goodness underneath…you have given me hope that there is! i want to use mine as an ice bucket or cooler on the deck. love the variety of uses too.
judi 😉
All great ideas to use this chest for!! And what a great container it is too! The chalkboard paint was a stroke of genius!! Good on you!!
Hugs
SueAnn
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I need to find me one of those. We used to have one when I was a litle girl, milk delivered to our farm and everything…and I was born in '73. That's not TOO old, is it? =)
I think you are having 'too much fun' with your box! Now, of course, I want one too!
Have a great week,
Susie
Very cute… Loving it in my laundry room!!
How clever!
Love it!
I love what you did with it Marian, and the different ways in which you showcased it's possibilities.
We had milk delivery in rural Idaho when I was young and had a small box just like that! I'm not even that old either!
My Dad still has the one that we got milk in when I was young. But my favorite memories of the Milk box was of my Mom ….when the weather was just right … would add vanilla and sugar in a glass for each of us , put them in the box overnight and the morning we would have slushy ice milk. We thought it was magic ;~)
Oh my gosh, you are so clever!
I am old enough to remember these boxes (well, just vaguely). I grew up in a small town, and I'm pretty sure we still had a milkman coming to the door in the late 60s, maybe even the 70's.
Thinking about it now, it was hardly necessary – we were just five blocks away from a grocery store!
I love it and the fact that you hand paint everything.
How cute! I have a milk box that my grand daughter uses for craft supplies. I like the idea of adding some chalk board paint to the front for her.
These are all great ideas! Which will you end up actually using?
I have a current version of the milk box on my porch – and the dairy that delivers milk to it weekly is also "Smith". It has a white enamel finish.
Sure, I'll talk with you !
I do remember those milk boxes only too well. Remember when it got very cold the heavy cream on the top of the bottles expanded and pushed the cream and bottle top up and almost out !
They were slower times, but safer, and we could get on our bikes and go all over.
I remember it well.:-)
Well I love that box! We had a milk man when I was little. But when I lived in Germany I had a beer man. Boy, that was the greatest since we lived on the forth floor!
I love the idea of using chalkboard paint on the milk box. I have one in my garage that I put catfood in to keep the mice out.
Love the look so far!
Love that milk container! I searched forever for a tin that size and finally found one at World Market that says, DIRT on it. Not nearly as old and charming as yours!
Love your idea of using chalkboard paint to identify contents. I have one and use it in the fall to display different sizes of pumpkins and leaves, etc. Laid down with lid open flat, gives a nice look for fall. I posted last fall showing the look, but I like using it your way. Thanks for a great blog.