I purchased a commercial baker’s four loaf pan at a yard sale for $2.50 last summer. It sat in my basement stash for a long time…forgotten. I was digging through the pile a few weeks ago and found this piece again. It was like Christmas! So, what do you do with a rusty loaf pan? I’m not going to bake with it. It also would take two people to get it out of the oven! This sucker is heavy. Knowing it would never hold hot loaves again, I thought of a few new uses for it.
New Use # 1:
A unique buffet server. This is the perfect shape and size to hold napkins, flatware, and condiments.
I can never resist an opportunity to showcase my Bakelite set and linen napkins.
I love the soft, crisp look of the linen against the rust and metal. I did spray the loaf pan with a coat of satin polyurethane to protect anything I put in it.
I think this would also look great in the center of a family style dinner table.
New Use #2
Game night! Gather your games, snacks and score cards and put this display on the coffee table to encourage play time.
All of the vintage game pieces are from my grandparent’s attic, but I bet you can find some old dominoes, Scrabble pieces, and dice at yard sales, auctions and flea markets.
I love these custom vintage napkins that belonged to my namesake and grandmother.
Use #3
Place it on a desk to display family photos, hold your mail and sort your bills. The picture of the girl who looks like Shirley Temple is my grandmother.
Recycling isn’t all about cardboard, glass and plastic. It’s about finding new uses for things that have life left in them, but may not be good for their intended purpose. Look at old things in new ways and you may end up with something surprising and unique.
I posted this to SNS at Funky Junk Interiors.
60 Responses
Now you know we are all going to be on the lookout for these loaf pans now!
I love the creativity of finding something vintage and realizing a great (or in your case several great) new uses. It's one of my favorite features in Real Simple. I also love the simple shapes you use!!!
Great ideas for the loaf pans! Love the old photos and postcards. I love displaying a collection over 50 years old from friends and family.
What a great organizer this makes! I love your applications and your photos. Very inspiring! It's all about looking at things with a different eye. I've been trying to do that with everything I have. You can never have enough organizing tools!
Sherry
I'm every bit jealous of so many things in this post!
1. the items you had stored in it the first time
2. The fact that it can hold mail and pics and stuff
3. That it would be perfect for my bar, seeing that it holds all those game pieces.
And might I say Grandma has Shirley Temple beat!
Loving those ideas! Thanks for sharing, it definitely gives me ideas, now I want to go to yard sales and thrift stores this weekend.
Oh, I love all of these wonderful uses for your very cool loaf pans! And the vintage napkins from your namesake are wonderful! I couldn't agree more, recycling isn't just about plastic and paper, I love re-purposing old things and giving them new life!
Kat 🙂
I am going second hand shopping tomorrow…because of you! 😀 thanks
*sigh* I just love coming here…you have the best ideas! I loved all three of your ideas – and all your inspiring photographs as well
I love this idea. There is one at thrift store that never has 1/2 price day–a little pricey for me though. May have to go negotiate!
How great that is, to be used in so many different ways. Its like you actually have 3 of them! What great ideas you come up with!
Great ideas!!
blessings and happy weekend!
barbara jean
Lovin' each charming use you've come up with here. The linen and metal contrast though…amazing.
I've never seen a loaf pan like that in my life but I'm sure going to be on the lookout now.
I absolutely love these ideas. You have such a knack for taking one thing and turning it into something completely different – and pulling it off.
Your creativity is limitless and such an inspiration.Thanks for your generosity in sharing these ideas.
I love this unique piece, Miss Mustard..I love your imagination to use it in all these fun ways!!
Your pictures are gorgeous. I love all 3 uses! I'm jealous & want to go dig through my storage & see what I can find to "recycle" now!
Love it, love it, love it, you are so creative!
Love it, love it, love it, you are so creative!
I don't think I'd be able to decide which one I like most. It's beautiful! I love your pictures of the ways to use it.
That is so gorgeous!!!! Love the first way you used it with your cutlery and cloth napkins. What a fantastic and versatile find – well don 🙂 I just love it! ~ Tina x
That breadpan is so good! And I love all your uses for it. And my gosh the work that has gone into this photoshoot! Thank you for putting all that talent and effort into inspiring us.
You got a great deal! In used restaurant supply places the old beaten up ones go for $25.00 each. I've been wanting one, but wouldn't spend that much. Love how creative you are with them, great displays!
LOVE the uses you chose, esp. the first one ♥
Love the Marian napkin foto too lol. Do you mind if I use it on my blog as a greeting in my sidebar??, since MY name is Marian too ??
If you';d rather not, I understand ..no worries.
Hugs from the Dutch Marian
Loooooooooooove it!! Great ideas…I think I like the flatware holder idea the best. But they are all cool!
