When I became a journalist Charles Dickens was a lad and my first exclusive was written on parchment with a quill pen.
Well, not quite. But I did work on an Imperial typewriter which was so heavy it could be used as ballast in a supertanker. Our fingers thumped out the copy which was typeset and printed overnight in a dirty, hot, noisy hanger-like building on huge rolling presses.
You know you’re getting old when things you worked with (manual typewriters, composing stones and printer’s trays) are consigned to antique shops. As for people who once worked in printer rooms, they must die inside every time they see old trays – once used to store letters – being used as mini shelves to display granny’s thimble collection.
Karen Hansen, a contributor to interior’s site Houzz, can list nine creative uses for printer’s tray. None involve actual printing. Those tiny shelves may have stored Helvetica 12 point; but Karen suggests using them to house travel mementoes – you know, those shells and pebbles you are not supposed to bring back from overseas lest Greece looses its beaches.
Karen says the trays can also be used as display cases for family heirlooms, old photos and small craft items. “The printer tray has been given a lease on life inside the home,” she says .
For instance; “It allows you to display your beautiful pieces of jewellery, while simultaneously providing a practical solution for keeping things untangled.”
A keep-sake for necklaces and nick nacks? Perhaps not the objective Johannes Gutenberg had in mind when he invented the printing press.
But they are very cute.
Here’s some inspiration from some very clever people on how to style your tray….
Printer’s tray one belongs to Lizzie van Hasselt, who runs The Washerwoman blog. Lizzie sells miniatures, toys and other adorable vintage items at vintage fairs and bazaars.
“I bought this in France and it is actually house shaped – but it is shaped just like a printer’s tray. This one is filled with a mixture of dolls house items, small figures and these wonderful little painted wood houses. The blue glass cat is a snug fit – I bought that in France.
I source most of my items at International Antiques and Collector’s Fairs (IACF) like Newark, Ardingly and Shepton Mallet. I find a lot of little items at these fairs. I also have a list of little things for sale on my blog The Washerwoman and I always put the measurement so people know the item will fit in their tray.”
For a list of IACF events visit this link.
Printer’s tray two belongs to Lottie Forrest, mum of five; amateur artist and vintage enthusiast.
“My children and I have collected heart shaped stones for many years – all different shapes and sizes. They are found in the different places we have visited or just everyday, maybe on a walk to school. Each heart stone holds a special memory.”
Printer’s tray three belongs to Michelle Lepak who runs the popular DIY and interior design blog Dandelion Patina.
“I love printers trays so much. All those little square spaces to put treasures in. I also love that they are a piece of history; an architectural salvage piece to incorporate into displays in my home.
I found this great printer’s tray a while back and had the perfect spot for it in our kitchen. I just added some hanging hooks to the back and hung it horizontally. Once I found the elements I wanted to incorporate..the styling was pretty easy (Michelle added topiary, a coffee scoop and Scrabble pieces). Just find a few elements that you love and lay them out to see how they look with the printers tray.”
You can find Michelle’s printer tray project by following this link.
Printer’s tray four belongs to Aja and Christian Lund who run the interiors and vintage blog Lunda Gard. The couple also sell vintage finds from a store based in Finland.
The couple love scouring flea markets for treasures big and small. Here’s some of their picks for a printer’s tray.
Jelly moulds
Ink wells
Dolls house miniatures and doll’s tea services
Small toys including dolls, dice and Scrabble letter
Vintage sewing items including twine, cotton reels and buttons
Pastille tins
Light bulbs
Tiny rubber ducks
Glass animals
Nature – shells, eggs, fauna
Tiny bottles
Industrial salvage including light switches and keys
Wooden eggs
Tiny Russian dolls
Pokemon figures
Aja admits she is always on the hunt for tiny treasure; “One gets crazy over the years. There are still a lot of small things that we think we need,” she laughs.
Printer’s tray five belongs to Leanne Mace, who owns Curly Magpie & Friends Vintage and Handmade Gift Shop, High Street, Swadlincote in Derbyshire.
Leanne’s printer’s tray is a striking showcase for all the mini marvels in this popular vintage emporium.
“It’s often the first place people visit just to see what miniatures are on display,” Leanne laughs when she points out a tiny skull nestled in one of the cubby-holes next door to a mini potions bottle and kneeling giraffe.
“If anyone wants to buy for their own trays, I’d advise them to come with the measurements as they are all different. We often spend time just collecting mini things from around the shop to display on it. Printer’s trays are hard to source but it is available for £25. I’ll be sorry to see it go but we like to fill the shop with different things.”
Printer’s tray six belongs to Clare Scholes of Melbourne, Australia. Clare runs Mondocherry, a creative business selling hand-cut and painted paper art, with her sister Joy Stewart.
