Amazing Makeovers of Common Thrift Store Items – And Our Own Adventures

We are both huge fans of thrift store shopping.  That probably isn’t a surprise. I mean, we have a DIY blog.  And, if you recall, our very first post was a dual makeover of some sad old lamps we found for $7 each at Goodwill.

But we don’t actually get go thrift shopping that often.  We both work full time, so its hard to find the time for a trip, especially because a lot of the good stores in our area are a decent drive away.  It’s not like we can just pop around the corner, unfortunately.

So when I mapped out a route that would allow us to hit 11 thrift/consignment shops in one day, it was NOT a hard sell to convince Sage to give up a Saturday for the trip.  We thought it would be fun to share with you some of the cool stuff we found, as well as some inspiration from other bloggers for makeovers of common thrift store items.

I knew it was a good route because I had done an abbreviated version of it before, and came away with some nice finds.  If you don’t mind joining me in my warehouse of hoarded broken furniture basement I can show you the most notable piece from my earlier trip:  this cabinet.  For $8, it is mostly solid wood with drawers that work and adorable little wooden legs. I’ll just have to figure out how to mend the large chip on the side.  I’m sure you’ll see that again on the blog before long!

With that track record we had a high standard to meet, and we were not disappointed.  At our first stop we took home this incredible chair for only $30!  The color isn’t our first choice, and the fabric is a little worn, but that shape!  And it can always be reupholstered down the line.  We both wanted it bad, but it is in Sage’s living room because she actually has space for it (hmph, details).

Isn’t it a beauty?  And we were even more thrilled when Sage found it online valued at $499.

I was also thrilled to find a set of 12 pieces from the same china pattern that I used to make my graphic planters, including two of the same bowls!  I’m psyched to make more because they make excellent small gifts.  I also just love the pattern (Octime Black by Arcoc).  I’m not sure what I’ll do with the rest of the pieces yet.

I also picked up this glass display box for about $15.  Pricey for a thrift trip, but a good deal given what these usually sell for.  I use them to display Brad’s collection of Zuni Fetish carvings.

But what we were REALLY on the hunt for was more items that we could do as a paired project for this blog – showing how the same item can be re-imagined in different ways, like we did for the lamps.  We didn’t find any identical items that spoke to us, although we kept our eyes peeled…

… but we did decide it would be just as fun to show two ways to makeover something that is really common at thrift stores: decrepit old cane chairs.  We each picked out one we liked.  Sage found this light wood one with pretty details, and a seat that still holds its shape.  It is SUPER wobbly, however.

And I found this falling-apart one with a broken seat and missing pieces.  Despite that, I love how delicate it is, and the pretty tone of the old, dark wood.

So stay tuned!  We hope to share this dual makeover, and what we learn along the way, here on the blog in the coming months whenever we get around to it.

As we think about what we might do with our dilapidated cane chairs, we thought we’d share some inspiration from across the blogosphere of projects that re-imagined other ubiquitous thrift store items that most of us tend to pass right by.  So I’ll turn it over to Sage to share some of the favorite projects that we’ve found!

As fun as thrift store shopping is, you are wading through a lot of junk.  For example, this excellent collection of knives and cutlery…

But remember: just because the incredible discoveries are few and far between, doesn’t mean that there aren’t some awesome projects to be done. It just takes some creativity to see past the surface — and even the original function — and imagine the possibilities.

There are a lot of thrift store reupholstery projects out there that just don’t speak to me, and I probably would have said that anything involving an old office chair would end up in that category. Until I saw what Liz at love grows wild pulled off. (please pin from original source)

Mandie from Mid Mod Inspirations reimagined this candle holder as a colorful and chic jewelry tray. So clever! (please pin from original source)

Roeshel at DIY Showoff added turquoise paint to a generic wood mirror to create a bold color-blocked look. You had me at “turquoise paint”…. (please pin from original source)

Jamie at Anderson + Grant turned bud vases into gorgeous distressed candlesticks. I feel like I always see so many of these bud vases at thrift stores and can never think of a creative use for them. Even more if you throw in milk glass vases, which I bet would work for this project too. (please pin from original source)
Beat up serving trays are everywhere at thrift stores, and even though I always think “I guess I could paint that?” I never feel like I have an idea really worth doing. Enter Chelsea at Making Home Base to inspire me with this stenciled octagon tray. So easy, so awesome! (please pin from original source)

We don’t have any other furniture projects in here because good furniture can be especially hard to reliably find, but I think we’ve all seen some variation of this bookshelf in countless Goodwills. Not mid-century enough for you? (when is anything, ever?) Just add some tapered legs from the hardware store like Sussy Crafts did, and round it out with gold-striped paint job. (please pin from original source)

And lastly, turning broken china into colorful garden stones? This one is pure genius in my opinion. To be fair, it’s not an actual thrift store project — Lisa at Over the Big Moon came up with the idea after her collection of teacups and saucers from her grandmother were accidentally shattered. But teacups abound in thrift stores, so you could easily recreate this project without having to destroy any family heirlooms. (please pin from original source)
Okay Naomi, we need to go thrifting again immediately. This time we’re intentionally buying what seems like junk and forcing ourselves to get creative with it!

(Sharing at A Bowl Full of Lemons, I Heart Naptime, DIY Showoff, and Whimsy Wednesday)