Christmas Drink Containers and Accessories

Over the years, I have managed to accumulate some lovely individual items for my home including lots of drinkware and entertaining pieces of different styles and patterns but which can all be loosely used together.  For me that premium time of the year to use these is Christmas.  Although most of the items have been gathered together, every so often there is an extra piece that takes my fancy and joins the collection.  I look for items throughout the year, and keep an eye out for pieces I think will be useful.

Somewhere in the stash I have a proper cocktail making set including the shaker and the cocktail glasses but at the time of typing this I do not have a scoobie where they might be located.  I know it has all the gadgets with it.  What many of you may not be aware of though is that I have over the years collected many different lead crystal decanters in all shapes and sizes as well as different glasses for different types of drink, both lead crystal, cut glass, coloured glass anything that has taken my fancy. Primarily these days I collect gold and green glass both of which go with the different china I have.  I have also recently received a lovely present from a friend which consists of six small Murano glass drinking glasses which will also blend in with many of the items I already have.  These are red glass though.

One of the things that I do is to actually match glassware where I can.  However if I cannot match it and make the numbers up (I currently collect 12 of everything) then as long as it is the same colour or same type of glassware i.e. cut glass and it blends then I will use both sets together on the table alternating the place settings.

I have a full set of not expensive but still good looking lead crystal as well, so apart from the gold and the green colourway I am currently collecting I am pretty set up on the glass front.

When I was first married my first husband and I  purchased three lead crystal glass Ship's Captain decanters and because they were plain we used them for holding the cordials. I still have those decanters in the stash as well.

Since then all the lead crystal decanters I have found have been found in the charity shops and I have paid no more than £10 for any one decanter and on a couple of occasions have picked up two for that price.  Recently when in the Antiques shop I did find a couple of more really decent lead crystal decanters, both the same pattern one larger than the other. I haven't bought these yet.  So far I have managed to resist.

A couple of things that I would quite like to acquire are a couple of lead crystal ice buckets, a couple of large metal beer/wine holders that can be filled with ice and a couple of champagne buckets. 

I already have a couple of punch sets with all their cups intact one of which I was bought from new and the other which arrived courtesy of the charity shop.  They do not match but are embossed clear glass so fit in very well together.

I did have a drink's cabinet when I was married in a free standing unit we had  Since I have been here though I use one of the shelves on the Fireside cupboard in which to store the alcohol.  I do have a trolley though especially for when entertaining onto which to place said items including glasses.  This is for home entertaining only and the alcohol is not kept out all the time. I remember at Christmas as a child (well in our house) the Port Decanter or Sherry Decanter was out with the relevant glasses on.

So if you keep a sharp look out at the Charity shops, Antique Centres, and auctions, every so often you will come across something that does not cost the earth but which fits in with your plan of what you hope to achieve.  As long as it has a purpose, and as long as it fits in with what you envisage that is all that matters.

I have found, that my tastes have not changed much over the years, but I am being more specific in what I collect.  The above items are only a partial reflection of the bits I have accumulated so far, but one day I hope that I will have the formal dining room for them to go into.  You have to have a dream.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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