Clare says; “Anyone who has had to search for a particular piece of lego in a large pile knows that is as bad as searching for a needle in a haystack – maybe worse. The frustration of never being able to find their favourite characters or matching weapons/accessories was a part of life until my sons came across my printer’s tray in the broom cupboard.
Clare bought the tray at a market for a bargain $5. “While it had a place in our other homes, since we moved (to Melbourne) it has been drifting around the house, not quite fitting in anywhere,” she explained.
“The boys have well and truly adopted it now though, and it makes a great home for some of their most played with Lego characters.”
Printer’s tray (cubby holes) six belongs to Lucy Denney who runs the Etsy shop Sunny Sundays Vintage
Okay, so Lucy doesn’t have a printer’s tray but I had to include her because she has such an eye for displaying miniatures. Every little nook and cranny tells a little story; a little community/family/farm/children’s game etc.
“I’ve always liked and collected all sorts of tiny things since I was very little and still have lots of them now so they are a real mix of old treasures and new,” Lucy tells me.
“I got the little gold dinosaurs (top shelf; above) from Lille when me and my husband went there before we had the children. They have a big weekend once a year where traders sell things on the streets and there are tables set out all along the canal and everyone eats mussels and chips. So I have lovely memories attached to them and would love to go back one day.
The classic wooden houses with the red roofs are from my childhood. I picked up all the German little figures with the jam carts etc from a street market a few years ago and was so pleased. I’m basically just a sucker for anything miniature. The little shelves (above) belongs to my three-year-old son Stanley; he snaffled it off me and filled with his own treasures – it must be catching.”
Printer’s tray seven was re-purposed by interior designer Katie Thompson and sold through REcreate of Cape Town, South Africa.
Katie was first commissioned to make a cupboard from a printer’s tray in 2009. Since then, she has made coffee tables and cupboards displaying quirky collections of Smurfs, perfume bottles and Beatrix Potter figurines. When Bielle Bellingham, of Elle Decoration magazine, spotted these in store she decided trays had gone from ‘kitsch to cool’.
Printer’s tray eight belongs to Francesca Ackroyd, vintage wedding planner and stylist who runs The Fabulous Vintage Bride.
Fran fills her printer’s tray with vintage items she has collected over many years; “I’ve been collecting vintage forever,” she laughs.
“In fact my husband Steve ended his wedding speech sarcastically saying that he’d ‘always wanted to live in an antiques shop’ followed by his mum shouting ‘junk shop!. My daughter is fascinated by the ever changing displays and installations in our home.”
Fran’s printer’s trays are available to fire can be personalised for weddings with initialised hearts and table plans.
Printer’s tray nine belongs to Cumbrian artist Elizabeth Shorrock.
“I’m a mixed media artist who specialises in handmade books and the trays are an extension of that,” Elizabeth explains.
“The first one I did was for an exhibition called “Transition”, I had an old print tray in the loft and a dictionary and I turned it into miniature books to fill the spaces. When it sold I decided to see if I could acquire more trays and fill them as part of my practice. I either make a tray to a particular theme or I make theme to commission to tell the story of someone’s life. I’m not really using the trays because they are vintage but because they make a good showcase for what I do.”
To see more of Elizabeth’s print trays visit this link.
Printer’s tray ten belongs to Tammy Tutterow, artist and illustrator who shares craft tutorials on her website
“I wanted to fill each section with things I love,” Tammy says.
Most of the pieces on the button cards are from the French General collection. They have been sitting in a box in my studio for a couple of years now, loved but unused. When I was working on the tray it dawned on me that I should use them for this project. What is the point of loving something and hiding it away in a box? Having them out, touching them, enjoying them, and using them was fun. Now that the pieces are on display, I can look at them every day.”
Finally, the printer’s tray belonging to Amanda ‘Jolly’ Volley
I have been after one of these beauties for so long that – when one came up for auction – I set a silly upper limit on my bid and paid the best part of £30 (then found one in a vintage store Curly Magpie & Friends for £25).
I was surprised by how many little goodies I had in drawers or looking ‘tiny’ on shelves. I also raided the Derbyshire Spring Market and bough the hand-made place-holder blocks (Sarah Padley) and the oh-so-cute baby rabbit with its stunning crown (Bow beaus). My riflemen surrendered after a mid-day attack on three cracking vintage stores in nearby Swadlicote, Derbyshire.
Filling it is easy. The hard part – like a painting – is deciding when it’s finished. Does it needs more trinkets and treasure; or should we stick with the minimalist ‘less is more’ approach?
Er, no…it’s never been my philosophy.
When it comes to printer’s trays more is always more.
