12 Vintage Ice Skates Decoration Ideas: Too Pretty to Put Away

My blue vintage Canadian Flyer ice skates are one of the finds readers ask about most, and I’m always on the lookout for another pair. Along with classic white skates and old hockey skates, they’ve made their way into so many of the displays I share in my vintage ski lodge decor series. I hang them from chairs, pair them with sleds, tuck in evergreens, and change the laces when I want a different look. You’ll find 12 vintage ice skates decoration ideas to try at home, plus where to shop, what to pay, and what to look for when choosing a pair. Have a pair tucked away? Let’s find them a place to hang.

Finding Vintage Ice Skates: Where to Shop, What to Pay, and What to Look For

Vintage ice skates are one of the easier winter decorating finds to track down. Look at thrift stores, yard and estate sales, ski swaps, flea markets, and antique shops, or browse Etsy and eBay for something specific. I’d budget around $25 for a classic vintage pair, with more room for unusual colors or antique styles. And keep looking before you commit! At Todd Farm last year, I spotted antique racing skates priced around $60, then found this pair of men’s racing skates inside the antique shop for $29. Just look at those blades; can you imagine racing across the ice in them?

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Classic white figure skates are the easiest to find and work with almost any winter decorating palette.

My powder blue pair, complete with its original box, took a little more luck.

For those harder-to-find colors, I’d shop online and save a search so you can watch for new listings; navy blue would be beautiful, too. Men’s hockey skates bring darker tones and worn leather into the mix, while little children’s double-runner skates are worth keeping an eye out for simply for their size. There’s no need to stop at one pair. Different sizes, colors, and styles give you a collection to pull from throughout Christmas and winter, indoors and out.

What to Check Before Buying Vintage Ice Skates for Decorating

Look for boots that hold their shape, firmly attached blades, and intact eyelets if you plan to hang the skates by their laces. When shopping online, check photos of both skates, the soles, and any damaged areas, and compare the total price including shipping. A matching pair works well for hanging displays, while a single skate could be perfect for a stand or tabletop arrangement.

12 Vintage Ice Skates Decoration Ideas to Try This Winter

Scuffed toes and worn blades are part of the charm. Vintage ice skates bring back memories of frozen ponds, outdoor rinks, games of pond hockey, and bonfires before heading inside to warm up. Bringing them into your decorating keeps a little of that old-fashioned winter fun around. They also fit right into my Christmas styling challenge: decorate with something you can wear. So get those skates out—these ideas will give you a few ways to put them on display for Christmas and the winter months that follow.

1. Give Your Hutch a Winter Look with Vintage Ice Skates

Open your hutch doors and hang a collection of vintage ice skates down each side, framing the dishes and favorite pieces you already display inside. This idea came from an antique green cupboard at the Country Living Fair, and it’s one I’d love to bring home. Picture those white skates against an old pine dining room hutch or a blue or black painted cupboard. It’s the same approach I share in 7 Vintage Booth Styling Ideas Worth Borrowing for Your Home: borrowing a display detail you love and trying it with the furniture and collections you already have.

Styling tip: Choose skates in the same color and style for this look. The collection of white figure skates is what made the fair display so striking; a grouping of dark hockey skates could be just as beautiful.

2. Style Antique Racing Skates with a Simple Ribbon

A ribbon is about all these antique racing skates need. I’ve hung my Todd Farm pair from my mother’s antique wooden sled and from an old door latch in our Maine home, letting the long blades and worn wood be the decoration. Try hanging yours from a doorknob or an entryway peg, or lay them on a coffee table where those unusual details can be appreciated up close. For Christmas, imagine a pair tucked beneath the tree or resting along a mantel with a few evergreen branches. They’re little pieces of winter history worth keeping in view.

Styling tip: Pair the weathered wood and metal with a velvet or silk bow. That contrast between rustic skates and soft ribbon is what makes this simple display work. Choose any color that suits your room, with long ribbon tails falling alongside the blades.

3. Give White Ice Skates a New Look with Colorful Laces or Jute Twine

The red laces on these little white children’s skates do much of the Christmas decorating for you. Changing the shoelaces is such an easy way to give a pair a different personality. Try red, green, or candy stripes for Christmas, then switch to blue for the winter months that follow. Pink would be sweet for Valentine’s Day, and green could take them right into St. Patrick’s Day.

For a more neutral look, replace the shoelaces with jute twine. The rough texture against the worn white leather is such a pretty detail on this pair, resting among evergreens. It’s another easy swap that works beautifully with old wood and the natural materials you might already use in your winter decorating.

Styling tip: Choose laces or jute twine long enough to tie a generous bow at the top of each skate. Let the ends fall loosely so the new color or texture shows when the skates are hanging or resting in a display.

4. Fill Vintage Ice Skates with Evergreens and Pine Cones

Tuck a handful of evergreen sprigs into each skate, add a few pine cones among the branches, and hang the pair from a door, wall hook, or entryway peg. The greens look beautiful against worn leather, and the pine cones bring in another bit of the outdoors. It’s a classic way to decorate with vintage ice skates, and it works through Christmas and into January.

Styling tip: Let a few evergreen branches spill over the tops and sides of the skates. Keep the arrangement loose enough that you can still see the cuffs and laces.

