How To Mix & Match Vintage Dishes For Patriotic Table Settings
Hey friends, y’all know how much I love collecting vintage dishes and dreaming up mix-and-match table settings. Well, with the 4th of July just around the corner, I’ve been inspired to pull out all my red, white, and blue dishes and tableware! I can’t wait for you to see the unique combinations I’ve created – they’re sure to inspire your own patriotic celebrations. Let’s dive into these festive ideas!
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Thrifting For Vintage Dishes
I have a slight obsession with vintage dishes. It’s one of my favorite items to thrift for, and I have collected dishes in all colors, shapes, and sizes. I love mixing and matching different patterns to create unique table setting combinations. I recently wrote an article detailing How To Build a Stunning Curated Vintage Dinnerware Set Collection. In the article, you’ll find some of my favorite discoveries and tips for starting your own collections.
The majority of my vintage dishes are thrift store finds and, therefore, inexpensive purchases. However, they look stunning when combined in an interesting table setting. Let’s explore some of my favorite red, white, and blue dishes and creative combinations to make your tables sparkle and shine this 4th of July.
Thrift Store Tableware
When thrifting, I’m always adding to my collection of dishes, wine glasses, water goblets, serving bowls, and silverware. Sometimes I’m lucky and get a complete set, and other times I may only find one or two bowls. To begin putting together my patriotic table settings, I pulled out all my red, white, and blue collections. Red and blue water goblets, thrifted star bowls, vintage silverware, and Currier & Ives blue and white dishes all contribute to stunning table settings.
Vintage Currier & Ives Dishes For Patriotic Style
I have been fortunate enough to collect several vintage Currier & Ives dishes in blue and white. The classic designs add rustic old-world charm to these patriotic table settings. The Old Grist Mill dinner plate is combined with a white plate charger, blue water goblets, and DIY cutlery pocket red, white, and blue napkins. The red, white, and blue ticking fabric adds to the vintage appeal with thrifted antique silverware tucked into the pocket. A dash of red is added with the star bowl and a flag tucked into the vase of white gardenias.
I also have a good collection of Currier & Ives steamboat saucers. For a more nautical feel, the saucers sit at the center of my vintage blue pottery dinner plates. Red water goblets, a vintage French bowl, and pewter silverware create a simple, nautical-style ambiance for the table setting.
By rearranging some of the pieces, the same steamship saucer assumes a more sophisticated feel with red napkins, elegant silverware, and crystal glassware.
Vintage Pottery Dishes For Rustic Charm
I started collecting these vintage blue pottery dishes just after we were married. It’s hard to believe, but they are over 45 years old, making them vintage. For this table setting, I paired the wooden tray chargers and handwoven napkins to create a rustic, country-style table—the patriotic flags, attached to old spindles, are displayed in a vintage ironstone pitcher. Red and blue glassware, paired with white gardenias, complements the red, white, and blue color scheme of the tablescape.
Insider Tip
To add texture and style to your place settings, look no further than the placemats. Available in a varitety of textures and fabrics, the placemat is an inexpensive way to showcase your place settings.
Vintage English Ironstone Dishes
I’m a big fan of ironstone dishes, and if the price is right, most white and definitely blue-and-white patterns will find their way home with me. The patriotic place setting below includes white ironstone and JG Meakin Blue Nordic English Ironstone. The tableware pops against the thrifted red placemats and red water goblets. The DIY recycled aluminum stars garland is perfect for draping around each place setting.
Alfresco Dining in Outdoor Kitchen
Another favorite spot for alfresco dining is our outdoor kitchen. Brad loves to fire up the grill or smoker and invite our friends over for a fun evening. Here are a few ideas that we’ve used for entertaining around the patriotic holidays.
I combined my red and white Syracuse Restaurant dinner plates with Vintage Myott Finlandia Blue and White Staffordshire ware. The round, blue thrift store placemats, paired with acrylic and gold silverware, make the table setting sparkle for the 4th of July festivities. A tiny ceramic bird adds a charming touch to the center of the plate.
Another more casual setting includes blue and white dishes combined with vintage watermelon slice plates. This festive table is one of my all-time favorites.
Greenhouse House Style Table
We had just completed our greenhouse prior to the 4th of July, and this is the rustic-inspired table setting I used that first year. The simple place setting is perfect for the relaxed style of our greenhouse. Red placemats, combined with simple white ironstone dishes, are topped with DIY Cutlery Pocket Napkins created from ticking fabrics.
Elegant Table Setting With Inherited Dishes
My aunt had a large collection of these Imperial China Seville Dishes. When no one else in the family wanted them, I brought them home and stored all the many pieces in my cabinets. They are a little dressy for my farmhouse style, but that didn’t stop me from pulling them out for an elegant patriotic table setting. I used two round placemats as the base and paired them with my thrifted silverware and embroidered napkins to complete the table setting. With just a touch of red flowers, the 4th of July table is simple but stylish.
Platters for Serving More Than Food
In addition to collecting dishes, I rarely leave serving platters behind. My favorite are blue and white serving pieces. When planning a dinner party, I love to use these platters to hold water goblets or wine glasses. The lovely blue and white pattern is perfect for a 4th of July celebration.
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Lifestyle of Love
Today’s post is part of the Lifestyle of Love Blog Hop hosted by Cindy at County Road 407. I know you loved her creative ways to decorate with platters. Be sure to hop over and check out Lora’s Tips on Collecting Vintage Platters for Seasonal Decorating. To follow along with all the vintage dishes and platters inspiration, click the images below.
I cannot get over your dish collection! The word covetousness comes to mind. :0 I’ve been building my collection too, but have no more space to put them. I’m hoping to buy this antique buffet from a friend so I have more room to put more dishes!!!
All that said, I need to shop where you shop. Our thrift stores SUCK! They are yucky, unorganized, and just plain undesirable. I’d rather pay full price than go back to one of those. So glad I got to see a smidgeon of your awesome table designs. Loved it! pinned
Cindy
You are so sweet. It’s a lifetime of collecting.
Love the Patriotic mix and match table setting combos you put together. That blue flowered platter is gorgeous, an old beauty, for sure! Colored glassware adds so much, too. Great post!
Lora,
Thank you for your sweet compliments. It was a fun post to put together.
Wow! You have so many beautiful dishes to play with. Love all of the different settings, and that blue pottery is so nice.
Angie,
Thank you for your kind compliments. The blue pottery is cherished because I’ve been able to use them for years.
Love the blue goblets Rachelamd the red, white, and blue dishes are always a favorite❤️🤍💙
Ann,
Thank you so much. Glad you like this.