Incorporating your thrifted decorations into your home can be one of the most exciting parts of the thrifting experience!

This is the third post in my series all about how to style your thrifted decorations once you get them home!

If you haven’t already seen the first two posts, you can find them here:

• Tips for Styling Thrifted Decor
• Styling your Thrifted Finds, Part 2

And if you’re looking for other thrifting resources, I’ll share a whole list of them at the end of this post!

Because we’ve been getting such great feedback about these posts and videos, we’re going to plan on doing them monthly for a while!

The goal will be that they’re the first post each month going forward. Stay tuned!

Before we see this month’s treasures:

If you’ve been through some of my other thrifting posts, you might have seen my handy Thrifting Checklist that lists the main items I always look for when I’m heading out to garage sales and thrift stores, and also some of my negotiating tips and price points! It’s a great resource if you’re just beginning to thrift, or wanting to get more into it as an art form!

There are seven main categories I search within on my shopping trips:

• Fabric/Linens
• Small Furniture
• Vintage Books
• Seasonal & Holiday Decor
• Containers
• Art
• Antique or Architectural Pieces

I’ll kind of use these as my sub-headers to share which items I’ve found each month!

And know, that this process is still a treasure hunt for me, just like it is for you! There will be some trips I’ll get multiple things in a specific category, and nothing another, or some times when I’ll get things all spread through the different categories.

We’ll just play it by ear after each trip – how does that sound?

*This post contains affiliate links to products I know &/or love.

This Month’s Thrifted Decorations:

I’ll tell you about each of the individual items I found below, and how I’m using them in our home!

| Fabric & Linens |

During my recent trip I found a really cute white crocheted table runner!

Vintage pieces with unique and well-made details like a crocheted edge always catch my eye!

With this one specifically, my plan is to cut it in half, add a quick hem with a casing and use this as a cute set of cafe curtains! So simple, and the detailing along the edges will shine!

Another textile item I found was a charming tweed throw pillow!

I’ve shared before about my love of feather pillows in decorating, so you know that when I find a feather pillow, with a cute, well made tweed cover (with a good quality zipper!) that I have to have it!

I don’t actually use brown in my decorating all that often – except in Fall! That’s my exception, mixing it with greys and mustard yellows – I think it’s just delightful!

And doesn’t the end of October seem like the best time of year to find the perfect fall pillow? I certainly think so!

| Small Furniture |

I don’t know if we’re just lucky here in my part of the country, but our goodwill receives clearance items from Target!

Yes, true target brands (Threshold, Hearth and Hand, Studio McGee), discounted at least 50% off!

Though even with prices half off retail, some of the prices do still feel quite steep for the thrifting world, BUT when you realize it’s name brand and brand new – it’s sometimes worth it!

I found two stools that were just that during my recent trip!

They’re a cute light yellow, but what I love about them most is their rustic, simple beautiful lines! They really give me antique elm wood vibes.

Those rustic wooden pieces with deep groves and wonderful patina – sigh.

The thing is, though, they’re usually true antiques, and often priced as such!

I’m going to hold on to my 50% off target stools and I’ll share a post in a little while with my attempt to recreate this look!

| Vintage Books |

Nothing in this category this time!

|Seasonal & Holiday Décor |

I’ve been on the lookout for another croquet set to use in my summer thrifted decorations, and found one for only $8! My recommendation would be to grab any set you see under $10 if you’re in the market for one!

When I was searching before, I’d find them listed for around $30 on craisglist.

They’re such a fun summer accent piece. I’ve used mine inside near my piano, outside on the front porch.

The colors and textures just add such great charm!

I actually think I’ll be giving my second set to my friend and neighbor, Val because they’re a bit more modern than my décor, but will fit right in with her mid-century style!

| Containers |

For containers, I found these really cute orange and kraft brown cardboard treat boxes that I think will make the perfect touch for holiday entertaining! I can absolutely picture myself handing out thanksgiving leftovers in these boxes with a beautifully tied ribbon around them.

