What To Buy At Thrift Stores To Decorate Your Home

Shopping at thrift stores is a great way to save money decorating your home. I think yard sales, estate sales and auctions are great options, but they can be seasonal and not always available when you need to hunt for decor. Thrift stores are open year round and they get new merchandise daily, so the odds are in your favor to find some great home decor. Today, I am going to talk about what to buy at thrift stores to decorate your home. I pick up these items any time I find them. They fit any style and can be modified or transformed to get the exact look you want. 

What To Buy At Thrift Stores To Decorate Your Home

• BASKETS: 

Baskets are great “functional” decor. Not only are they functional, but they are pretty and add texture too. There are always plenty of baskets in every thrift store. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Just like anything you see in a thrift store, keep an open mind when browsing for baskets. You can paint them (like these from Target), hang them on the wall, store things in them, put them on shelves and use them for gift baskets. Baskets are versatile, functional and pretty. They are top on the list of what to buy at thrift stores.   

• WOOD BOXES:

For me, I am always searching for old, wood boxes. Just like baskets, they are functional and aesthetically pleasing in decor. I have found all kinds of wood boxes in thrift stores and always find a place for them in our house. I am organizing all the time (find my organization guide HERE) and like to have pretty containers and organizers to look at. Wood boxes fit that bill for me. I use them inside cabinets, on the counter, as centerpieces, craft storage, under side tables, on shelves and in our antique hutch. 

• WOOD FURNITURE:

Furniture made of solid wood has so many possibilities. You can paint it, strip it, refinish it, stain it. etc. (find my thrifted furniture makeovers HERE). The older pieces are made so well. They have stood the test of time and will last a lifetime more. I am always on the hunt for wood furniture when I am in a thrift store. Not only do I love a good makeover, but rescuing pieces that are destined for the landfill is always a good idea in my book. Not to mention, it is fun to learn through each project and discover new tips and tricks that I can share with you!  

• HOME DECOR:

One of my favorite things to do after I have seen home decor I love in retail stores, online or in a magazine, is to head to the thrift store and see if I can find something similar or something I can repurpose or upcycle to give me the same look. You would be amazed how many times I have started at Target or Home Goods and find something I like and then head to a thrift store and find that exact item or something just like it for a fraction of the cost. It happens more than you would think! 

• VINTAGE ITEMS:

I love a curated look in decor. Decor that looks like it was collected over time. It has a story. Thrift stores are a great place to score vintage items. When you think of vintage items, don’t think of your grandma’s ugly couch. Think of more timeless pieces that show some age and have a ton of character (i.e. vintage scales, vintage fans, Ironstone pitchers, old clocks, architectural pieces, etc.). Antique stores can be pricey. Thrift stores aren’t guaranteed to have vintage items all the time, but the hunt for them is half the fun. 

• BOOKS:

I love decorating with books and reading books, so I always hit the book section at every thrift store. I have come away with some beautiful old books from thrift stores. They are great to add to mantels and shelves. 

• FAUX GREENERY/STEMS/FLORALS:

I do not have a green thumb at all and have not been able to keep real plants alive in our house. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like the look of natural, organic plants in our home. Faux greenery, stems and florals have come a long way in recent years. Some of them look so real. They can also be very expensive in stores. When I find any kind of greenery that looks great in a thrift store, I pick it up. The same goes for other stems and florals. Seasonal stems are great for creating things like wreaths, baskets, door hangings, etc. for different seasons and holidays. Definitely be on the lookout for these the next time you are in a thrift store.

• VINTAGE MIRRORS (or any decorative mirror for that matter):

This is the holy grail. If I ever find vintage mirrors at thrift stores, I grab them. Mirrors are great for any style and can make a room feel bigger and look brighter. 

• VINTAGE/ORNATE FRAMES:

Just like mirrors, vintage and ornate frames are so good to add to any decor. They make a big statement and you can use them for so many things. You can frame kids artwork or your own. Hang empty frames on the wall on their own. You can turn them into a chalkboard or message center. Group some on your mantel and just lean them against the wall. I have decorated with frames in many different ways and we have done many project with old frames. 

• SCRABBLE GAMES:

This one might sound weird, but I love using the wood, letter tiles in decor. I fill clear vases with them and have made Christmas ornaments with them. It is also fun to put the wood ledges from the game on shelves and use the wood tiles to spell your family word or family name. There are so many possibilities with those cute, wood tiles. 

If you haven’t stopped in to your local thrift store, I challenge you to do so within the next week to see what you can find.

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