I really like collections of things. You have to be careful with collections, because sometimes when you’re in tenth grade you tell people that you collect, say, cows, and then that’s all you get for every birthday and holiday for years is cow stuff. And sometimes you collect things by accident, like laundry and dog fur.
But sometimes you collect things totally on purpose, and it’s not cows.
I’m working on amassing a couple of collections right now. One of them is very easy to put together; the other not as much.
The wooden box centerpiece that we made before Thanksgiving is still hanging out on our dining room table these days. For Thanksgiving, we had it filled with gold painted pinecones, and then for Christmas we filled it with Christmas ornaments. Then it sat around sad and empty for awhile because I couldn’t think what to put in it next.
Until I spotted Angela at Number Fifty-Three’s collection of brass candlesticks:
Perfect! Especially since I remembered spotting brass candlesticks very regularly at my usual thrifting spots.
Once I decided I wanted to collect brass candlesticks, I had way more than I needed (mostly for $1-4 each) remarkably quickly:
I have, in fact, several that I can’t fit in the wooden box already, but I can’t seem to stop myself from buying them when I see them anyway.
And then, just after I took pictures for my updated sunroom tour, I spotted these guys to replace stack of books as my other something tall on the mantel:
They’re pretty dinged up, and they’re a little more…yellow than I usually prefer my brass, but I was really drawn to the shape of them AND I knew exactly where I wanted to put them….a rare enough event that I just went for it.
And then there is collection number two, which I’ve mentioned before: vintage planters (destined for our master bathroom someday). I’ve been working on putting this together for much longer than brass candlesticks, but it’s comparatively very slow going. I could, of course, hop on ebay and pick up 50 of them tomorrow (and I may well wind up with a few that way), but my budget does not allow for this.
So I just keep on checking for them every single time I’m at the thrift shop, a strategy that has yielded a grand total of one planter in the months I’ve been looking. I have gotten a few from other sources, though, so here’s where it stands now:
The Siamese cat is my lone thrift find. The little brown and white dog came from my mom’s shop the other day. And the other two were gifts….the black and white dog from my friend, Kristi, and the adorable little lamb came from Michelle of Rust and Sunshine (fellow mother to an Abe!). She had him and didn’t have a place for him, so she very kindly offered to send him to me when she heard about my big planter collection plans.
I also have this not-vintage deer planter that I picked up a long time ago:
She doesn’t really fit in to the group as is, but I’m thinking I’ll try giving her a glossy coat of spray paint (maybe just white?) to see if she can pass for vintage-y.
Good news is our bathroom remodel is going nowhere fast, so there’s still plenty of time to work on this.
And you? Who else is working on a collection of something wonderful? (I hope it’s not cows, because I might have hurt your feelings)
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LOVE! i also like to call my hoarding collecting because it sounds not so creepy. i have lots of collections.
If you can still walk through the room, it’s not hoarding yet, I always say!
I only collect weird stuff— like the ribbon a new set of curtains comes wrapped in (because I could use it for SOMETHING!), and tissue paper (because I can re-use it on another gift!). lol. I also hoard chairs, which my husband is not too thrilled about.
love the brass candlesticks on your mantel!!
Chairs are a great thing to collect! Well, except they do tend to take up more room than candlesticks
I saw the title of the post and had to come over because, you know I love collecting. 😉 So…a huge thank you for sharing my picture of my hutch!!! I will be sure to mention to my husband that this is, in fact, collecting and not hoarding as he likes to tell me. Love your candlesticks & how you displayed them . 🙂
Angela @ Number Fifty-Three
lol–thanks, Angela! I love your candlesticks!
I LOVE the ones on the mentel. I also now want a brass candlestick collection. Thanks for that.
I bet they have a bunch in Austin. come home with 3 dozen!
If you’re going to have a collection, it might as well be as awesome as candlesticks!
Truer words were never spoken, Kenz 🙂
Those hexagon candlesticks are pretty awesome. I love them! I totally agree that you should be careful to ever mention that you collect anything. Even if you DO collect something, isn’t 99% of the fun to find it yourself instead of having it gifted to you. At least that’s what I think.
ha–right?! I’d be so cheap to buy presents for if everyone just bought me thrifted candlesticks, too!
LOve them all but the ones on the fireplace took my breath away. So awesome!
aren’t they cool?! I forgot to point out that they’re hexagonal, too–I’m so on trend! 😉
Crap. I’m suddenly feeling an uncontrollable urge to collect those brass candlesticks too.
do it! it’s cheap and easy! (that didn’t sound quite right)
I love, love, love those tall candlesticks on the mantle. Your whole collection is great!
Love it great idea to put them in the box gives it a modern vintage feel.
Thank you!
The candlesticks on the mantle are the perfect “tall item on the other side.” And it is soooo true… we must be careful about suggesting we’re collecting anything or it will be every gift for the next 3 years.
– Lora
Yay! So glad the little lamb is in good company. He was awfully lonely here. 😉
Those candle sticks are perfect on the mantel! I love them there. I will now be in search for vintage planters for you!!
Thanks! I broke down and bought one on ebay the other day, but it showed up with the ear broken off 🙁 (in the mail; not their fault, but still)
If you want to change the color of the brass a little bit you can rub it down with lemon and salt! It will make it less yellow and more metallic looking!
Good to know–thanks for the tip!
I love vintage planters too. Look into wall pockets as well. I scored a cute vintage kitty wall pocket at my local antique mall.
cute!!