How to Display a Teacup Collection

If you are a vintage china collector or a lover of teas, you may have collected dozens of teacups over the years; now you want to display them. There are numerous options to choose from, depending on the available space, your budget and your personal style. A single large glass-front cabinet with shelves may house your entire collection. You may choose instead to display portions of your collection in several places throughout your home, using end tables, display racks or small shelving units.

Gather your entire collection in one place so you can determine how many teacups you have and how many of them you want to display. You may decide to store any duplicates or those with noticeable damage, such as broken handles, chipped edges or visible repair lines.

Arrange your teacups and saucers in a single large glass-front curio cabinet or display case if you have room in your living room or dining room. For a traditional look, space the cups evenly throughout the shelves. For a more eclectic style, consider grouping them by style, color or period; you may even want to stack several on top of each other. Consider incorporating strategically-placed lighting in your cabinet to highlight special teacups on a top or center shelf.

Display small groupings of your collection throughout your home if it is too large to be displayed all in one cabinet. Arrange elegant bone china cups and saucer sets on vintage lace doilies on a sideboard in a formal dining room. Hang pottery or brightly-colored cups on wooden racks or metal hooks in your country kitchen. A small grouping of floral cups would enhance a garden room, while a few special cups and saucers might look just right on a vertical plate stand on an end table or the piano in your living room.

Use an old-fashioned feather duster periodically to keep teacups displayed in the open free of dust. Clean the glass fronts and shelves of your display cabinet with glass cleaner and rags to make sure your collection is clearly visible.