Thrifty Finds

There are many necessities for your home that will require you to spend a lot of money.

A high-quality mattress. Beautiful, durable flooring. A good HDTV for football season.

But many home decor items do NOT have to break the bank! Some of my favorite pieces to brag about are ones I've found for cheap (or free) from thrift stores, Craigslist, Buy Nothing (a local Facebook group-- look for one in your area), and yard sales.

I've scored several larger pieces of furniture on the cheap (like this $10 vanity, this $75 hutch, this free coffee table, and this $10 easel), but small decorative items are great things to find on the cheap, if you know where to look, and if you have some vision for what something could become.

What I'm ramping up to here is an entire blog post of tooting my own thrift shopping horn. If you're not in the mood for self-congratulatory swagger, you should stop reading now. :)

The tray was originally a teal color with fruits and vegetables painted on it (needless to say, that didn't last long.) The desk in the background was a splurge from Target, but on it you can see $.50 candlesticks and a $3 lamp, all from yard sales.

The Michaels frame was originally raw wood and I spray painted it black... I kinda wish I hadn't, because it blends in too much with the black bookcase. I might need to move it.

(Actually, the seller said "$5, or bring me a coffee". I texted her and said, "What do you drink?" So the lamp actually cost about $3.25. It was a tan color when I got it, and I spray painted it purple.)

The mason jar I had on-hand and spray painted silver, and the stars I made from cereal boxes and book pages, following the tutorial from House Revivals, found here.

The lamp was originally a muddy green color, and the candlesticks were brightly colored and just looked dated. This is where some vision comes in. Try to picture the piece without the elements you dislike (such as color, which can be easily changed.) I loved the heft of the iron lamp, and the curves of the ceramic candlesticks, so I grabbed them, and changed the colors later.

The copper-looking flower pot is from Dollar Tree, and the flowers were $1 clearance plants from Lowe's.

The headboard was from a local mattress store that has since gone out of business, and the bedding is from Target.

The basket is an inexpensive one from Ross, and the blanket was $20 at Ikea.

Do you have any favorite thrifty finds?
<3 Cara