New uses for old (tea) objects

These quaint little teapot salt and pepper shakers are pieces I found at a local antique mall and have had for a while. They were marked down to about $5 for the set, and at the time I thought they were just plain interesting looking and decided the price was right. They've been tucked away and just waiting to come out.

The salt shaker is about 2-1/4 inches tall, and the pepper shaker is about 1-7/8 inches tall. They both have aluminum tops which are fastened with a plastic "screw" that threads its way back into the center hole of each piece. It's such a small, lightweight piece, I'm rather surprised these shakers have survived intact since it would have been easy to break off the plastic on the cap and/or the screw mechanism itself.

But I'm not planning on using these as salt and pepper shakers, exactly, and here's why. Some of the best "tea ideas" I've gotten over the past two years or so have come not from tea magazines and books but from reading tea blogs and their many wonderful comments! Last year, for instance, I remember that one tea lover said she used those teapot-shaped teabag caddies as ornaments on her tree. I thought that was very clever and a great example of "thinking outside the box." So, a few ribbons and bows later, and my salt and pepper shakers have become "new" ornaments for the tree!