How To Upcycle Thrift Shop Finds Into Trendy Home Decor

Thrift Shop Hot! What to look for right now....

In my last post I shared some tips for shopping thrift shops. Now I'm going to share with you some items commonly found at thrift shops that are great for upcycling into swanky home decor and crafts. These items are great because not only are they inexpensive, but they are very much in style as current home decor. Check it out! 

What should you be looking for right now?

1)  Silver-plated Serving Trays
I always see lots of silver-plated trays and platters when I go thrifting, and they're usually inexpensively priced from about $1 to $5 each. The neat thing about these trays is that they come in different shapes and sizes, and some have pretty engraving or ornate edging on them. 
What to do with them? Hang them on a wall as you would china plates, making a display that works well not only in a dining room but throughout the home. (Click here for more wall-display grouping ideas)

Pretty wall display

image via Apartment Therapy

Photo by Blayne Beecham  

Wreath made from silver platters image from Bees Knees Bungalow

2)  Vintage Scarves
Sometimes sold by the bag-full, vintage scarves are abundant at thrift shops and also cost next to nothing. They come in a wide range of colors and patterns, so they are great for repurposing and upcycling. Vintage hankies are great for repurposing too, but they can be a bit more difficult to find than scarves. 
What to do with them? Frame them as art, sew them together to create a unique curtain, or use them to cover throw pillows.
(Click here for even more ideas on how to use scarves and vintage hankies.)

Curtain made from vintage scarvesvintageisforlovers.com

Upcycled skirt by Flowerpie via Etsy

 Children's dresses made from silk scarves by Nixie (above and below)

Scarf curtain

Framed scarf

Pillows made from large Hermes scarves

3)  Picture Frames
I always check out the picture frames at thrift shops. Pay no attention to the colors, you can always paint them. As a matter of fact, I just painted a group of 6 frames black for a photo grouping for my family room. Once painted, they're brand new! The thing that's great about buying frames at thrift shops is that you can find a variety of unusual shaped and sized frames, which are great not just for photos, but also for framing  artwork.
What else to do with them? Replace the glass with mirror, cork board, or paint with chalkboard paint. Get the glue gun and cover them with twigs, sea shells,rocks, or any type of small found objects, or decoupage them with fabric or paper. Or, use them as-is to create a gallery wall of unique variety.

painted frames by MandolinGoose via Etsy (above and below)

Wall display of frames by Simply sadie jane

Chalkboard frames (above and below) by Shugabeelane via Etsy

*Check out my other blog post, Creative Uses For Chalkboard Paint for more chalkboard ideas and a recipe for how to make your own chalkboard paint!


           
Chalkboard paint comes in both brush-on and spray forms!

Twig covered frames

4)  Globes & Maps
Just like road maps, globes become outdated and are replaced with new, up to date versions. I don't see tons of them at thrift shops but I do come across them from time to time. 
What to do with them? Use old maps for decoupage projects, and old globes can be upcycled into pendant lamps.
Check out my previous post on upcycling globes  for a myriad of globe ideas. 
Also check out this post on upcycling maps and atlases for even more ideas!

Vintage globe lamps

Chandelier made from vintage atlas pages

Vintage globe clock

Dresser decoupaged with maps

Mod Podge decoupage medium for decoupaging maps and any type of paper

5)  Old sweaters
With a price average of $1 to $5 a pop, the men's cashmere sweater section in a thrift shop is a goldmine! Not only are these great to wear as-is, but these once pricey luxury pieces are perfect for upcycling into new items for yourself, your family, and your home.
What to do with them? Use them to cover throw pillows, or try your hand at fashioning some new accessories from them like the ones pictured below.

Upcycled cashmere baby blanket by Thismommamakesstuff

Yes, those are upcycled cashmere undies - perfect for keeping your tush toasty on cold winter nights!

Upcycled cashmere sweater pillow by mmwolters via Etsy

 Upcycled sweater pillow with DIY from Going a little coastal

Awesome & stylish upcycled cashmere sweater hoodie dress by darrylbalack via Etsy

Upcycled fingerless gloves by Flowerpie via Etsy

Rose pillow from an old sweater (above and below)

What do you think?
What's your favorite way to repurpose thrift shop finds?

Pin this post

There's more! Click here to read Part Two of this article!

I hope you enjoyed this post! 

Please leave a comment below! 

Which is your favorite? 

Have a great week!

Laura

Join me on: 

Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
 Pinterest

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

5 Things I Ask Myself Before I Buy Something At A Thrift Store

Here we are, back at the thrift store again. :)

Oh wow, look at that awesome widget! Hmm. I could use one of those. ...Or could I? 

Does this sound familiar? Do you suffer from thrift store indecision? If you do, it's a good thing. You're brain is doing it's job and is like, 

"Hey, wait a minute, hold up there a second, I don't think we need another widget. Do we?"

Which leads me to my first point in my list of 5 Things I Ask Myself Before I Buy Something at a Thrift Store...

1. Do I need it?

This is probably the most important question to ask yourself. Do I need it? Am I going to use it? Do I already have one at home? If so, why do I need more? Which leads us to the old adage, When in doubt, throw it out. If you find yourself standing there debating this question for more than a minute, then you most likely do NOT need the widget. Move along. 

2. Can I afford it?

Those of you who are thrifters know this very well: Just because it's on a shelf at a thrift store doesn't mean that the price is right. I've visited "thrift" stores that were way overpriced, and I'm not talking about picking up one item and reading a price that is off-kilter. I'm talking about thrift shops whose entire inventory just seems, well, expensive! And I mean expensive across the board. Everything seems to be priced too high. Those shops are the ones that I usually won't bother to visit again. With that in mind, different things have different values to different people. 

3. What is my motivation for buying it?

Is it for me or for someone else? Am I interested in this item only because the price is so low? I can attest to this one myself, as in my own early days of thrift store shopping I found myself bringing home too many "things" that I really had no practical use for. Hoarder alert! Don't be a hoarder. And also don't buy things for other people unless it is something that you know that they are looking for, need, or that they have specifically asked you to look for for them. I can personally attest to this one too. I once knew someone who liked to shop the thrift stores not just for the sole purpose of finding bargains, but because they enjoyed spending. I guess it was the thrill of the hunt - which we all know can be fun. But what was not so fun was having "stuff" dumped on me and my kids that we didn't want or need, even though this person had good intentions. I literally had to come right out and say to this person, "no more!" Bless her heart. hehe

4. Does it work? 

Sometimes while thrifting you will come across that widget that you've been searching for, only to discover that a piece or part of the widget is missing. Or, the widget is not fully operational. Something is wrong with it. It's not one hundred percent as it should be. But you've been looking far and wide for this particular widget for a long time and the price is right. Even though this widget doesn't exactly work (or is missing an important part) it's been on your search list for a long time and you've finally found one. What do you do? Well, unless you repair widgets for a living, or have the spare part at home that it needs, pass it up. Don't buy broken stuff that can't be easily fixed or repurposed into something else. Incomplete and broken things just land up taking up space in your basement or garage until one day you decide to give them to another thrift store. 

5. Do I absolutely love it?
This is a big one for me. I have to absolutely love something to give it space in my home. Be savvy and be selective, but love it through and through. 

Pin this post!

What do you ask yourself before YOU buy something at a thrift store?

I hope you enjoyed this post! Please share it with your friends and leave a comment below! 

What do you think?

Have a great week!
Laura

Join me on: 

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
 Pinterest
Tumblr

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

   

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

Article copyright Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link updates or corrections leave correct info in comment area.