Thrift Shop Decorating-Go Shabby Chic with Funky Second Hand Stuff
Whatever name you give it decorating a room, office cubicle, apartment, flat or home and garden with second hand furnishings, collectibles and accessories is economical, challenging and uniquely satisfying to those who are into eclectic design. You can apply feng shui guidelines to your room arrangements and really set up a harmonious living space.
You'll find uses for just about anything you love, especially natural castoffs like pine cones, branches, dried flowers, leaves and vines - even an old wooden ladder and a few pairs of worn out boots. Rust and weathering add nature's patina to man made objects.
My favorite clothes are vintage, retro and recycled fashions. I've got everything from WW2 military gear, Japanese baseball shirts and salvaged fur coats to wool sweaters, skirts, capes and dresses gleaned at thrift stores or traded, hand-me-down and swapped off from friends and family.
Contents at a Glance
- Basics of Thrift Shop Buying and Tag Sale Shopping
- Decorate on a Shoestring with Recycled Furniture
- Where to Find the Best Second Hand Treasures
Basics of Thrift Shop Buying and Tag Sale Shopping
What to Watch Out For at Tag Sales - What Not to Buy Second Hand
There are a few pitfalls to furnishing your place with used goods, but only a few. I'll cover those first, then send you off to start your collection expedition armed with confidence and chutzpah.
These are my own guidelines, based on personal experience. You may want to cast them aside, or add your own limits on what you will or won't buy depending on your preference and budget.
1. Don't bring home anything you can't clean or wash thoroughly.
2. Don't bother with a stuffed or upholstered piece unless you plan to have it completely restuffed and reupholstered or you are certain it's vermin-free and has no mold or mildew.
3. Don't buy used cribs, car seats or safety equipment unless you are certain they have not been recalled, damaged or deemed unsafe.
4. Don't expect old things to perform as well as they did when they were new. Some will, some won't - be realistic about what you intend to use your new "find" to do.
5. Avoid using older containers for food or beverages unless they are made of clear or translucent glass. Some pottery glazes contain lead, and some copper pieces contain lead solder on joints. Older painted wood and metal pieces are safe for decorative use if kids or pets won't put them in their mouth.
6. Examine electrical wires, plugs, fixtures and connections. You can expect to do some cord replacements or socket upgrades to make your treasure UL approved, but that's not difficult and it's very important.
That's just about it. I like to know I'm not bringing someone else's problem home to my place, and I don't want to invest in a dangerous item that someone else discarded because of safety concerns.
Decorate on a Shoestring with Recycled Furniture
Antiques on the Cheap: A Savvy Dealer's Tips: Buying, Restoring, Selling
Amazon Price: $14.49 (as of 12/10/2009)
Where to Find the Best Second Hand Treasures
Local and worldwide thrifting resources
Freecycle is a grassroots world wide organization that helps folks exchange used items at no cost. You can locate a group in your community and join, then participate by offering items or find items you can use. Freecyclers help each other by exchanging goods and they help the planet by keeping stuff out of landfills.Charity Shops managed by Goodwill, the Salvation Army and schools, churches or synagogues offer great bargains on clothing, books, housewares and furniture plus your purchase helps fund humanitarian and training programs sponsored by the organization running the shop. Goodwill Industries even has an online auction service similar to E-bay.
Flea Markets abound all over the world. You can find them in small towns by the side of the road, in city parking lots, in large arenas and inside warehouse buildings.
Resale Shops offer used goods for sale like a regular store. Some shops take items on consignment from the owner; others buy and sell used merchandise of all sorts from consumers or other resellers. If you're concerned about whether a store is following good business practices, look for a NARTS - National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops - membership sign.
Auctions, on site or online, offer all sorts of opportunities for buying and selling used goods. You can find local auction listings in any community newspaper or merchandising flyer. Most auction advertisements list the type of items to be offered at the sale; others offer detailed listings of the contents in the lot to be sold - anything from tools, jewelry, livestock, or furniture to real estate. Some flea markets also have an on site auction house or area for auction sales.
Online Auctions (E-bay plus many more) offer an infinite range of items in a huge database. You can search through categories by keyword or simply browse until you find what you like, then you can bid on and pay for your winning bid selection using your computer. You can also sell what you don't need. Be sure to check out the terms and conditions of each service prior to signing up or making a purchase. Shipping terms should be carefully evaluated if you live far from the seller.
Tag Sales (sometimes called yard sales) are one of the most interesting places to find junk-tiques. One person's trash is indeed another person's treasure.
Thrifting & Recyled Goods Videos
How to Recycle Old Clothes into New Fashions : How to Sew Patches onto Old Fabric
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New Life for Old Stuff - Flea Market Fashion and Home Decor
Recycle, reuse, alter and reshape
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- Plastic Bag Crafts
- Anything and everything made from recycled plastic bags. Really creative, functional and funky.
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- Turn a closet full of old ties into a slinky tank top.
