What the Crock!?!

What is a crock, you ask?  Well...let me introduce you!  

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A crock is a large antique earthenware vessel and according to one website:

"Crocks were an indispensable part of the efficient kitchen until the Mason jar came into common use in the early 1900s. They were used as plastic containers or ziptop bags might be used in the modern kitchen." 

Umm...right.  I totally see the obvious comparison between these and ziploc baggies.  

Why am I doing a post on crocks (other than the fact that I can't think of anything to post about)?  Lucky for me, Gumshoe has a very old-man-ish and weird unique appreciation for antique earthenware and as a result, we own no fewer than 15 of these gems.  They range in size from 2 gallons to 20 gallons and there would be many more, but I instituted a one in/one out rule on them.  I also instituted a "if we're going to keep it, we have to utilize it" rule while we give Casa de Gumshoe her face lift.

Truth be told, the real reason Gumshoe likes these fine pieces of history is because they also used to make and store beer in them and Gumshoe likes anything having to do with making beer.  But since I'm not a big fan of letting my food rot in giant clay containers in the kitchen or homemade beer, I've had to get creative with our crockery.  Here are some great uses for your ridiculous large collection of crocks:

Add a very "mature-but-still-young-professional" look to your home office with the trashcan crock.  Your young-professional friends will probably laugh and ask you what crock you keep your stash of Werthers Original

Nothing says romance in the bedroom quite like a fifteen gallon blanket holder

A completely baby-safe toy container...really...there aren't any rusty handles on the sides of this crock...honest.  Be sure those tetanus shots are updated

There's the ever-popular "3 crocks under the entry table" decor idea.  For maximum appeal, arrange them in an eye-catching small/large/small arrangement like so

Don't forget shoe storage.  Because it's so convenient to dig through piles of shoes to find yours at the bottom.  It's a great way to keep your shoes in good shape, too.  Be sure to pile your husband's giant shoes on top of yours to really keep them fresh and new looking!

More toy  and fort-building-accessory storage.  Again, in the beautiful small/large/small arrangement.

And of course...always keep an overflow of moonshine jugs in your storage area in case you ever need a career backup plan.  In fact...forget an emergency fund!  Just make sure your moonshine operation is ready to be up and running at a moment's notice.

And what goes better with a nerdy pottery collection than some nerdy pottery collection literature?

And there you have it.  Plenty of creative ideas for your ever-growing crock collection!  What?  We're the only ones with a crock collection?  Hmmmm...