DIY 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 abide by the perfect slice for your home. I know this because I've been obsessed amongst decorating our occupation solid amongst thrift store finds for a few years right away (aka I've been broke as well as desperate). But nonetheless, over the past times few years, I've learned that y'all actually don't receive got to receive got tons of coin to decorate your house. It CAN hold upwards done on a budget, as well as thrift stores are a dandy means to brand that happen.

There are few things to a greater extent than fun than shopping thrift stores to abide by the perfect slice for yo DIY My Top 10 Thrift Store Shopping Tips: How To Decorate on a Budget

So, today I'm sharing my reach 10 thrift store shopping tips to aid y'all create a fashionable habitation on a budget.
If I tin exercise it, I know y'all can, too. You but receive got to acquire creative as well as hold upwards willing to acquire your hands a piffling dirty.

Let's acquire started.

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

Nearly every dish inward our kitchen has come upwards from a thrift store, as well as I've ended upwards amongst 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 but keeps evolving over fourth dimension equally I abide by materials I like.

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

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

#2. Keep An Open Mind:
Have an persuasion of the things y'all need, but hold upwards willing to suit your innovation if y'all abide by something amazing.
For example, a few weeks ago, I went looking for destination tables as well as came habitation amongst a brass lantern. Sometimes y'all don't abide by what you're looking for, but instead abide by something else that y'all tin use. I honey repurposing onetime outdated chandeliers, as well as knew the infinitesimal I saw this 1 that I could arrive amazing.

I ended upwards spray prototype the lantern as well as hanging it inward the office.

It was a super slowly update as well as cost a fraction of the cost that a novel low-cal fixture would receive got cost.

Spray pigment tips here.

#3. Don't Be H5N1 Hoarder:
When y'all honey thrifting equally much equally I do, it's a slippery gradient to become from 'collector' to 'hoarder'. So, earlier y'all purchase something at a thrift store, brand for sure it's something y'all need. Just because it's a dandy bargain doesn't hateful y'all should receive got it habitation as well as 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 e'er abide by something when I become thrifting. If I don't, it's okay. I but travail in 1 trial to a greater extent than some other day.
So, if all y'all come across is this weird Alf lamp...

Just politely walk inward the contrary direction as well as know that today wasn't your day. It volition happen. You but receive got to choke on trying. If at get-go y'all don't succeed, thrift, thrift again.

#5. Look For Quality Furniture:
Some thrift stores but suck when it comes to finding article of furniture amongst proficient 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 prissy parts of town. Don't acquire me wrong, you'll nonetheless abide by tons of junk inward those, too, but your chances of finding the proficient materials are much higher there.
Look for pieces that receive got proficient lines, are inward proficient condition, as well as tin hold upwards easily hold upwards refinished/repurposed. I similar to await for solid forest pieces amongst a proficient shape.

Those pieces (above) are pretty typical of what I mightiness abide by if I continually see the 'good' stores for a few weeks. And below are a few ideas of what y'all tin exercise amongst the materials after y'all haul it home.
The possibilities are genuinely endless.
You tin read almost all 10 here.

The below pic is of a wardrobe I works life final calendar month for nether $100. This would hold upwards a dandy slice to update amongst a piffling pigment as well as some novel hardware.

Or receive got this thrift store dresser I works life for alone $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 y'all tin see, all I did was pigment it white amongst some chalk pigment as well as update the hardware. All inward all, a actually slowly create that anyone tin exercise amongst a piffling elbow grease.

Full tutorial here.

Another dandy example...this crappy piffling desk I works life for $10...

I painted it as well as hung a mirror to a higher identify it as well as right away exercise it equally a vanity tabular array inward my bedroom.

I did something similar amongst our chamber dresser.

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

And right away it looks similar this.

Full tutorial here.

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

That badboy cost me $7 as well as I hung it inward our invitee bedroom.
Maybe I hung it a piffling high, but that's beside the point.

#7. Think Re-purpose, Re-purpose, Re-purpose:
See beyond what's there. See a chair amongst prissy bones, but abhor the upholstery? No problem...just reupholster it. And I realize that sounds easier said than done. But, I hope y'all tin exercise it. I had absolutely no persuasion what I was doing the get-go fourth dimension I tackled an upholstery job. It was kinda fourth dimension consuming, as well as definitely made me desire to outcry one-half means through, but I eventually pose that bad man child dorsum together again. And now, amongst a few upholstery projects nether my belt, it's actually easy.
In fact, come across that dark-green chair inward the to a higher identify picture?

I did that 1 inward but an hr or so. It looked similar this when I brought it home:

And therefore it eventually looked similar the chair y'all saw inward the to a higher identify picture.

You tin go here to come across my super quick means to upholster stuff.

Speaking of chairs, final fourth dimension I went thrifting, I saw these 2 chairs. They had dandy bones, but gross upholstery.
There's therefore many things y'all could exercise to spruce upwards these chairs. They had a beautiful forest back, therefore I would take the upper cushion, reupholster the spot cushion, as well as 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 y'all similar the shape of something, y'all tin e'er spray pigment it. This applies to almost everything: lamps, art, accessories, pocket-sized furniture, y'all cite it. One of my favorite things to spray pigment from thrift stores is onetime lamps.
Here's an instance of my latest light redo. All I did was spray pigment the base of operations silvery as well as add together a novel light shade (with some dark ribbon glued some the reach as well as bottom).
Full tutorial here.

#9. Know Your Thrift Store:
Ask the employees when they acquire novel materials as well as when the sale days are. I abide by the best materials on Tuesdays as well as 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, as well as I ordinarily beeline to for sure places when I get-go acquire there. Like the fine art wall.

You receive got to intend creatively. I saw this boat prototype (which reminds me of this print that I works life at this store years ago) as well as loved it. Had I bought it, I would receive got taken out the canvas, cutting it smaller as well as framed it inward a matted white frame. It would hold upwards actually cool equally share of a gallery wall inward my hallway.

#10. Save Money on Frames:
I purchase most of my frames at thrift stores as well as spray pigment them. I salvage tons of coin this way. Look for frames amongst prissy exceptional as well as amongst a prissy mat, therefore spray pigment the frame AND the mat.
For example, I brought habitation this junker for but a few bucks.

Then I took it apart

Remember that frog they made y'all dissect inward eighth grade?

Put that useless semester to WORK.

And therefore I spray painted the frame silvery as well as spray painted the mat white.

And therefore I painted over the master copy artwork as well as added some sequins. And therefore this is but 1 persuasion of what y'all tin exercise to onetime thrift store art.
Full tutorial here.

Another thrift store fine art idea? Just receive got an onetime prototype (like this one) as well as pigment correct over it amongst some to a greater extent than vibrant colors as well as some gilt leaf.

Alright, ya'll. That's all for today. Thanks for beingness here, y'all know I appreciate it.
For to a greater extent than thrift store ideas, y'all tin banking corporation gibe out the below post here.