My Favorite Thrifted Finds & How to Decorate With Them

Would you like to decorate your home with unique one-of-a-kind items without spending a fortune? If so, you need to start thrifting! To help you get started, I’m going to show you my favorite thrifted finds and how easy it is to decorate with them!

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I love to decorate my home for every season!

Since I change my decor so often, I can’t spend a lot of money on it!

I’ve had to get creative and come up with ways to find, or make, inexpensive decor items.

I love to craft and make DIY items, but I know that’s not for everyone.

Another great way to find amazing decor that’s not expensive is to start thrifting and that’s what we are going to focus on today!

What is thrifting?

Thrifting means shopping at places that carry gently used items at discounted prices.

This includes thrift stores, flea markets, or even yard sales.

Why thrift?

My favorite reason to thrift is because you can find unique, one-of-a-kind items.

It’s a great way to save money because you can find amazing items at cheap prices.

Thrifting is helpful to the environment because it keeps items out of landfills.

Thrift stores and flea markets are great places to find antiques and vintage items if you like to decorate with those.

My Favorite Thrifted Finds

I mainly shop in thrift stores for home decor items.

I have seven categories that I am currently searching for, white dishes, especially ironstone, brown transferware, candlesticks, frames, corbels, decorative pedestals, and bust planters.

Ironstone and white dishes

My top priority when thrifting is to look for white dishes, especially ironstone.

I love the classic look that white dishes provide.

They look beautiful on their own, but you can easily dress them up with flowers or greenery.

Brown Transferware

I have fallen in love with transferware dishes! I love the different colors and patterns.

My favorite is brown transferware, but it is hard to find in Florida! This is the first piece that I purchased!

I used it as a centerpiece for my kitchen table at Christmas.

Candlesticks

I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many candlesticks!

I look for all kinds and types.

Lately, I’ve been loving the look of brass candlesticks! Right now they are displayed in my office!

I used them on my Thanksgiving table last year!

Frames

I have no idea why I am drawn to empty vintage frames, but I just love the look of them!

I am searching for more so I can fill this tall wall on my staircase with them!

You can’t see how high the ceiling is above the frames but believe me when I say I need to find a whole lot more!!

Here is another fun way to use empty frames to decorate with! Make hooks out of frames for towels or jewelry!

Consider new items that look old

The following items we’re sharing with you look like they are old, thrifted items, but they’re new, mass-produced pieces that we purchased at Renninger’s Antique and Collector’s Extravaganza.

So technically, they are not thrifted finds.

Since they are so much cheaper at the show than buying them in a specialty store or ordering online, I’m going to show them to you!!

This is another way to get the look you want without spending excess dollars!

Corbels

You might call me crazy, but I have a thing for corbels!

We purchased this set at a consignment store but recently purchased some that look very similar from Renningers.

As soon as I saw these I knew I wanted to make a shelf out of them!

Here’s the DIY if you’re interested in how to make a shelf with corbels!

I decided to use these pretty corbels for bookends!

Decorative Pedestals

I enjoy decorating with all kinds of cloches and I think they look great on top of decorative pedestals.

This is the only one I have, but I am in the market for more!

At Christmas, I used a metal cloche on the pedestal for a completely different look!

Bust Planter

I was so excited when I found this and have used it for every season! It’s so fun to decorate!

Now I would like to have a couple more, but I haven’t been able to find as good a deal anywhere else.

I’m hoping the same vendor will be back at Renninger’s this Fall!

Isn’t she pretty with hydrangeas in the summer?

Or do you prefer her with leaves for the Fall?

And look how festive she looked for Christmas!!

My Best Tips for Thrifting

I consider myself a beginner thrifter, so I don’t have tons of tips.

But I have learned a thing or two from some of my friends, who I consider to be fabulous thrifters.

If you want to go deeper into thrifting, check out their blogs:

• CoCo at The Crowned Goat
• Rachel at The Antiqued Journey
• MaryJo at MasterPieces of My Life

Here are some tips I’ve learned from them and some from my adventures:

• Don’t let the store overwhelm you- I am mainly looking for home decor, so I skip over the clothes, shoes, and jewelry sections!
• Have a list before you shop- ask yourself: Do you collect anything? What items do you need in your home?
• Don’t be in a rush, you’re on a treasure hunt- take your time and look behind and under items. If you see a box, go through it!
• Don’t buy something just because it’s cheap. Ask yourself: Where will you put it in your home?
• Shop regularly- sometimes you will find lots of things but many times I leave without buying anything. The inventory changes daily!
• Know the best day of the week to shop at a particular store- at Goodwill, they have a color of the week, and the items with that color tag are 50% off. The color changes on Sunday. I tend to find more half-price items on Sunday and Monday than later in the week!

Are you inspired to start looking for thrifted finds to decorate your house with?

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Blessings, Donna and Rich

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