Vintage Thanksgiving Decor

With November just a few short days away, it is officially time to break out the vintage Thanksgiving decor totes! I enjoy showcasing pieces from my vintage collection each year and I am excited to share them here with you as well. Over the next few weeks I will be showing you how I plan to incorporate them into my home this season.

Like my vintage Halloween collection (click here to see all the cute vintage Halloween), I truly enjoy these sweet pieces each and every year. From Pilgrim Gurley Candles to vintage turkey shakers to antique Thanksgiving postcards, I love it all.

I have worked hard to build my collections over time. It is my hope that I can inspire you to build yours as well. Below I sharing a few of the vintage Thanksgiving decor items that I love and where YOU can find them. Remember, not all vintage is created equal and I have hand selected a few of my favorites for you all below!

Antique Postcards

These little antique postcards pack a huge punch. I am a sucker for good graphics and these postcards usually deliver just that. For some reason, I typically go for the ones with a turkey graphic – a turkey is just perfect for the season. When choosing an old postcard, I also look at the back too. Some collectors may prefer postcards with no writing at all (unused) but I like to hunt for ones that have sweet messages. These notes written long ago are so charming to me.

Did you know that you can date these old postcards too. Simply look on the back of the card at the round post office stamp and usually you can see the year that it was mailed!

Gurley Candles

These little candles are so fun. As you may know, I have a big collection and I love adding to it. Each year I seem to have more and more pilgrims! During Thanksgiving I love to pull them out and I usually style them all together as one ‘big unit’ as opposed to putting them all over the house. This way, they make a big impact.

You can click here to see more vintage Thanksgiving Gurley Candles.

It is important to note that the price usually depends on age and size. You may have to pay up a little if a candle is large or older.

Of all the Thanksgiving Gurley Candles that I have, I am loving these little turkeys the most!

Old Cookie Cutters

I love picking these cookie cutters up year round. They are easy to style (you can toss them in a bowl or string them up to create a garland) and they are pretty inexpensive. You can easily find these cookie cutters in both silver and copper and I like both colors. Styling old turkey cookie cutters is a great way to add a simple little nod to Thanksgiving around your home.

Vintage Turkey Candy Molds

These delightful old candy molds are a great combination of both charm and age. Usually found with rust and dings, these old candy molds were once used to create sweet treats long ago. Now I use them during the season to add a touch of Thanksgiving to my favorite spaces.

Vintage Turkey Shakers

This may surprise you, but I have been collecting old salt and pepper shakers for many years. When displayed together they do make a huge statement. I pick them up usually at antique malls. I like to hunt down the booths that have tons of salt and pepper shakers! Be sure to just grab up these turkeys whenever you see them – but – watch out for spilling pepper.

*It is important to note that I don’t collect just any turkey salt and pepper shaker. I like to collect the ones from the 1940s-50s. Some are hand painted and most are marked Japan on the bottom.

In Closing

I hope that this short list inspires you to build your very own vintage Thanksgiving decor collection. While you may consider glossing over the season and jumping right into Christmas, I encourage you to embrace Thanksgiving. There are so many charming vintage Thanksgiving decor pieces that can ‘cozy up’ your home. Those same charming pieces will also give YOU a cozy feeling too. There is just ‘something’ special about a cute vintage turkey – am I right?