Design Ideas for a Tin Office Collection

Tin Office Collection for Organizing Supplies

• Many companies, such as Hostess, have used tins for more than a century to safely hold food items. These tins come in many shapes --- square, round, and rectangular. Tin containers can be as small as a few inches in diameter to over a foot in height and width; popcorn tins are a prime example of large tins. A collection of vintage or new tin containers can hold office supplies, such as writing utensils, paper clips, note pads, receipts, electronic device cords, petty cash and rubber bands.

Thematic Tin Office Collections

• Vintage tin toys come in a large variety of types. Many companies still produce tin toys. Tin toys can be collected by theme; cars or trains or circus characters. A tin office collection of cars can add interest to an auto insurance company's customer lobby. Vintage tin planes can be incorporated into wall shelving at an aviation office. Thematic tin office collections can also be whimsical, reflecting a particular interest of an individual --- such as carnival ride tin toys --- and having nothing to do with the nature of the business in which they are displayed.

Tin Office Collection as Art

• A collection of tin items may be a conglomerate of art etchings, zoo animals and trains. Rather than utilitarian items, such as fruit cake tins that can be used for storage, an eclectic collection of tins can be grouped and displayed in an office as art. For purposes of design, they might be grouped by dimensions: two-dimensional etchings hung on one wall, three-dimensional pieces in a shadow box, on shelving, or placed in groupings on sofa or end tables.

Tin Office Collection with Multiple Uses

• Offices can put tin collections to multiple uses. In a commercial office, a collection of 8 1/2-inch diameter circular Hostess fruit cake tins can be stacked and displayed on custom shelving, and also be used for storage of office supplies. In a home crafts office, the same collection of tins can be displayed while storing sewing and craft supplies. As with any collection, the tin collector first considers personal interest, then purpose(s) for a tin office collection. Will it be used strictly as a decorative feature in the office, or for storage as well?