You may not think of toothbrush holders as “collectibles”. Or even as “attractive”, really.
And that makes sense; they’re usually not. The one I had in college, for example, was a teal plastic thing that I think cost 99 cents and that went straight into the trash on graduation day. But there are definitely some very pretty versions out there – little silver holders that look like mint julep cups, simple white porcelain styles, modern wood ones, colorful ceramics like the My Mela holder pictured here – and sometimes they’re so pretty that it seems like a shame to use them for their intended purpose.
So. If you happen to have an especially lovely holder laying around…well, first, wash it thoroughly in hot water with anti-bacterial soap before doing anything at all.
And then try these ideas!
Paintbrush Holder: I have a fantasy in which I buy an easel and a bunch of watercolors and spend my Saturday mornings drinking things like hibiscus tea and sitting in my garden painting (I think I got this fantasy from a combination of The Notebook and every single Nora Ephron movie, but I can’t be sure). I suspect that this isn’t actually going to happen, but if it were…how sweet would this look sitting next to my latest creation?
Mini Indoor Herb Garden: If you have a holder with a wide opening at the top (and a hole in the bottom), just fill with about two inches of soil and plant some herbs of your choice (pictured here: mint). If your holder is more traditional, with lots of little holes at the top, try filling it with water and using it to arrange a few buds.
Cutlery Holder: At our last BBQ, I used the holder to add a little unexpected splash of color to the tabletop (and to make it easier for guests to grab their own cutlery). You can also use it to hold straws, coffee stirrers, or anything else on your tabletop that needs a little corralling.