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- Free sewing pattern for a luxurious scarf made from scraps of fashion fabrics and vintage materials.
eBay Vintage Clothing
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DIY Frugal Decorating - Shabby Chic How To
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- From unique one-of-a kind items to estate pieces, the depth of resources is enormous.
Featured Collectibles on eBay
Get 'em before they're gone ...
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byAltered Treasures - New Life for Old Stuff
Kicking up Thrifting to a Whole New Level
For example: using old cans for planters, using shawls as window coverings or wall hangings, gathering keys or pins or old silver ware together in a shadow box to make a wall decoration ...My small home has very little storage or closet space, and I have 40 years of collected treasures stashed here and there. I keep many things in plastic storage tubs which are practical but not exactly designer quality.
To hide a big towering stack of storage bins that must stay in my bedroom I hung a beautiful old lace table cloth from the ceiling in one corner then angled the bed in front of the table cloth-turned-drapery. It works beautifully and lets me display a lovely treasured linen plus I can easily get at the stored items whenever I am ready to change the decor in my house.
Think Outside the Box
- New Uses for Old Things
- Real Simple organizing strategies, shortcuts, products
- Monogram Momma: Silk Tie Dyed Easter Eggs
- Silk Tie Dyed Easter Eggs - how to use old silk ties, boxers and scarves to make spectacularly beautiful Easter egg beauties.
- Kids Fashions from Adult Clothing
- Ideas for altering adult shirts, trousers, dresses, coats and skirts into kiddie couture.
Old Books and Mags on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byBest Junk Collectibles
New life for old stuff - top picks
What's the coolest odd junk to collect and make into one-of-a-kind decor in your home or garden?
Igo GREEN Tip of the Day
Vintage Gear - Old Machines Get a Second Life
- Vintage Vending Machines Blog
- The coolest blog about vending machines for music, candy, ice cream, soda and more.
- InPrint - Poetry Vending Machines
- Poetry Vending Machines (PVM) - using obsolete cigarette vending machines to sell little packets of poetry.
Make Crafts from Castoffs - Recycled Beauties
- Garden Junk Totems
- Artistically stacked glass totems for your garden crafted from castoffs.
- The Crafty Side: trash to treasure
- Garden chimes, danglers, planters and more all made from "junk"
- Flickr: Trash Pickins
- Photos of fabulous finds at the curb ...
- Bottle Trees
- It used to be that you could see bottle trees scattered all over the Southern landscape. Usually in the country or along the bayous of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennesee, and Alabama, bottle trees are a colorful folk tradition with the purpose of warding off evil spirits, while at the same time recycl
Thrift Shop Maven - Pastiche
I find all my coolest stuff at thrift stores, resale shops and tag sales
Lensmaster Pastiche has been a member since August 12 2007, has rated 1,427 lenses, favorited 519, and has created 126 lenses from scratch. Lee Hansen donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund and Room to Read. This member's top-ranked page is "Clip Art Borders & Frames". See all my lenses
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Vintage Graphics & Antique Clip Art
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The vintage graphics on old-time photos, retro greeting cards, sheet music, antique advertising, and other paper items add a warm and nostalgic feeling to crafts and hand made gifts.The vintage clip art, photos and drawings you find in old magazines...
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Funky Fashions - My Hat Collection
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I have always loved hats. My love affair with hats goes back to my childhood. Even though hats went out of fashion when Jackie Kennedy entered the white house, I never lost my passion for head wear. My hat collection has always been and is today a bi...
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What's In My Closet - Pastiche's Funky Fashions
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I don't know when I fell in love with wearing clothing that was a little off-beat or ahead of the pack. I remember going to a wedding with my grandmother when I was about 4 years old and being fascinated with the taffeta dresses and elbow length fing...
Talk Back on Funky Junky Decorating - Sign My Guestbook!
Share your thrifting stories, tips, and ideas for using and/or altering your "found art" and treasures rescued from the trash heap or land fill. Or, just leave a comment to say hi!
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Reply
- theraggededge theraggededge Oct 26, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
- Found this lens through Bohemia's blog. Very cool! I run a freecycle-like group in Wales, UK. It's a great feeling to know you're helping keep good stuff in circulation and out of landfill.
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- boshemia boshemia Oct 26, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
- Hello! I just wanted to stop by and let you know that you and your lens are our featured Bohemian Squid of the Week! Your article and award are found at http://squidlog.net/boshemia/2009/10/26/pastiche-funky-junky-decor/
Congrats and welcome to the club! You have done a wonderful job!
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- ottoblotto ottoblotto Apr 17, 2009 @ 9:26 pm
- Very nicely done and excellent tips!
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- henzy henzy Mar 31, 2009 @ 10:30 am
- the shoes used as planter are fabulous
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- Jimmie Jimmie Feb 27, 2009 @ 6:19 am
- Some wonderful ideas! It's smart to buy used and reuse what we already have.
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Here's my favorite link:
by Pastiche
For years I've decorated my home and garden with treasures discovered at second hand shops, yard sales, auctions and charity thrift stores. )
I admit i...
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