5. Hang Ice Skates in a Front Door Wreath

Tie a pair of ice skates to the top of a wreath with ribbon, or use floral wire to fasten them to the wreath’s frame. Nestled among evergreens with a generous red bow, they make a classic Christmas welcome at the front door. An old grapevine wreath works beautifully, too—that’s what I paired with my blue ice skates one year. The open vines leave plenty of room to show off the skates, and you can change the bow to keep enjoying the wreath throughout winter.

Styling tip: Hang one skate slightly lower than the other so both are visible. Arrange the ribbon and greenery around them, leaving those favorite skate details in view.

6. Lean Vintage Ice Skates Beside a Bedside Table

A favorite pair of ice skates can make a simple winter accent beside the bed. In our guest bedroom, my blue skates lean against an antique wooden bedside table, echoing the blue and cream bedding. With a favorite Hayden Rowe candle burning on the tabletop, it’s a sweet little winter scene to enjoy before heading out for a day of skiing.

Styling tip: Angle the skates slightly toward the room so you can see their color, laces, and blades, using the table leg to help support them.

7. Vintage Ice Skates Decoration Ideas for Your Entryway

Tie the laces of two skates together and hang the pair from an entryway bench or church pew for a little winter welcome. My blue pair hangs from our vintage church pew, alongside a vintage quilt—the blues bring in a favorite decorating color right at the front door. White skates would be just as pretty here, filled with evergreen sprigs or dressed up with colorful laces. You can also borrow this idea for an entryway peg rail or doorknob, wherever there’s a spot to show them off.

Styling tip: Hang the skates toward one end of the bench or pew, leaving room to sit and pull on winter boots. Add a folded quilt or blanket beside them to make the seating part of the display.

8. Turn a Salvaged Finial into an Ice Skate Stand

At the Willows Indoor Flea Market in Maine, I spotted a large men’s hockey skate standing on an old architectural finial. Someone had cut a slot into the top of the finial and slipped the skate blade into it—such a fun use for a piece of architectural salvage. Filled with evergreens, the skate becomes a winter decoration you can set on a sideboard, mantel, or entryway table. Add a bow, or leave the greenery loose and let that rugged old hockey skate get the attention.

Styling tip: Look for a finial with a broad, flat base to support the skate. This is a great idea for a single skate you find while thrifting, so keep an eye out for those, too.

9. Decorate Your Mailbox with Vintage Ice Skates

Hang a pair of vintage ice skates from your mailbox post and arrange a generous swag of evergreens around the box. The white skates and white mailbox on this red post look so cheerful with red and white gingham and blue bows. If you have a collection, try adding another pair along the post for a fuller display. It’s a fun outdoor decorating idea to enjoy every time you pull into the driveway—and imagine it with a fresh dusting of snow.

Styling tip: Arrange the skates and greenery beside or below the mailbox, leaving the door and flag easy to use. Let the ribbon tails fall alongside the skates.

10. Create a Winter Vignette with Vintage Ice Skates and Snowshoes

Snowshoes, vintage ice skates, a thrifted wool ski sweater, and a hat make a winter vignette that looks ready for an afternoon outdoors. I gathered mine on the pegboard my dad made, against our white wainscoting and blue walls, and tied a light blue velvet ribbon to the snowshoes to match the skates. It’s the “decorate with something you can wear” challenge in action. Try building your own grouping around snowshoes, old skis, or a wooden sled, then add a favorite winter hat or sweater for that vintage ski lodge look.

Styling tip: Let the larger snowshoes, skis, or sled form the backdrop. Hang the smaller skates and clothing at different heights so you can appreciate each piece in the grouping.

11. Style a Cobbler Rack with Quilts and Vintage Ice Skates

After Christmas, let a pair of ice skates join the quilts and blankets in your living room. My blue pair hangs from the side of a vintage cobbler rack filled with quilts, adding a bit of ski-lodge style to a piece of furniture that’s already in use. The soft folds of the quilts alongside the leather boots and metal blades give this little winter vignette plenty of texture. It’s an easy way to work your skates into a favorite collection you already have on display.

Styling tip: Try hanging the skates on the side of the rack you see first when entering the room, leaving the quilts visible and easy to reach.

12. Pair Vintage Ice Skates with Fresh Flowers

When you start bringing home tulips, keep your vintage ice skates in the picture. Here, my blue pair hangs from the glass knobs beneath our bookshelves, with yellow tulips arranged in a vintage trophy above. A soft blue bow picks up the color of the skates, while the flowers bring a little spring color to the winter display. Try this combination when you’re ready to brighten things up but still have plenty of skating weather ahead.

Styling tip: Use the cabinet knobs beneath your shelves to hang the skates, keeping the shelf space available for flowers, books, and other favorite finds.

Give Your Vintage Ice Skates Another Winter Out

Pull out that old pair and give one of these vintage ice skates decoration ideas a try. A different ribbon, a handful of evergreens, or an unexpected place to hang them could be all they need. And once you start finding places for them, you’ll understand why I keep bringing home another pair.

Keep the winter decorating going. Explore the Vintage Ski Lodge Decor posts below for more ways to style antique skis, snowshoes, and the winter finds you’ve been saving for just the right spot.

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