My Top ten Thrift Store Shopping Tips: How To Decorate on a Budget

There are few things to a greater extent than fun than shopping thrift stores to honor the perfect slice for your home. I know this because I've been obsessed alongside decorating our delineate of piece of work solid alongside thrift store finds for a few years straight off (aka I've been broke in addition to desperate). But nonetheless, over the by few years, I've learned that you lot actually don't receive got to receive got tons of coin to decorate your house. It CAN hold upwards done on a budget, in addition to thrift stores are a cracking means to brand that happen.

 

So, today I'm sharing my hand 10 thrift store shopping tips to aid you lot create a fashionable domicile on a budget. 
If I tin strength out do it, I know you lot can, too. You merely receive got to acquire creative in addition to hold upwards willing to acquire your hands a lilliputian dirty. 

Let's acquire started.

#1. Look For Colorful Accessories:
When it comes to accessorizing your house, it's all nearly waiting for the correct pieces in addition to collecting things over time. 

Nearly every dish inward our kitchen has come upwards from a thrift store, in addition to I've ended upwards alongside a much cooler collection of dishes than I would receive got if I had bought everything new. Here's a peek within 1 of our cabinets.

And my collection merely keeps evolving over fourth dimension every bit I honor materials I like. 

If you're curious nearly those chalkboard cabinets, go here.

One of my favorite finds were these gilded mugs for $1. 




#2. Keep An Open Mind:
 Have an sentiment of the things you lot need, but hold upwards willing to accommodate your conception if you lot honor something amazing.
For example, a few weeks ago, I went looking for terminate tables in addition to came domicile alongside a brass lantern. Sometimes you lot don't honor what you're looking for, but instead honor something else that you lot tin strength out use. I honey repurposing onetime outdated chandeliers, in addition to knew the infinitesimal I saw this 1 that I could become far amazing. 

I ended upwards spray icon the lantern in addition to hanging it inward the office. 

It was a super slow update in addition to cost a fraction of the cost that a novel calorie-free fixture would receive got cost.

Spray pigment tips here.

#3. Don't Be Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Hoarder:
When you lot honey thrifting every bit much every bit I do, it's a slippery gradient to become from 'collector' to 'hoarder'. So, earlier you lot purchase something at a thrift store, brand for sure it's something you lot need. Just because it's a cracking bargain doesn't hateful you lot should receive got it domicile in addition to hoard it inward your garage for 2 decades.
Like this bike.
My see told me I needed it, but my encephalon said 'You haven't been on wheel inward a decade. 
And the tire is flat.'.

#4. Go Often & Be Patient:
 I don't ever honor something when I become thrifting. If I don't, it's okay. I merely endeavor 1 time to a greater extent than some other day. 
So, if all you lot run into is this weird Alf lamp...

Just politely walk inward the contrary administration in addition to know that today wasn't your day. It volition happen. You merely receive got to snuff it along trying. If at start you lot don't succeed, thrift, thrift again.

#5. Look For Quality Furniture:
Some thrift stores merely suck when it comes to finding article of furniture alongside practiced bones. You know the sort of thrift store I beak of...the 1 that's been totally picked over.
But, they're non all similar that.  
I receive got the best luck finding good furniture when I see the thrift stores close the overnice parts of town. Don't acquire me wrong, you'll nevertheless honor tons of junk inward those, too, but your chances of finding the practiced materials are much higher there.
Look for pieces that receive got practiced lines, are inward practiced condition, in addition to tin strength out hold upwards easily hold upwards refinished/repurposed. I similar to expect for solid woods pieces alongside a practiced shape.

Those pieces (above) are pretty typical of what I mightiness honor if I continually see the 'good' stores for a few weeks. And below are a few ideas of what you lot tin strength out do alongside the materials after you lot haul it home.
The possibilities are genuinely endless.
You tin strength out read nearly all 10 here.

The below film is of a wardrobe I flora terminal calendar month for nether $100. This would hold upwards a cracking slice to update alongside a lilliputian pigment in addition to some novel hardware.

Or receive got this thrift store dresser I flora for solely $60. I didn't purchase it that day, but ended upwards getting an almost identical 1 on Craigslist months later.

