10 Things to Always Buy at the Thrift Store

You are probably thinking, does she know something I don’t know? (That is if you live in Canada). Alas, no, the thrift stores have not reopened yet (thanks COVID-19) but when they do and they will…you will probably be so excited like me that you will go nuts and just buy things for the sake of buying things because you miss it so much.

DON’T do it, instead, look for these 10 things that you should ALWAYS buy at the thrift store.

Frames.  Almost all of the frames in my house come from thrift stores, unless they were gifted to me. Some are used as intended. You can use them for other purposes, like displaying jewelry, paint them and use as chalkboards, magnet boards or bulletin boards. Here is a lovely example from liagriffith

DIY Antiqued Frame Jewelry Display

Books.  I buy books to read, books to decorate with, and even books that are falling apart.  The pages and spines can be used for other projects such as these bookmarks from the spines of thrift store books by craftsalamode

10 lovely things to do with old vintage books: unique DIY ideas

Furniture. I cannot resist old dressers that are solid wood, especially when they are $15.00 or less, and you shouldn’t either. They just don’t make solid wood, dovetailed furniture like they use to. I’m also a sucker for kids furniture like this adorable child’s table. Showing the before and after. It dates back to the 1960’s and I brought it right into the 2000’s with a little elbow grease (ok sanding, painting and staining)

IMG_3764IMG_3796Baskets.  They are abundant in thrift stores. I look for old picnic baskets. They are easy to paint and distress and have many uses besides going on a picnic. I use one of my many (yes many) to hold blankets and throws. Here is a link to a post on how to paint a picnic basket, just in case you come across one. She is one of my favorite diy bloggers. Confessionsofaserialdiyer

Picnic basket updated with paint and a transfer

Wood Trays.  These are usually pretty inexpensive (under $5.00) and can make quite an impact to your decor. Use them in your kitchen, living room, bathroom (for makeup or towels) use one to serve cold drinks on a hot day. The last one I found, I painted it navy blue and used one of my chalk couture stencils (link to my designer site if you are interested in finding out more or purchasing products) to make it country farmhouse chic. fullsizeoutput_1015

Tool Caddy. I don’t think I’ve ever passed up a little wood or metal tool caddy. I usually paint them and either put a vinyl stencil or use a chalk couture transfer. They are also quite versatile in what you can use them for. I have one holding coffee pods, another holding CD’s and another sitting waiting for a makeover.  The one below I gave as a gift to a friend. You can check that post out here.

IMG_3664

Quilts: I prefer to find older vintage quilts and it doesn’t really matter what condition they are in.  If they are not usable to display at the end of the bed, they can be turned into other types of home decor, like pillows, pot holders, christmas stockings or framed in an old vintage window. I love this one by sadieseasongoods.

repurposing a tattered vintage quilt for my spring mantel, crafts, fireplaces mantels, mantels, repurposing upcycling, seasonal holiday decor

Cast Iron.  It is not always easy to come by and there are some things you should watch out for, like where it is made. If it says made in USA buy it!! The top vintage cast iron skillet makers to watch for are Griswold, Wagner and Lodge. Most people don’t like to use cast iron as they say the food sticks. It’s all in the way you season it. Check out an article on that here.  Aren’t these interesting?2017-05-15 11.29.15Art & knick knacks: You know what they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The same can be said for art and I don’t just mean paintings. You can find some really interesting, unique, quirky or one of a kind things at thrift stores. Don’t overlook the art and nick nack sections, your next piece of home decor could be waiting for you. Even if the piece isn’t exactly to your liking, just remember it can always be diy’d. Check this out, love it or hate it, it’s an example of what you can do.

 

My $2 Thrift Store Repaint

Find some decorative pieces and put them under glass, instant glam and looks high end. That what the interiorfrugalista did and they look fantastic.

DIY Cloche Glass Dome

Salt and Pepper Shakers. Yes you read that right. Salt and pepper shakers are cheap – usually under $1.00. They can be turned into ornaments, necklaces, place card holders and more.  Here is a makeover by Ducttapeanddenim that I particularly love. It even shows a video tutorial on how to make one.

Salt-shaker-necklace-and-statement-necklace-with-chambray-shirt-DuctTapeAndDenim.com_-600x1000

Thrift store finds are A Wandaful Thing!

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Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

https://www.chalkcouture.com/awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/groups/It’s A Wandaful Thing Chalk Couture Independent Designer

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.

Revamped Thrift Store Frame

I almost can’t even call this one an upcycle because I am still using it as it was meant to be used. I only added a little twist.

Here is a picture frame I picked up at a thrift store a while back. I paid a whopping 50 cents for it.  I liked the fact it wasn’t smooth and that it looked like wood tiles (the frame is not wood).

I bought the Martha Stewart Nautical layering stencils # 17635 from Michael’s and got the idea to stencil the glass part of the frame.

I used part of the tall ship stencil (it wouldn’t all fit on the glass).

The light blue paint color is called Pale Blue by Craft Smart, I bought it from Michael’s and the dark blue – Navy is from my stash by Dixie Belle – I used it on the upcycled thrift store tray – check that out here.

I didn’t bother to seal the imagine in case I decide to change or reuse the frame for something else.  It’s not perfect but I like it.

Did you notice the difference in the frame from the first picture? I found the dark brown too stark against the ship so I decided to whitewash the frame. I literally took a really small dab of white acrylic craft paint on a damp stencil brush and scrubbed it into the little blocks. On a few spots it was too much so I wet distressed it before the paint even dried. I used a wet paper towel and literally wiped the areas I thought had too much paint.

After it’s photo shoot I put it on my bookcase where it is eagerly awaiting me to finish upcycling a floating shelf. I have a few more thrifted nautical things I will add along with this frame – stay tuned.

Enhancing what you already have on hand – It’s A Wandaful Thing!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you back here soon.

I’d love it if you would follow me at all these lovely places:

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Day 11 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Welcome to Day 11 of my 12 Days of Christmas 2018

I am very excited about today’s craft idea as I have had this on my craft bucket list for a very long time.  Mittens made by repurposing an old sweater.  I found this very cute and colorful little girl’s sweater for $1.50 at a local thrift store. I washed it in hot water and dried it in the dryer.  I was able to make two pair of adult mittens from this sweater.

First I cut off the sleeves as I wanted the cuffs on the sleeves to be the cuff on the mittens.

Then I used a pair of mittens I already own as a template and cut around the mittens to make my pattern.

If you are wondering about the colorful mitten in the picture above, my talented, beautiful daughter made those (without a pattern) many years ago, which goes to show, handmade mittens last a very long time and they don’t go out of style.

Once the mittens pattern was cut from both sleeves, I simply sewed up the openings – a sewing machine would make this go much faster but because I used the sleeves, I was able to keep the sewing to a minimum, which was a very good thing as I ended up hand stitching them.  I think they turned out pretty darn cute.  I plan on keeping this pair for myself.

Repurposing an old sweater into cute mittens, it’s A Wandaful Thing!

It’s been a great deal of fun preparing for this event, and I can’t wait to show you all the Wandaful Things I’ve been up to. :)

Here is a recap of the 12 Days of Christmas 2018 so far:

Day 1 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 2 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 5 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 6 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 7 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 8 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 9 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 10 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

Upcycled Thrift Store Finds

Hey – thanks for stopping by.

It’s been awhile since I’ve upcycled a thrift store find.  I’m going to show you three things I recently bought with the intention to upcycle but decided I would only change two of them. You will see what I mean and I’d love to know if you agree or would change it.

First is this picture frame with spots for 8 photos. It has two picture hangers on the back so that you can hang it vertically as shown (the way I plan to use it) or horizontally. 

I bought it with the intention to use it as part of my cubicle makeover at the place I work when I’m not having fun vintage hunting or blogging. I will do a post when that makeover is complete. The picture frame is from Goodwill and was marked $3.50 but lucky me it had a green tag and it was green tag 50% off day – woohoo $1.75 – you just can’t beat the price.

I wasn’t keen on the color so I decided to paint it.  I used a latex Sherwin Williams color called Nantucket. Two coats and it was ready for the freshly cleaned glass and some photos…which I have not had printed off yet (next on the list).

 

For the second upcycled project, I bought a wood sign from Value Village  for Continue reading Upcycled Thrift Store Finds

Vintage and Thrift Hunting- Post #8 Plus A New Venture

Welcome back to Vintage and Thrift Hunting this is Post #8. I am so happy you’re here and can’t wait to share with you my latest thrifty and auction finds as well as to tell you about my latest venture.

I’ve been busy garage “saleing” and auctioning and found some good items to sell on my Facebook site and in my booth at the local photography studio.

YES that is my latest venture.  I decided to rent a booth at a local photo studio to show off and sell some of my vintage items. It was a big step for me and I know I have lots to learn but I’m excited I took this step. This is my first time renting and selling in a retail environment. Here is a picture of the setup – I welcome any feedback and/or suggestions my readers might have. The space is 5×5 and the only wall I have access to is the one with the mirrors.

Ok so that’s my booth, now onto some treasures I found last week. I couldn’t resist this Tulip cutout magazine rack and the handmade wooden stool. I put them both in my booth for $25.00 each.
This beautiful antique Singer sewing cabinet with drawers sold off my site as soon as I posted it….the lady that bought it said she was going to use the bottom and make a table. I love it as is but I know it will also make a great table.

Continue reading Vintage and Thrift Hunting- Post #8 Plus A New Venture