Shaker Style

Give your décor a dash of fun and flavor with playful salt and pepper shakers!

Highly Collectible Campbell Soup Kids

Smiling California Oranges...Only $13!

For our Aunt Kay’s birthday, we wanted to add something special to her salt and pepper shaker collection. Our opera-singing aunt likes shakers with big personality, so we headed to our favorite gift emporium, the flea market. Once we started looking, we were amazed at what we discovered. Those whimsical figurines were everywhere! And they had themes ranging from pixie-faced vegetables to kooky zoo animals. This was going to be a hoot!

Our first contender was a pair of Campbell’s Soup Kids, but Jennifer noticed that one was missing some paint and its stopper. The vendor dropped the price to $12, but we knew Kay actually uses her salt and peppers when she has company, so that wouldn’t do. We stepped into a booth that had souvenir lobster shakers from Maine, flamingos from Florida, and cowboy boots from Texas. Kitty haggled her way to a couple of smiling California oranges for only $13. We could see why Kay loves these collectibles­­––they’re cute, practical, and affordable!

Treasure Craft Salt 'n Peppers

One dealer showed us a cabinet of salt and pepper sets he described as “nodders, huggers, hangers, and stackers.” He suggested some bobble-head pandas, but they weren’t quite right. Jennifer priced a palm tree with hanging coconuts that would fit in perfectly with her Hawaiiana. Only $15 for a mint Treasure Craft set? Yes, please. 

Diva Kitties!

As he wrapped it up, Kitty spotted some dramatic black cat shakers with gold details, and we had our winner. The cats didn’t have any identifying marks or stickers, but we didn’t care. Those felines were divine! The price tag was a steep $38, but we asked the seller for a deal, and he came down to $30. We can’t wait for our diva aunt to use them at her next cast party!

The Cat’s Meow

Holt-Howard Cozy Kitchen Kitties

We must have a thing for cats! When we see Holt-Howard cat salt and pepper shakers, we always smile. Maybe it’s the way these white kitties lean into each other with a sideways flirty glance, or knowing that each one had a noisemaker inside that meowed when you shook it upside down. These Cozy Kitchen Kitties were made in the late 50s and early 60s. The design was so delightful, Holt-Howard made a whole series of housewares featuring these Siamese cats. So if you’re smitten, be prepared to collect a matching cheese crock, jam jar, wall caddy, memo minder, napkin holder, and a string dispenser with the twine coming out of the kitten’s mouth!

Make a crafty tassel from an unpaired salt shaker!

Shake It Up

Have you ever found a salt or pepper that’s lost its match? We ran across a display of tassels made out of these widowed shakers. Genius! We took a closer look, and it seems you pinch ribbon with wire then run it up through the holes, and finish with beads on top.  We see a craft night in our future!

Mind Your Ss and Ps

If your shakers don’t have “S” and “P” on them, here’s a tip. According to the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Tennessee, the one with fewer holes is for salt and the one with more holes is for pepper. Good to know!

Prices We’ve Seen:

Treasure Craft “Hawaii” Fish $10

Campbell’s Soup Kids $10 to $30

Smiling California Oranges  $13 to $15

Bonzo Pup I’m Salt and I’m Pepper $14 to $20

Denton China Flower Pot Minis $15

Treasure Craft “Hawaii” Coconut Tree $15

Holt-Howard Merry Mice Noisemakers $20 to $40

Holt-Howard Cozy Kitten Noisemakers $20 to $60