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Wooden Butter Molds and Their Carved Motifs

Antique large wooden butter mold 1 84f7e966ad56156ae4c74296c151c51d
Butter molds were originally used to shape and stamp butter before it cooled and hardened.

If you’re a seller of antiques, then most likely you’re familiar with the term “smalls.” Smalls refers to items in your booth or store that are more affordable and help fill empty spaces. They aren’t necessarily small in stature but smaller in price. These are items the average person can afford and are crucial to helping improve your bottom line.

I adore collecting “smalls.” However, my smalls are not only affordable but usually little in size. One of those collections is miniature wooden butter molds. I’m drawn to the varying wood finishes, shapes, motifs, and small sizes. I lean toward primitive or farmhouse décor in my home, and these butter molds fit right in with that style. So what originally led to the need for shaping and stamping butter?

Small molds
I display my collection of miniature butter molds alongside miniature baskets on a hanging spice rack I found at a thrift store.

Purpose of Butter Molds

Butter molds were originally used to shape and stamp butter before it cooled and hardened. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Northern European and North American dairy farmers needed a way to identify the butter they sold to consumers. As a result, they hand carved wood into decorative motifs to mark their butter with their design or sometimes their initials. Each farmer used a different motif that was specific to their product. Not only could consumers identify a particular farmer’s product by its stamp when shopping at the market, but stamped butter sold for more money than the unstamped counterpart.

Most butter molds were bell-like domes or cylinders with wooden plungers attached to stamps which had designs carved into them. Other common butter molds included rectangle boxes with wooden plungers attached to carved stamps.

Primitive country farmhouse wood 1 6e9b59a4d0223cd27ba591f62551f0da
Wooden butter molds come
in various shapes and sizes;
this larger example sold for
$45
on eBay in May 2020.

Dairy farmers would pack fresh butter into the mold and then release it by pushing on the plunger. The top of the shaped butter would take on the impression of the carved motif stamp. The molds came in various sizes to coincide with butter weights farmers sold to consumers. Common sizes were half pound, one pound, and a pat (made from miniature butter molds like my collection).

When dairies began selling butter commercially in greater quantities, butter molds became mass-produced. Today they are rarely used for their original purpose but are instead purchased to display and admire.

Common Motifs

Butter molds come in numerous designs. Since most were originally carved by farmers, they usually depicted their surroundings. Following are some common motifs:

Farm Animals – cow, chicken, pig, sheep, and goat. Cow-motif molds are preferred by collectors since cows supply the milk and cream that makes the butter, which was the original purpose of the molds.

Nature – flowers, plants, wheat sheaf, and acorn. The wheat sheaf is the most popular design in this category because it is a symbol of prosperity and good luck.

Vintage primitive round wooden carved 1 1acdb14aa71829f3ee6b5f4334abf087
This example of the wheat
sheaf pattern, which symbolizes prosperity and good luck, sold for $36 on eBay in January 2020

Wildlife – rabbit, beaver, deer, and birds like the swan, eagle, and dove. Eagle-design molds are desired for their Americana appeal.

Geometric Shapes – star, heart, and fleur-de-lis. Star-motif molds are favored because the star is a symbol of something positive.

Fruit – strawberries, grapes, pineapple, and pear. The pineapple is the most popular in this category because it is a symbol of hospitality.

Antique primitive wooden butter mold 1 415c3f49c6dca04654c22ba09ba07dd6
The pineapple motif symbolizes hospitality,
like this one that sold for $19.99 on
eBay in March 2020.

Price Range

When wooden butter molds were first produced, they cost five to ten cents apiece. Today these molds are highly desired by collectors, which has driven up prices considerably, especially for unique designs. A miniature butter mold like the ones I collect can typically sell for $5 to $25 each. Medium butter molds usually range in price from $25 to $50. Large butter molds typically sell for $35 to $100 each. Rare examples with stylistic designs sell for more than $500 and are commonly found in museums.

Creative Ways for Using Butter Molds

Not only can butter molds be used for their intended purpose, but also used in artistic ways. The beautifully carved motifs can be stamped on paper using washable ink or paint. Then the stamped paper can be framed for display or made into a banner. Molds should be washed immediately after use to assure the ink or paint residue comes off cleanly.

If you’re concerned you may damage your mold by using ink or paint, you can create designs using salt dough (a mixture of flour, water, and salt as a preservative). For centuries, salt dough was commonly used in Germany for making Christmas ornaments. Around the early 20th century, Americans began making salt dough ornaments to adorn their Christmas tree. By using vintage butter molds for creating the design, the ornaments mimic the ones created centuries ago.

Primitive valentine salt dough 1 67be37a67833aa8526e43cb24f02e5aa
You can make salt dough ornaments, and use butter mold plungers to create your design.

Once your salt dough is made and cut into the shape you prefer (typically using cookie cutters or the bottom rim of the mold), create the design by pressing the butter mold plunger into the dough. Be sure to poke a hole in the top of the ornament for hanging. Once the design is created, the ornaments are baked to harden the dough which sets the design. Then when the ornament is cooled, it can be decorated with paint or left unpainted. The final touch is adding ribbon or string to hang your ornaments on the Christmas tree.

No matter how you use your vintage butter molds, for display or in other creative ways, they are meant to be enjoyed. Each one is unique and should be appreciated for the farmer who carefully hand carved each decorative motif.


Karen Weiss is a freelance writer and enjoys decorating her home with vintage finds from her many collections. She also has an Etsy shop called SimplePatinaFinds.

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