Enamelware Christmas Decor: 15 Thrifted Ideas That Make Your Kitchen Look Like Grandma’s Farmhouse

Enamelware Christmas Decor is the sweet farmhouse look that starts with the speckled bowls, chippy pitchers and camp mugs that Grandma kept on her kitchen shelf. Those old pieces were made to be used every day, so they feel warm and familiar the moment you add a bit of pine and a red bow. Thrift stores, estate sales and flea markets are full of them, and most cost just a few dollars. A little chip on the rim only adds to the charm. Because old chipped enamel is not great for food, we keep every idea here as decor only. Below are 15 easy ideas, each with a short supply list and simple steps. Grab a basket and head to the thrift store, because your kitchen is about to look like a country Christmas card..

Enamelware Christmas Decor That Makes the Whole Kitchen Feel Like Grandma’s

Enamelware Christmas Decor looks best when you let a few pieces work together on one shelf. Start with your tallest piece, like a pitcher full of fresh pine, then add a short stack of bowls filled with shiny ornaments. Tuck a speckled coffee pot or two mugs on hooks in between, and finish with a little garland along the edge. Red and white pieces feel the most Christmas, but blue speckled ones look lovely with silver and white. Keep the background plain so the enamel really shines. Ready to see what each piece can do on its own..

You will need: A few thrifted enamel pieces (pitcher, bowls, coffee pot, mugs), fresh or faux evergreens, glass ornaments, small cup hooks and a short garland.

How to make it: 1. Clear the shelf and wipe the enamel clean. 2. Place the tallest piece first, then build out with smaller pieces. 3. Fill with greens and ornaments and drape the garland along the front.

A Speckled Coffee Pot Full of Holly

An old enamel coffee pot makes a sweet little vase, and the spout gives it so much personality. Look for the blue or black speckled kind, often called graniteware, at flea markets and antique malls. Fill it with holly, cedar or a few sprigs of rosemary from the grocery store, and set it by the stove or on the windowsill. If the pot leaks a little, slip a small jar of water inside. Pair it with a bowl of clementines and the whole counter feels like a cozy country kitchen. Do you have one hiding in the cupboard?

You will need: An enamel coffee pot, holly or cedar sprigs (real or faux), a small jar for water if needed and a bowl of clementines.

How to make it: 1. Rinse the pot and dry it well. 2. Set a jar of water inside if the pot leaks. 3. Arrange the tallest sprigs at the back and let a few berries hang over the rim.

Enamelware Christmas Decor With a Mini Tree in a Red Bucket

Enamelware Christmas Decor can give a tiny tree the perfect stand. A vintage enamel pail or bucket is the right size for a two or three foot tree, and the bright color looks so cheerful on a kitchen floor or a porch step. Set the potted tree inside, pack the gaps with crumpled paper and cover the soil with a little moss. Use tiny red and white ornaments and one gingham bow to match the pail. When the season ends, you can plant the tree outside or keep it on the porch. Where would you put yours?

You will need: A vintage enamel pail, a small potted tree (real or faux), crumpled paper, moss, mini ornaments and gingham ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Stand the potted tree inside the pail. 2. Pack paper around the pot and cover the top with moss. 3. Add mini ornaments and tie the bow to the handle.

Stacked Bowls as a Tiered Ornament Display

Have a few mismatched enamel bowls in different sizes? Stack them into a tiered ornament display that looks like it came from a fancy shop. Put the biggest bowl at the bottom, set a short wooden block or a small upside down cup in the center, then add the next bowl on top. Fill each layer with glass ornaments and little pine sprigs. It makes a showy centerpiece for the dining table or the kitchen island, and nothing is glued, so the bowls go right back to the shelf in January. Isn’t that easy?

You will need: Three enamel bowls in large, medium and small sizes, two short wooden blocks or small cups, ornaments and pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Set the large bowl down and place a block in the middle. 2. Add the medium bowl, another block and the small bowl on top. 3. Fill every layer with ornaments and tuck in pine sprigs.

