About Vintage Planters

Vintage planters are pots that hold soil and dirt so that plants can be contained for display. Vintage planters are often referred to as antique planters and can be used outdoors as a focal point on decks and porches or indoors to add a decorative touch to the home.

Function

Vintage planters are used to create a sense of old-fashioned charm and flair while being functional at the same time. Most vintage planters were designed and created between the 1920s and the late 1950s and were sold as an inexpensive piece of decor in department stores across the world. In an outdoor setting, vintage planters are designed to hold annuals or potted plants that can be on display in a garden area or front entrance way. Choosing to implement a planter indoors will accent an area with household plants such as ferns, jade plants and silk flowers. Authentic, dated vintage planters are popular decorative accents used widely in country and Victorian styled homes, or by collectors who enjoy purchasing this type of vintage decor.

Types

Some of the different types of vintage planters are made from materials such as porcelain, ceramic, glass, wood, pottery and concrete. Many planters are circular or oval in shape while others are rectangular or square and are able to easily adorn the corners of decks and patios in a formfitting manner. Many of the vintage planters that are designed from ceramic or porcelain are hand painted with fine detailed colored designs and are molded after small animals such as lambs or kittens and are used for accenting home decor. Some planters are inlaid with angels or cherubs that are frequently placed on grave sites or memorials to recognize those who passed away. Decorative planters can also be used to hold candy, knick knacks, jewelry and other small items that can be given as gifts and later reused for decorative purposes or to hold silk flower accents.

Features

One of the main visual features of most planters is the painted and molded embellishment that adorns them. The planter is created from ceramic or another source by being placed into a mold that has a place for holding a plant in the back and usually a display of a person, animal or object in the front. Many planters were popular gifts for newborns in the 1950s and were filled with candy, baby supplies, plants or used as a base for balloons. Outdoor vintage planters were often struck with a striking patina or weathered effect due to them being affected by weather elements and being left outdoors for a significant period of time. Stars, weave designs and letters are some of the embedded features of a molded vintage planter as well as scalloped edging with pedestal or footed bottoms.

Size

Vintage planters that adorn the outside of a home such as those placed in ornamental gardens can be as small as 1 foot to 5-feet tall, and anywhere from a few inches to several feet in circumference or length. Rectangular or square vintage planters that fit under window sills or out on a porch can vary in size from around 10-inches by 6-inches to the entire length of the window or porch stretching several feet. Smaller vintage planters that are hand painted and used for interior decorating or outside to adorn grave sites or memorial areas are usually small and only a few inches wide in which a small bunch of silk flowers or mementos can fit into nicely.

Effects

Decorating with vintage planters creates a focal point that also carries meaning and recognition. Many times the main goal of using a vintage planter is to hold foliage but also be able to proudly display the planter as being a family heirloom, a special gift, garden accent, or to offer remembrance of a person who has passed away. Showcasing a vintage style is important to many who build their entire homes around a classic antique style and look. Vintage planters are a well sought after item in the collectors world due to the fact most have ceased production or can no longer be found in retail stores; they can only be found in antique shops and at estate auctions, or purchased from collectors.

Resources

• Vintage Planters