10 Items to Always Buy at Thrift Stores
10 home decor items easily found in thrift stores along with ideas and project tutorials to decorate with them for a designer look.
A month ago, I had a moment when I said to myself, “I’m going to get a gym membership and finally get into amazing shape, and it’s going to be the best decision I ever made.”
Well… I did get that gym membership. And the getting into shape thing is sort of happening. But there was one little flaw in my best-decision-ever plan. My gym is right across the street from my favorite thrift store.
So each morning, after hopping off of the elliptical machine, that little voice in my head, the one that normally talks me into eating “only one more doughnut”, says to me, “I wonder what goodies are in the thrift store today. Hmm…”
And then our garage ends up packed with projects.
Some of my favorite decor items in our house are from thrift stores, and they’re items you could find in pretty much any of them. If you’ve never ever thrifted before, it can be tricky finding the treasures in the trash heap, but I promise there is hope! These 10 items are the best ones to put on your hit list.
10 Items to Always Buy at Thrift Stores:
- Frames and Wall Decor-
I hardly ever buy picture frames in a retail store because there are so many beautiful ones already in thrift shops for a couple of bucks each. Spray paint them or distress them with chalk paint and they’re instantly customized for the look you want.
2. Mirrors-
I’ve seen so many gorgeous mirrors on my thrifting adventures and they’re so easy to transform with paint. If you see a mirror with a frame you really love but would rather have a picture on your wall instead, pop the mirror out (carefully of course) and frame a piece of art with it instead.
3. Vases, Bottles, and Candle Holders
There are soooo many pretty vases, jars, and bottles every time I visit the thrift store, and if you like the eclectic look, they’re easy to scatter on mantels, shelves, or tables to fill with flowers. (Just don’t go too overboard or it could look cluttery.)
Keep an eye out for a set of candle holders too, and if you hate the finish of them, just add paint. Place some dollar store candlesticks in them and enjoy.
4. Dome Clocks-
Dome clocks, or anniversary clocks, are my favorite for ripping the innards out and placing seasonal decor inside for a French cloche look. I made a pumpkin terrarium out of an old clock last fall, and it’s so easy to change every couple of months to fill with a little bit of nature. Thrift stores have them laying around all the time in my town.
5. Dishes, Pitchers, and Servingware
I’ve scored so many great pitchers and dishes over the years to use for entertaining. Some have even been name brand designer pieces. I always like to stick to the classic pieces- you can never go wrong with plain white and simple glass.
6. Wood Furniture
Thrift stores get in dressers and tables all the time that only need a little sanding, a quick paint job, or a change in hardware. (Here’s a short and simple beginner’s guide if you’ve never painted furniture.) Just make sure to test it first- if a drawer is broken or a table is warped or wobbly, and you know it won’t be an easy fix, walk away.
7. Lamps and Light Fixtures (if you can test them)
A couple of the thrift stores I frequent have outlets available next to their lighting section so shoppers can plug in lamps and fixtures to test them out before taking them home. Our scroll lamp in our foyer was only $2.00!
8. Toys
The vast majority of Olivia’s toys that she receives at Christmas or on her birthday come from thrift stores or consignment sales. Most of the time, all they need is a cleaning and they’re ready to be loved. She likes thrifting with me because she usually gets to test out the goodies in the toy section. Telling her she can’t take all of them home is the hard part. 😉
You can read more about some of her toy makeovers in this post.
9. Books
The book sections of thrift stores are FULL of great reads along with antique hardbacks. The bookworm and decorator in me rejoices every time. Most books sell for just 50 cents in my area.
If you get lucky though, sometimes you can stumble upon a book with beautiful illustrations that are worthy of framing. I still love our book page art in our foyer and our window botanicals in our master bathroom.
10. Baskets, Buckets, and Trays-
I’ve had to ground myself from buying anymore baskets, buckets, and trays because I find so many cute ones all the time! Use baskets for extra small storage around the house, buckets for planters, and trays for coffee table decor.
But a couple of things I absolutely refuse to buy at the thrift store…
- Upholstery- Unless I’m completely in love with an upholstered piece of furniture and it passes the “sniff test”, it stays. But I’ve never found a winner to this day. Not to mention, there’s potential for bed bugs.
- Pillows- I keep several down pillow inserts and just replace the covers to help with the cost and storage space (you can see my favorite summer pillow covers here), but thrift store pillows? I’m always terrified what germs/bugs might be lurking on/in them.