A Garland of Little Camp Cups

This one makes people smile the second they see it. String little enamel camp cups on a thick piece of baker’s twine or jute rope by their handles, then hang the garland across a shelf, a window or a mantel. Tuck a sprig of pine or a candy cane into each cup for color. Space the cups about a hand width apart so the rope dips between them. Thrift stores often sell these cups in sets, and camping stores have new ones too. Wouldn’t this look cute over a coffee bar?

You will need: Five to eight small enamel cups, thick twine or jute rope, two small hooks and pine sprigs or candy canes.

How to make it: 1. Thread the rope through each cup handle. 2. Space the cups evenly and knot the rope on each side of every handle. 3. Hang the ends on hooks and fill the cups.

Enamelware Christmas Decor That Glows: A Colander Lantern

Enamelware Christmas Decor can glow, too. Turn an old enamel colander upside down and fill it with a strand of battery fairy lights, and all those little holes become a starry lantern. Hang it from a sturdy ceiling hook with a short chain, or simply set it upside down on a tray in the middle of the table. Battery lights stay cool and safe, so there is no worry at all. Tie a sprig of greenery on top, and switch it on when you sit down for supper. Can you picture it over your table?

You will need: An enamel colander, a strand of battery fairy lights with a timer, a short chain or ribbon, a sturdy ceiling hook and a sprig of greenery.

How to make it: 1. Tuck the fairy lights inside the colander with the battery box on top. 2. Attach the chain through the handles. 3. Hang it on the hook and tie on the greenery.

A Bread Box Christmas Vignette

A vintage enamel bread box is the perfect stage for a tiny Christmas scene. Prop the lid open and fill the inside with small wrapped gifts or a stack of holiday cookbooks. Set a little bottle brush tree, a tiny wooden sled or a mini village house next to it for a sweet story. Red and cream bread boxes from the 1950s look especially charming, and you can still find them at antique malls. It is also a clever place to hide stocking stuffers from little eyes. What would you tuck inside yours?

You will need: A vintage enamel bread box, small wrapped gifts, a bottle brush tree, a tiny sled or mini house and a few pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Wipe the bread box clean and prop the lid open. 2. Arrange the gifts inside, tallest at the back. 3. Style the tree and sled beside it and add pine sprigs.

Enamelware Christmas Decor at the Table: Plates as Chargers

Enamelware Christmas Decor makes a holiday table feel homey and relaxed. Use white enamel plates with blue or red rims as chargers under your regular dinner plates. They frame each place setting like a picture and add that country inn feel without buying a whole new set of dishes. Mismatched rims look charming, so do not worry if you only find two of each color. Finish with a plaid napkin, a bit of twine and a sprig of rosemary on every plate. Who is coming to dinner at your house this year?

You will need: Enamel plates for each guest, your dinner plates, plaid or linen napkins, twine and rosemary sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Set an enamel plate at each seat. 2. Center a dinner plate on top. 3. Tie each napkin with twine, tuck in rosemary and lay it on the plate.

Camp Mugs Holding Silverware on the Buffet

If you host a holiday open house or a big family buffet, enamel camp mugs are a smart helper. Roll each fork, knife and spoon set in a striped napkin, tie it with twine and stand them up in the mugs. Guests grab what they need, and the table stays tidy and pretty. Wrap a short pine garland around the bottom of the mugs to make it feel festive. After the party, the mugs go right back to holding pens, brushes or wooden spoons. Isn’t it nice when decor also does a job?

You will need: Three or four enamel camp mugs, forks, knives and spoons, small striped napkins, twine and a short pine garland.

How to make it: 1. Roll each silverware set in a napkin. 2. Tie with twine and stand the rolls in the mugs. 3. Group the mugs on the buffet and wrap the garland around them.

A Wash Basin Full of Wrapped Gifts

A big enamel wash basin is the prettiest way to show off wrapped gifts before the big day. Set it on a bench, a coffee table or the hearth, and pile it high with packages in red, white and kraft paper. The white enamel and red rim look like an old country store, and the basin keeps gifts off the floor and away from the dog. Add a few pine sprigs and a little plaid ribbon around the edge. On Christmas morning it doubles as a handy place for torn paper. Clever, right?

