see it clearly

Owl Toothpick Holder

by Heather Long

An owl toothpick holder is a novelty item. In the 1970s, the Six Flags amusement parks released a toothpick holder featuring a wizened owl on the side. This novel, kitschy item is hard to find, but collectors watch garage sales, flea markets, online auction houses and more for the opportunity to add it to their collections.

Wise Gift: Owl Toothpick Holder

The owl features extensively in the mythology of North and South America, Asia, Europe and Greece. In Ancient Greek myth, the owl is associated with Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. Some Native American tribes saw the owl as the carrier for the spirits of their elders. Owls are harbingers of wealth in India and divinity in Japan. In popular culture, Owl is the companion to A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh.

An owl toothpick holder reflects this mythological heritage as well as a simple affection for the bird itself. The owl is a nocturnal bird that lives a relatively solitary lifestyle. Many buildings use owl statues to keep pigeons and other birds from settling there. The toothpick holder with an owl on it is a tasteful bit of kitsch to add to any décor whether it's styled after nature or not.

Practical Projects

The owl is also one of the simpler designs to cast in a mold and create a homemade toothpick holder. High school art classes can cast ceramic or clay owls kiln them and then make them available for students to paint and prepare. The owl is popular in craft stores such as Hobby Lobby and Michael's. The toothpick holder may be a simple stump or branch with the owl featured or it may be the owl itself, toothpicks resting inside the head.

The holder can come in many different sizes; though standard would be about two to three inches in height, allowing the toothpicks to be visible. Heat-sensitive glass, such as that made by the Mt. Washington Glass Company, is another popular medium for featuring natural scenes such as flowers, animals and birds.

National Toothpick Holder Collector's Society Convention

The National Toothpick Holder Collector's Society publishes 10 newsletters per year and hosts an annual convention. The newsletters often feature articles on specific collections of toothpick holders, brands and more. The convention provides the ideal venue for collectors to make contact with each other, to trade and to locate items such as the owl toothpick holder to add to their own collections.