Here's the nearly identical 1 I found. As you lot tin strength out see, all I did was pigment it white alongside some chalk pigment in addition to update the hardware. All inward all, a actually slow ready that anyone tin strength out do alongside a lilliputian elbow grease.

Full tutorial here.

Another cracking example...this crappy lilliputian desk I flora for $10...

I painted it in addition to hung a mirror inward a higher identify it in addition to straight off utilisation it every bit a vanity tabular array inward my bedroom.

I did something similar alongside our chamber dresser.

 When I originally bought it for $50, it looked similar this.

And straight off it looks similar this.

Full tutorial here.

#6. Look For Classic Pieces:
 Like a fancy gilded mirror.

That badboy cost me $7 in addition to I hung it inward our invitee bedroom.
Maybe I hung it a lilliputian high, but that's beside the point. 

#7. Think Re-purpose, Re-purpose, Re-purpose:
 See beyond what's there. See a chair alongside overnice bones, but loathe the upholstery? No problem...just reupholster it. And I realize that sounds easier said than done. But, I hope you lot tin strength out do it. I had absolutely no sentiment what I was doing the start fourth dimension I tackled an upholstery job. It was kinda fourth dimension consuming, in addition to definitely made me desire to outcry one-half means through, but I eventually lay that bad man child dorsum together again. And now, alongside a few upholstery projects nether my belt, it's actually easy.
In fact, run into that greenish chair inward the inward a higher identify picture?

I did that 1 inward merely an lx minutes or so. It looked similar this when I brought it home:

And in addition to thence it eventually looked similar the chair you lot saw inward the inward a higher identify picture.

You tin strength out go here to run into my super quick means to upholster stuff.

Speaking of chairs, terminal fourth dimension I went thrifting, I saw these 2 chairs. They had cracking bones, but gross upholstery. 
There's thence many things you lot could do to spruce upwards these chairs. They had a beautiful woods back, thence I would take the upper cushion, reupholster the topographic point cushion, in addition to spray pigment the entire wooden frame a bold glossy color...think navy or red.

#8. Think Spray Paint:
When buying thrift store decor, spray pigment is your best friend. If you lot similar the shape of something, you lot tin strength out ever spray pigment it. This applies to almost everything: lamps, art, accessories, pocket-sized furniture, you lot advert it. One of my favorite things to spray pigment from thrift stores is onetime lamps. 
Here's an lawsuit of my latest light redo. All I did was spray pigment the base of operations silvery in addition to add together a novel light shade (with some dark ribbon glued to a greater extent than or less the hand in addition to bottom).
Full tutorial here.

#9. Know Your Thrift Store:
 Ask the employees when they acquire novel materials in addition to when the sale days are. I honor the best materials on Tuesdays in addition to Thursdays, because that's when my favorite store puts out novel stuff. Every store is different. 
Also, figure out the 'sweet spots' inward your favorite store. My favorite store is huge, in addition to I commonly beeline to for sure places when I start acquire there. Like the fine art wall.

You receive got to intend creatively. I saw this boat icon (which reminds me of this print that I flora at this store years ago) in addition to loved it. Had I bought it, I would receive got taken out the canvas, cutting it smaller in addition to framed it inward a matted white frame. It would hold upwards actually cool every bit constituent of a gallery wall inward my hallway.

#10. Save Money on Frames:
I purchase most of my frames at thrift stores in addition to spray pigment them. I salvage tons of coin this way. Look for frames alongside overnice especial in addition to alongside a overnice mat, in addition to thence spray pigment the frame AND the mat.
For example, I brought domicile this junker for merely a few bucks.

Then I took it apart 

Remember that frog they made you lot dissect inward eighth grade? 

Put that useless semester to WORK.

And in addition to thence I spray painted the frame silvery in addition to spray painted the mat white.

And in addition to thence I painted over the master copy artwork in addition to added some sequins. And thence this is merely 1 sentiment of what you lot tin strength out do to onetime thrift store art.
Full tutorial here.

Another thrift store fine art idea? Just receive got an onetime icon (like this one) in addition to pigment correct over it alongside some to a greater extent than vibrant colors in addition to some gilded leaf.

Alright, ya'll. That's all for today. Thanks for existence here, you lot know I appreciate it.
For to a greater extent than thrift store ideas, you lot tin strength out banking concern jibe out the below post here. 

'Til adjacent time!

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