Decorating a Jelly Cupboard for Fall

Autumn is in full swing! With the fall leaves adding cozy color to the farm, I was inspired to bring those seasonal vibes to our front porch, as well. Decorating our antique jelly cupboard with seasonal and vintage touches brings it all together.

A sweet reader of the blog was so kind to gift us this antique jelly cupboard a couple years ago. Part of the back had deteriorated, and the doors were missing, but I loved the chippy orange paint. How perfect for fall!

She was super excited to see how I might bring the cupboard back to life. Straight away, I repaired the missing wood on the back, but then…well…the pandemic happened. And as we all know, life sort of went on hold for a bit.

{ Related: Our Covid Journey }

But this year, I have been all about decorating for the seasons. Missing a whole year of celebrating really makes each season so much more sweet this year!

I wasn’t quite sure where I would use the cupboard, though, and I’d been storing it for some time. But then, my friend Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse gave me the inspiration I needed when she added an old cupboard to her porch a few months ago. I fell in love!

A little bit of rearranging, and I had the perfect spot for my cabinet on our fall porch.

What is a jelly cupboard?

In the mid-1800s, mason jars were patented, and mass production began. This was truly revolutionary, as it gave our ancestors the ability to preserve their fruit and vegetable harvests for many months.

Before glass jar preserving was available, fruits and veggies needed to be dried or pickled. Just imagine the way meals changed when fruits and vegetables could be preserved in fresh form! But it also meant that people needed a place to store all those jars of food.

Enter…the jelly cupboard!

Traditionally speaking, jelly cupboards are made of pine and have two solid doors–plus, maybe a drawer or two at the top or bottom of the cabinet. The cupboards offer a safe, dry, and dark space for storing preserved foods.

{ Related: How We Prep and Store Food All Year }

Decorating My Jelly Cupboard

My jelly cupboard is missing its doors, but it makes the perfect vintage display shelf for our fall front porch. And the chippy orange paint is a lovely complement to the autumn colors all around the farm.

Although our home is mostly decorated with a neutral color palette, don’t be fooled–I do enjoy color!

Our kitchen and breakfast nook walls are a cheerful yellow, and I adore the vintage blues, greens, and pinks of my globe collection. Not to mention my huge love of antique blue Ball mason jars!

{ Related: How to Date a Ball Mason Jar }

Vintage Canning Jars

So, of course you know that I loaded my jelly cupboard with some of the mason jars from my collection. How could I not?!

I mean, it is a jelly cupboard, after all. It really wouldn’t be complete without a display of antique jars. I also love the touch of color the jars add…it’s my very favorite shade of blue!

Fall Garden Harvest & Floral

Next on the list are a plethora of pumpkins and fall fruits! I especially love the heirloom style of pumpkins, but they’re so hard to find at a decent price, so I invested in artificial ones (like this and this) to last year after year. When you mix them with real pumpkins, no one can tell the difference!

But! My sister and I have made a thrifty plan to each grow different varieties and then share with each other–I’m looking forward to experimenting with lots of varieties next year!

I loaded up a metal basket with pears, a farm bucket with gourds and mini pumpkins, and added a few artichokes to the shelves. All of these are perfect harvest touches!

For my floral, there is no more ideal bloom for fall than mums! I filled my vintage watering can, as well as a metal bucket, with ivory stems in addition to eucalyptus sprays.

Vintage & Autumn Touches

On top of my jelly cupboard, I really wanted to highlight the vintage vibes with some heavy iron candlesticks and a copper lantern. These have a sort of colonial feeling to me, and I used old books (as I always do!) to help add some height.

A vintage ceramic squirrel brings in a bit of whimsy. This little guy is actually a gravy boat, and he has always made me giggle. Can you believe I nearly sold him in our shop once? Thank goodness I brought him back home in time…I just love the character he adds!

To complete the autumn aesthetic, I hung my favorite metal sign on the wall above the cabinet (here’s a similar one). What’s more fun during the fall season than hay rides at the farm?!

I just love finding new ways to decorate with old pieces of history. Keeping their stories close in our hearts helps us remember our roots while being grateful for the progress we’ve made.

What do you think–could you imagine a vintage jelly cupboard in your decor? I hope I’ve given you some ideas to decorate your own cupboard this fall!