You will need: A large enamel wash basin, wrapped gifts, twine, a few pine sprigs and a length of plaid ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Set the basin on a sturdy bench or table. 2. Stack the larger gifts first, then the small ones on top. 3. Tuck in pine sprigs and tie the ribbon around the rim.

Enamelware Christmas Decor Centerpiece in an Old Roaster

Enamelware Christmas Decor does not have to be fancy to look stunning. That speckled roaster your mom used for the turkey makes a long, low centerpiece that guests can see over. Lay a bed of cedar inside, then fill it with pine cones, red apples and little green pears. Set the lid at one end so people know what it is, and smile at the memories. Real fruit lasts about a week, and faux fruit keeps it going all season. You can learn how old vitreous enamel is made and why it lasts so long. Who else has one of these in the garage?

You will need: A vintage enamel roasting pan, fresh or faux cedar, pine cones, red apples and small pears.

How to make it: 1. Line the roaster with cedar. 2. Place apples and pears in small groups. 3. Fill the gaps with pine cones and a few more sprigs.

Canisters Dressed With Bows and Greens

Sometimes the easiest decorating is just a bow. If you already have a set of enamel canisters on the counter, tie each one with a red velvet ribbon and tuck in a sprig of pine and a tiny pine cone. It takes five minutes, costs almost nothing and makes the whole kitchen look ready for Christmas. Line them up from tall to short so they look like a little family. If yours are plain white, choose red ribbon; if they are red, try white or green. Will you try this today?

You will need: Enamel kitchen canisters, red velvet ribbon, small pine sprigs and tiny pine cones.

How to make it: 1. Wrap ribbon around each canister and tie a bow in the front. 2. Slide a pine sprig and pine cone under the knot. 3. Line the canisters up from tallest to shortest.

Tiny Enamel Cups as Tree Ornaments

Little enamel espresso cups or doll sized cups make the cutest ornaments for a farmhouse tree. Tie a loop of gingham ribbon through each handle and hang them on sturdy inner branches so they do not slide off. Drop a tiny pine cone, a mini ornament or a bit of moss inside each cup. They look especially sweet on a kitchen tree mixed with wooden spoons and cookie cutters. Thrift stores often sell these small cups in odd sets for a dollar or two. How many would fit on your tree?

You will need: Small enamel cups, gingham ribbon, tiny pine cones or mini ornaments and scissors.

How to make it: 1. Cut ribbon into 8 inch pieces. 2. Thread one through each handle and tie a loop. 3. Fill the cups and hang them on strong inner branches.

Enamelware Christmas Decor Bells From Old Bowls

Enamelware Christmas Decor bells are a fun way to use small bowls that are too chipped for anything else. Turn each bowl upside down and it looks just like a big old bell. With adult help, drill a small hole in the center using a metal bit, thread a ribbon through and knot a cluster of jingle bells underneath as the clapper. Hang three bowls at different heights on a plaid ribbon and add a pine bough on top. Every time the door opens, you hear a cheerful jingle. Doesn’t that sound like Christmas?

You will need: Three small enamel bowls, a drill with a metal bit (adult help), plaid ribbon, jingle bells, a pine bough and a door hook.

How to make it: 1. With adult help, drill a small hole in the center of each bowl. 2. Thread ribbon through and knot jingle bells inside. 3. Tie the bowls to a long ribbon at different heights and hang it with the pine bough.

Make a Plain Bowl Look Like Old Enamelware

Can’t find real enamel? Fake it. A plain metal bowl or tin from the dollar store can look just like vintage enamel with a few coats of paint. Paint it glossy white, then add a thin navy or red band around the rim with a small brush. Dab a few tiny dark specks if you want the speckled look. Use it for decor only, filled with pine cones or ornaments. For more country ideas, see our galvanized Christmas decor gallery. Will you try making your own?

You will need: A plain metal bowl or tin, metal primer, glossy white paint, navy or red acrylic paint, a small brush and clear sealer.

How to make it: 1. Prime the bowl and let it dry. 2. Paint two coats of glossy white. 3. Paint a band around the rim, add specks if you like, and seal.