It makes it so much more fun than normal, doesn’t it?

I also found this really pretty glass jar with a silver lid with a mirror on the underside.

Possibly a little jewelry or makeup container? I am thinking I might give the top a little rub-n-buff makeover to change the color slightly – depending on how it looks on my desk!

I have been wanting a small container to hold my paper clips and binder clips at my desk, and I think this will be just perfect.

For the sake of this list, I include dishes in my “containers” category!

This round, I found what I thought was an adorable $10 bee skep drink dispenser! I was so excited!

My neighbor has one just like it, and we’ve always coordinated to share our larger serving pieces for the big parties we’ve held together – and having a second bee skep drink dispenser would have been perfect.

(Here’s a picture of her skep, so you can enjoy how cute it is!)

But my bee skep box was taped up at the store.

And I didn’t think anything of it.

Until I got home and realized that there was picture of a different drink dispenser taped on 1 of the sides of the box. (Yeah, you know where this is going.)

I still ended up with a nice glass dispenser for only $10. But it’s not the bee skep I was excited about, and is instead just a pretty simple hexagon.

It’s fine. I’m fine.

It could have been a way worse surprise inside the box, so truly I’m not too disappointed because at least this dispenser will still be useful, and will look great among my collection of them for larger events!

While we’re on the subject of drink dispensers (and while we’re now all remembering to ALWAYS open the boxes to check what’s inside), I’ll take a quick break from thrifted decoration talk to share with you about one of my favorite tips for drinks when entertaining!

When you’re hosting a party or gathering, drinks can actually be almost as expensive as the food in some cases!

My favorite way to reduce the cost is to always include flavored water as at least one of my drink options! (Sometimes that’s all, sometimes it’s in addition to other things – depends on the occasion!)

Here are the best flavored water combinations I’ve tried:

Citrus – Limes, Lemon & Oranges

Peach Slices & Mint (Pitcher from here).

Watermelon & Mint

Strawberries, cucumber & Limes

And one of my all time favorites: Blackberries & Thyme. (This linked blogger uses sage, but I prefer thyme!)

Pro Tip: Freeze your fruit before the party, and when you add it to your water it serves as both flavor & the refreshing replacement for needing to add ice!

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming : Thrifted Decorations!

| Art |

I think I’ll tuck craft supplies down here in the art category – it’s my list, so that’s OK, right?

I found floral foam for a great price during this recent trip – I was really excited! I can usually get $1/1 block of foam. But I found a package of 6 blocks for only $4! Score.

My favorite use for these blocks is to use them to create faux plant arrangements for our decor.

I’ve already used about 1/3 of one of the blocks to make a cute boho-inspired hanging house plant for one of my daughter’s rooms.

It’s really easy to do, you simply cut the foam to size to fit into your planter pot. Hot glue it down so it stays secure, and then stick your plant stems in!

Then “fluff” and arrange the leaves and flowers to make them look more natural!

| Antique or Architectural Pieces|

Nothing in this category this time.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s run through of my thrifted decorations and how they’re styled and used throughout my home!

And the Best Part of the Trip:

Now, I got some fun treasures, but my absolute favorite part of the trip was that I got to meet one of my readers! We were out front and she said, “Hi!”.

At first I thought maybe she was going to ask about my cart or something else of that nature, but instead she said she watches me online! She introduced me to her husband and son, and it was just so fun!

It really was a treat to meet a reader/viewer in person and put a name to one of your lovely faces! If any of you are in my area and ever see me out and about, please do say hi! It’s my honor to get to meet you, and I appreciate so much that you follow along and keep up with the goings on in this little corner of the design world!

Thrifted Decorations – Related Posts:

• How to Clothes Shop at Thrift Stores
• 4 Tips for Finding Decor at Thrift Stores
• Antique Mall Sales & Shopping Tips
• 10 Tips for Negotiating at Yard Sales
• How to Yard Sale with Children
• What to Pack when Shopping Yard Sales
• 5 Secrets to Shopping Yard Sales

Pin this Post for Later: