Trashtastic Tuesday- How To Use Thrift Store & Yard Sale Finds in your Decor

Net up is the sofa table in my living room.  If you look at the bottom shelf of this table, you will see my carousel horse.  I bought this horse a few years ago for less than $1.  I transformed it with spray paint and jute twine, and I usually decorate with different things tied around it’s neck, depending on the season.  The double frame with the map in it is also from Goodwill.  And the maps I put in it are actually wrapping paper.  I can easily change out was it is in the double frame, so it is versatile.

This is the buffet in my dining room that I decorated for Fall.  I can see 5 items in the picture that were thrift or yard sale finds.  Can you guess which ones?

Let’s start with this vintage vanity case that I purchased at a yard sale for less than $2.  I painted it with white chalk paint and distressed it.  I had plans to paint the inside as well, but haven’t gotten around to it.  I just put some burlap inside instead, and I like the way it looks that way.  This is such a versatile item to use in my decor.  I can open it and put things in it for decorative purposes, or I can use it for storage and keep it closed.   And right next to it you can see a wooden pedestal bowl.  I found this at The Mission for practically nothing.  All I did was clean it up with some coconut oil, and it is constantly being used in my decor.

The train light towards the left of the picture was a gift from my daughter’s friend, so I don’t know how much it was, but I am imagining that she didn’t pay a lot for it because she is a broke college student.  All I did to this was give it a good cleaning and hung it up.

You can see my chalk painted pitcher here.  I bought this at Goodwill a while back.  I used it as it was when I bought it at first, but then I decided to paint it.  I don’t remember ho much I paid for it now, but trust me, it was next to nothing!  You can also see two green wine bottles here.  The one with the number 1 on it was drank by us,and I loved the bottle so I kept it.  Since it was not purchased as decor, I count it as free!  And the second wine bottle that has a handle was purchased for $1 at a yard sale.

On my dining table, I placed two oval frames flat on the table on either side of my large glass jar with branches.  They were purchased at a thrift store for 50 cents each, and they have only been cleaned up.  they have a Fall scene so I thought they would make a cute addition to my decor.  I will probably do something else with them at some point.

Dont’ you just die for this stack of vintage luggage?  The blue one on the bottom came from Goodwill and it was $1.  The one in the middle was a curbside find, so it was free.  Someone has sat it out with the garbage, can you believe it?  The one on top was a birthday gift from LC.  He paid $25 for it on Ebay.  Worth it!And that black and white striped lampshade on the right was a thrift store find too.

See the orange pumpkin shaped dish on my mantle?  that was a yard sale purchase. I can’t remember the price I paid for it either, but practically nothing, I can assure you.

Next up, let’s talk about my gallery wall area.  So much goodness here!  The piece of rusty tin at the very top was an antique store find that my husband brought home to me.  He said he was there shopping and the guy just gave it to him for free.  And then if you notice the embroidery hoops scattered here and there and displaying different fabrics- those were all Goodwill finds.  I added the fabric.  And it was all just scraps of things I had used for other projects.  The praying hands peeking out from above the lamp were a thrift store find for around 25 cents.  All I did was clean them.  There are a couple of thrift store finds on the right side of the TV too.  One was purchased in Ohio during a trip to Amish Country, and one was purchased in Las Vegas.  Both for very cheap prices- less than $10.  And of course, the star of the show in my living room is the Mid Century Modern record player that I refinished.  I bought it at a thrift store for $25, but it is now priceless to me!

This Van Gogh print that I purchased at The Mission for 50 cents was my inspiration for my entire living room!  And it still is, too, I just love this piece of art, frame and all!  The golden egg on the book case was bought at a yard sale.  I think I am going to paint it at some point.  The silver tray was thrifted for a quarter, and I cleaned it up and spray painted the handles gold.

This glass hurricane that is filled with jute acorns was purchased at a thrift store, and I have two of these.  I have a hard time finding creative ways to use these, any suggestions?  The green book was also thrifted, and I bought it because I loved the green color of the cover.

The grey frame you see in this picture was bought at Goodwill for $5.  It is a heavy solid wood frame, and it looks way more expensive hanging here with this beautiful print from Sweden.  I painted it and used brown craft paper to mat it.

This grey striped sweater pillow was made from a sweater I purchased at Goodwill.

This pretty jar with lid was a recent find at a yard sale.  I have it filled with antique spools we brought back from Las Vegas.

I found this Fallish looking painting at a thrift store, and I bought just to use at this time of year.  And the glass piece you see here is the globe from our outdoor lights that we replaced.  I had LC take one of them apart so I could use it as part of my decor.  So it was pretty much free, since it was here when we moved in.  I did clean it before bringing it in.

I bought this vintage thermos at a thrift store, and the glass bottle at the same yard sale where I bought the green bottle on my dining room buffet.

I bought this plaid suitcase at Goodwill last winter for $5!  I pounced on it like white on rice!  As fast as my legs would carry me and with no regard to how stupid I probably looked, I got to it.

On the second shelf from the top on this bookcase, are two items that were practically free.  We received the orange glass pedestal from LC’s grandmother, and the vase was thrifted, I have two of them as well.

And last but  not least, the weathered wood planter you see on my front stoop was a Goodwill find, and I also have two of these.  These keep getting better the more rustic they look too!

I honestly believe that the thrifted items I add to my home decor add to the authenticity and charm in our house.  Well, at least I want it to be authentic and charming, and I think I am well on my way!  I hope you feel inspired after reading this to go thrifting or yard saling.  It is something that I just can’t get enough of!  anyone local who has some tips on greats spots I could check out?

Thanks for joining me at Trashtastic Tuesday today!  If you like today’s post, please feel free to check out all of my other Trashtastic Tuesday projects.  Have a great Tuesday!