Do you have any items you always pick up at thrift stores? Or anything on your do-not-buy list? Or a favorite thrift store that always calls your name every time you drive by? I think I need a new gym… these post cardio shopping trips are going to get me into trouble. 😉
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I found a beautiful coffee table for $33, including tax, and it turns out it is worth $600. It had a sticky hinge on one of its leaves, and the clerk at the thrift store said that was why it was donated, he believed. Well, the table was in great condition, and I thought a simple adjustment with a screwdriver would do the trick. I didn’t even have to do that. I pulled pretty hard a couple times, and it was suddenly loose enough to move as it was intended to. I can’t believe a person would donate it when the fix was so easy! It is a beautiful cream color and is treasured by me.
I got nice Christmas ornaments very cheaply, maybe 25 cents for a batch of 6, before Christmas. Seasonal decor for any holiday or time of year is easy to find and very cheap, plus of course they have ribbons and crafting supplies, as well as wreaths. If the wreath looks dated with what is on it, you can take the old stuff off and still have a good base to do your own thing to it.
A nice furniture consignment thrift store is usually very thorough in making sure upholstered furniture is clean, or else they would go out of business. Regular thrift stores I feel vary in the quality of what they accept, and they aren’t depending on the furniture alone for their profits.
I have a lot of thrift store finds in my apartment. It has been the best way to have a cozy, attractive home and be within a sensible budget. I have kept my eyes open for antiques, and I found a beautiful antique fruit bowl, four old books (three are by Arthur Conan Doyle and are Sherlock Holmes books, one of which is a true first edition, and a Zane Grey western) ,an antique doll crib from the 1930s with metal wheels that I use to display a large painting I made, a 1940s horse and carriage cast iron toy I keep on the coffee table , etc.
People sometimes turn their noses up about thrift stores, but I don’t get that! I wouldn’t have nearly as nice stuff if I thought like that. I have a Pottery Barn ladder bookcase worth $900 and I paid $212, including tax, at a furniture consignment thrift store. It was dirty and had tools laying on it in the back, not displayed pretty. That was why it got down so low for its quality and name with their markdown schedule. I thought it might be damaged, or they were attempting to repair it. They said no, they had laid the tools on it and focused on other things in the shop from being busy. Beyond the inch of dust and tools, there was a beautiful bookcase. I checked it out, found it was in great shape, brought it home, and dusted it! It is gorgeous.
I have the coffee table I mentioned. I have a large armchair in wonderful condition I paid $46, and it is worth about $500. I have a handmade farmhouse dining table that I paid $100 for. The wood in all my furniture is solid wood. In 10 years I will still use all of it. It won’t be “dated,” since it is so classic.
It is well worth exploring thrift stores. I found too a great jcrew winter coat worth $350 for $40, and a real Kate Spade purse for $4, and the $148 cocktail dress (dept store tags attached to it) I found for $10 that i wore to my sister’s fancy rehearsal dinner (I later wore it as a wedding guest to a summer wedding , as well).
Thrift stores are really wonderful to go through and fun to find special things.
Wow, I just joined today Lauren and have read all the comments. I love your stairway wall and the dresser. I don’t have a stairway but I do have a wall I would like to do this to. I have dressers and chests I inherited from my mom when she passed that I want to re-purpose and paint; also have the anniversary clock from her and your ideas about how to re-purpose them is wonderful. I thought about trying to get it to work again, but I don’t think it is any use; The plating is peeling so I would have to paint or do something to the base. Just don’t know what, any ideas? My son and I go to thrift shops and yard sales a lot in the summer. I collect platters that are unusual or distinctive and he collects cookie jars. We also go to auctions and find some good deals. I found a small wooden chair with a rattan seat that I will use with my vintage Singer treadle sewing machine which I got at a re-use store last year. We are into rustic looks and are remodeling a home also. I love this blog of yours and so glad I came across it when I was researching things for our home and ideas on ship-lap and wall boards (we don’t want to use dry wall in our kitchen and living room, but wood) I love bead-board ceilings and walls too. So much to do and see and look for and so little time and money. LOL
So glad to hear that, Sandi! For the clock, I’d say you could give it a quick sanding with a medium grit sandpaper to remove any of the peeling paint and you should be able to brush it with chalk paint and wax like I did or go the spray paint route if you don’t want it to look distressed. Best of luck in all of your thrift hunts! 🙂
The dome clocks! I haven’t thought of that one. Super cool.
And the books are a for sure. I love used bookstores!
Woohoo! Yes! Love a good used bookstore too.
I always look for flower pots. I’ve found some large ones for just a couple of dollars a piece!
This is a great list! Would you please tell me the paint color in the little girls room? Thank you!