Ask a collector to name a favorite and you may get a long pause. For the tea room owner behind pippascupoftea, picking just one type of antique is nearly impossible, but she says butter pats are “high on the list.”

These dainty little plates are barely bigger than a coaster, and she has found four clever ways to put them to work at home and at her tea room, Pippa’s Cup of Tea, in Moore County, North Carolina.

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Years Of Collecting Dainty Antiques Led Her To Butter Pats

She says she has spent years collecting all types of antiques and dainty items, and it is “so hard to pick one type of collection as my favorite.” Butter pats keep making the short list anyway.

A butter pat is a tiny plate, usually china, made to hold a single serving of butter beside a dinner plate. In the days before every table had a shared butter dish, these little plates let each guest have a portion of their own. They turn up in antique shops, estate sales and tea rooms in all sorts of patterns, which is a big part of their charm.

Because they are small, they are also easy to collect. A shelf of them takes up hardly any room, and a mismatched stack looks lovely.

Number One Is The Original Job, Serving Butter

Her first use is the most traditional one. “BUTTER!! Yes, we will use them for their intended use and serve butter on them,” she writes. Guests at the tea room may spot some during their tea time.

It is a sweet reminder that antiques do not have to live behind glass. A butter pat that has survived decades is perfectly happy doing the job it was made for, and it makes a plain pat of butter feel like a treat. If you have a few at home, try setting one beside the bread basket at your next dinner.

Christmas Tree Ornaments Made From Antique Plates

Her second idea is for the holidays. She says she loves to decorate at Christmas and looks for unique ways to bring antiques into the picture, so some of these may show up on her Christmas tree.

The little plates are light and flat, which makes them a natural fit for a tree. A sweet pattern with a gold rim or a painted flower catches the lights beautifully, and they bring a vintage feel that glass balls cannot.

If you try this at home, handle them gently. A pat that is chipped or cracked is the best candidate, since it is less likely to be used for food and gets a second life as decoration. Hang it securely with a ribbon, and keep it on a sturdy branch away from curious pets and children.

A Tea Bag Holder That Saves Your Table

Idea number three is the one tea drinkers will appreciate most. She says that if you make a cup of tea and need a place to set your tea bag, “sometimes these are the perfect solution.”

Anyone who has left a dripping tea bag on a saucer, or worse, on the counter, knows the problem. A butter pat is just the right size to catch the drips and keep the mess off your table. It also looks far prettier than a paper napkin.

It is a simple trick that costs almost nothing, especially if you pick up a mismatched pat at a thrift store or flea market. Set one beside each teacup when guests come over and watch people smile.

Plate Walls With Big Plans At Pippa’s Cup of Tea

The fourth idea is the most decorative. The owner says, “We have some wonderful plans for plate walls at Pippa’s Cup of Tea.” She explains that these dainty little plates are the perfect size to fill gaps and provide a visual difference needed.

That detail is a real design tip. On a wall of larger plates, the empty spaces between them can look awkward. Tiny plates tuck into those gaps and add variety in size and pattern.

If you want to try a plate wall, lay everything out on the floor first, take a photo, and then hang the plates one at a time with plate hangers, starting from the center and working outward. Use the smallest ones last, to fill the holes.

Tips For Starting Your Own Butter Pat Collection

Butter pats are a friendly way to start collecting, because they are small, charming and often easy on the wallet. Here are a few general pointers.

• Look at the back of each plate for a maker’s mark, which can help you learn about its age and origin.
• Check the surface in good light for chips, cracks and crazing, which is a web of fine lines in the glaze.
• Buy what you love. A mismatched set of pretty patterns can look more charming than a perfect matching set.
• Wash vintage china by hand with mild soap, and skip the dishwasher.

Join The Conversation And Keep Shopping

She closes with an invitation. “If you have a cool use for butter pats, let us know!” she writes. She adds that she and her team are always looking for ways to creatively use these treasures, which “gives us a reason to shop for more!”

That is the real appeal of the little dishes. They can serve butter, hold a tea bag, hang from a tree or fill a wall, and each one carries a bit of history from the dinner tables of the past.

Next time you spot a basket of them at a flea market, give them a second look. Four small plates may turn into four new ideas for your home.

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