Do you remember as a child going on a picnic with your family? Your mom packed the basket and you piled into the car and went someplace fun. Like the park in a neighboring town. After you ran and played for a while, out came the basket. And in that basket was a delicious meal. I don’t really remember what we ate. Probably peanut butter sandwiches. But the fun part was the thermos. Filled with a sweet drink or sometimes hot cocoa. I still have a love affair with vintage thermoses and I collect them at every turn.

Today, I want to share the joy of vintage thermoses with you. There are a lot of different styles out there. Some are sealed with a cork while others have plastic or even metal caps. The thermoses that I usually seek are the 1950’s plaid style with a plastic cap and cup. They are still relatively easy to find at thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales. If you want a special pattern, however, those are more difficult to find and usually more expensive. Ebay is loaded with vintage thermos options for sale.

So why would anyone want to collect vintage thermoses? These thermoses have lots of potential uses. Besides the fact that they just look cute sitting on a shelf. Here are 6 practical uses for vintage thermoses today.

6 Ways to use Vintage Thermoses…

1. Keep your morning coffee warm. A lot of people get their morning cup of joe from a Keurig Coffee Maker. That’s great if you only need a single cup of coffee. But in my house, we go through a 12 cup pot every morning. That would be pretty expensive with a single cup system. Once I make that pot of coffee it might sit for a while (I’m an early riser). To keep the coffee hot and not tasting like bitter mud, I put it in a thermos. So when my family gets up the coffee is still fresh.
2. Set up a coffee bar for your next get-together. Thermoses are perfect for serving coffee to a group. You can have a thermos for regular coffee, decaf, hot water, and hot cocoa. This way you can make some of the coffee in advance and you won’t be spending all your time in the kitchen making more.
3. Fill the thermos with soup to take to work. Look for smaller size thermoses with wider openings to use for soup, stew or chili. They make the perfect container for hot food when you don’t have access to a microwave. The vintage thermoses are a lot more stylish sitting on your desk as well.
4. Use your thermos to hold a bouquet of flowers. These thermoses make a great container for an impromptu bouquet of flowers from your garden. You could also fill them with colorful branches in the autumn or even faux flowers in the winter.
5. Simply use them as a decor item for your home. I will often use my collection of vintage thermoses in my decorating vignettes. I not only use the thermoses but also the handled carriers and even those plastic inserts for food storage.
6. Take your thermos on a road trip. These thermoses were meant for picnics so take them on the road when you travel. Many restaurants will fill them up with coffee for you in the morning so you won’t have to stop as much when you need another cup.

Related: How to Create A Vintage Coffee Bar

Over the years, I have learned a few things about using vintage thermoses. Here are some of my best tips to make the most of the thermoses that you collect.

Tips for Using Your Vintage Thermos…

Make sure your thermos is safe to use

Before you fill your thermos with a hot beverage, make sure that it’s safe. Carefully examine the internal liner to make sure that it’s not cracked or broken. Then fill the thermos with water and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Check to see that it has not lost any liquid. If the volume has diminished then there could be a crack in the liner and it wouldn’t be wise to use it for actual beverages.

Clean and sanitize your thermos before using

Wash the inside of your thermos with hot, soapy water. Then rinse it with 1/4 tsp of bleach plus hot water to sanitize. Cap the thermos and shake gently. Then let it sit for a few minutes before giving it one final rinse of hot water. Remember to be gentle as you wash these containers.

Warm your thermos first before filling with hot coffee

To keep your beverages as hot as possible try this tip. Fill your thermos with boiling hot water and cap it. Let the thermos sit for 5-10 minutes. I usually do this while the coffee is brewing. This pre-heats the thermos so your coffee will stay hotter.

Carefully clean the outside of your thermos

To keep your thermos looking great, clean the outside with a soft cloth and warm water. Do not use any abrasive cleaners on the outside that could damage the external images or patterns.

Store your thermoses when not in use

I find that the best way to store vintage thermoses is in plain sight. I use them in my decor regularly depending on the season…for picnic season in the summer, for autumn decorating, plaid for Christmas and a cozy theme in winter. Spring is probably the one season I might put them away. These thermoses can look great sitting on a shelf, on top of your hutch or on the mantle. If you decide to store them for the long term, stash them in a closet or cupboard that’s not exposed to excessive heat.

Vintage thermoses will often show their age with little dents and dings. This does not make them unusable or even undesirable. This just makes them more special because you know that they have been well-loved over the years. Now you can enjoy the benefits of that thermos as well.

As you begin to collect thermoses, think about what style you might like. I tend to collect the plaid style thermoses because they are the easiest to find and the least expensive. If you are willing to pay a little more you can often find patterns that might match your decor. There are a variety of colors available such as green, blue, yellow, brown and red. And the designs can vary as well.

Vintage thermoses are a little piece of our past when Americans took to the road and enjoyed picnics with friends and family. These well-made thermoses are still useful and enjoyable. So if you collect, this is the perfect blending of something beautiful that can still be useful today.