Wooden Butter Molds: Ready For Winter

Come see how easy it is to add simple winter touches into your home using old something unexpected – old wooden butter molds!

Decorating your home to reflect your style and personality can be a lot of fun and using these old butter stamps are a unique can help you create a one-of-a-kind look this winter. Let’s explore the world of vintage butter molds!

I love to create warm and inviting spaces during the winter months. Incorporating lots of textures helps me to do just that and I love using cozy warm wood tones this time of year. I have found that there is just something extra special about the look and feel of old worn and weathered wood, especially in the kitchen. From antique dough bowls to antique wooden utensils there are so many items to choose from. But, one thing I am always drawn to are old wooden butter molds, especially in the kitchen. I have a small collection of them and I adore them. While I do keep my molds out year round, during the winter months, I like to tip a few of them over onto their side! Let me explain why!

Wooden butter molds come in various shapes and sizes, mainly round and rectangle, and each mold usually has a ‘stamp.’ I am not sure if that is the correct term for it, but a stamp is a pattern engraved into the wood of the butter mold. And, there is a little bit of fun history behind why these butter molds are engraved!

After a little digging, I was able to find that butter was a form of currency for farmers long ago. Butter and other goods were used to barter for things like clothing and household items. The farmers who made butter wanted to ‘mark’ their product as their own. This was important because this ‘trademark’ of sorts would allow the other people around town to know exactly where their butter came from once it had been ‘traded.’ The local people would then be able to ‘trace’ where the butter was from according to the ‘stamp’ on the butter. This was important because then people would know exactly where to go if they liked that butter enough and wanted to buy more. As time went on, farmers began selling their butter at markets in town. Just like today, there probably would have been several butter options on the shelves in a market. Remembering that there was not fancy packaging back then, these stamps helped the townspeople pick out which butter they liked best.

While I am drawn to both circle and rectangle molds, today we will be discussing how I use the round ones during winter! As I mentioned above, long ago different farmers used different stamps and that means that wooden butter molds are not all the same. I have butter molds that have rooster stamps and leaf stamps and snowflake stamps and so on! When I find one with a ‘snowflake’ stamp, I always scoop it up. I actually don’t think they were intended to be considered snowflakes but that is what I see – especially during the winter! I like to use these ‘snowflake’ stamp during the winter as decor! I simply flip them on their side and allow the engraved stamp to show – it is a simple as that!

I love the warmth that these wooden butter mold snowflakes add to this space during the winter! They are so much fun and they are the perfect size to sprinkle throughout your kitchen cabinet. If you are interested in recreate this look, then you can click on any of the pictures below!

Sometimes when I find these old wooden butter molds out in the wild I discover that they need to be cleaned up a bit. Luckily, that is a very easy process! All you have to do is use a mild dish soap and some warm water. I usually just need to use a regular sponge to loosen any dirt or grime! I am careful to wipe it dry as soon as I am done cleaning it. You do not want to leave the wooden mold in water for long periods of time. You may also want to treat and restore the wood from time to time. Simple mineral oil will do the trick but I love using this product!

Decorating for the months after the holidays and before spring can be a little tricky sometimes! But, with a little creative thinking it can easily be done – using things that you may already have on hand! Cheers to enjoying the long winter ahead – surround by all the things that bring us joy!