Cloche to Home

Tall Glass Cloche or English Bell Jar: English Creek Gardens

I am seeing a trend in many of the shops that I have visited lately: pedestal cake stands and cloches (bell jars). The decorating possibilities are endless!

Many of the pedestal cake stands can be inverted, functioning quite well as a punch bowl. Without the domed lid, the pedestal can be used to stack vintage books or create vignettes that showcase plants and collectibles. Beside the obvious uses– cakes, cookies, and cupcakes– the covered stands are a lovely showcase for cheese and fruit, and even help to ripen tomatoes. And, don't forget the decorating options around the base of the pedestal. You might consider using:

• Plants
• Fresh and dried bouquets
• Succulents
• Miniature knick-knacks and collectibles
• Festoons of ribbon
• Small vintage containers for utensils
• Beautifully folded napkins or rolled napkins with creative embellishments
• Handmade treasures– paper crafts, felt items, needle arts, etc.
• Heirloom photos
• Small jars of ephemera
• Colorful glassware or teacups

A cloche can be used in much the same way as cake pedestal stands. Cloches sit on specially designed bases or directly on a piece of furniture. They are useful for protecting expensive collectibles such as crystal or fine bone china. I love using a cloche to cover smaller houseplants, thus creating a low maintenance terrarium. A cloche can be used with any larger plate or pedestal dish, and it sits nicely on coffee table books, mirrors or mirrored trays, or even firmly stacked vintage linens.