Thanks for sharing
Hugs
SueAnn
MMM – This post is so inspiring! Thank you! I will be bookmarking it!
Blessings,
Shilo
Great idea~ Love your photographs! Always fantastic posts…
Such creative ideas! So much fun to find something and then discover all the ways it can be used.
I love it! Very creative repurposing. You have such great ideas.
the first pic reminds me of a summer BBQ. I'm going to close my eyes and pretend i'm outside with my family and a juicy burger 🙂
Gosh – now I'm going to have to find a commercial loaf pan… This is wonderful. I love the way you think and how creative you are. Love this!
I just picked one of these 4 loaf pans up at our area flea market last Saturday! Such great ideas you have, I'm always looking for new entertaining ideas & these were too much fun!! 🙂
Blessings,
Stacey
What a steal! I paid $15 for mine last summer at Oronoco Gold Rush Days but have used it daily ever since. Right now I have mine on a shelf in the dining room holding cloth napkins, candles and holders and some glassware. It's perfect! Love your game night idea!
Candy
So stinking cute!!
I have some old loaf pans of my grandmother's… they are a treasure! I've used them for many things… right now, organizing my little girls' art drawer 🙂
Love all of your ideas! And I'm digging the photography, girl!! Fabulous!
well miss mustard seed, I'm glad I stopped in. I just love all those ideas. I'm keepin' my eyes peeled for an old loaf pan. I bet my mom has one. let's see….what does she like from my house…..
I absolutly love it! Every look is so cute and creative, great pictures too!
I like all the options you've shown here!
Your ideas are awesome, but your pictures?!? Stunning beyond words! I too will be on the lookout for a similar little gem now. I didn't know these exsisted until I laid eyes on this one. What a great find!
Thanks for sharing on SNS!
FJ Donna
Love it!!! I'm on the hunt for a loaf pan today!!!
What a great idea!!!!! If I come across one of these loaf pans, I will definitely grab it!
I'm always on the look-out for old muffin pans too; they work really well for starting garden seeds. Just fill the cups with some dirt and plant your seeds!
Brilliant! I would never think to use it for such, but every idea you've presented is absolutely wonderful. Many blessings, Tammy
I love all of your ideas, but I especially like #3. My house definitely needs a paper organization system.
Have a wonderful weekend
What a great set of ideas to repurpose something that is past it's prime for baking! My mom has a pan like this…although I think it is for smaller bread loaves…and she bakes bread frequently! I love the new uses for this piece. Happy Weekend!
Blessings, Grace
Very creative!
smiles.
Great ideas for your loaf pan! I especially like it used on your buffet table. Thanks for sharing. Love & blessings from NC!
HA! You're the best! Those ideas are perfect for that loaf pan. I am truly envious of that find! Love the cutlery in it the best though. Your photography is beautiful as well!
Lisa
I am so happy that I found your blog. I love your finds and ideas. You are an inspiration. Keep on finding those great things. Your grandmother was a very pretty girl. Bet she turned out to be a beautiful lady.
I cannot believe this post! I just got one of these a few weeks ago at our Goodwill. I was planning on setting plants in it this summer… I might have to rethink that now! 🙂
Love your pics. Beautiful as always.
~Amy
Love this!! My mom almost had one for me from an estate auction last year and kindly let an elderly lady have it who really wanted it. Hmmm…I sure hope she is enjoying it. Maybe we will find another one someday.
I had been looking for one of these for about a year and recently scored one for a great price! I had seen a picture in a decorating book of using a set of these pans vertically on the wall
near the toilet. Rolls of spare tissue fit perfectly in the pans and I have interspersed a couple of
cakes of white soap and a couple of rolled up white wash cloths.
I'm loving the rustic look of this
in my old house bathroom. Marie
Marian,
As always, gorgeous ideas!
I love the little rhyme on the napkins! Adds a very personal, cute touch to any table!!
Hugs,
bird
One of my best friends (who I happen to meet online through an interior forum)is a big collector of these kinda thing.. you should check her out at Grisblanc!
desiree
Girlfriend, you have more talent in your little finger than… 🙂
Love it!
I think I like the game night re-purposing best!
Thanks so much for the visit to my blog and for entering my giveaway!
All the best,
Anne
Simply beautiful. Your photos are magazine quality!!
I love it!!
p.s. I got the paints this week!! Thanks so much!
Stephie @ Made By Stephie
Oh what such a lovely versatile bargain! I LOVE LOVE your knives and forks. My grandma gave me some knives exactly like that just before she died, but I have never seen the forks before. You have such a beautiful blog – have signed up as a follower!
P.S – I found you via Funky Junk Interiors!
wonderful! i love the first use the best but all of them are really neat. Great job! Kelly