Thrifting for the Home
When we first moved into our home almost six years ago, I really wanted to start all over with our home decor. The only way to do that was through thrifting for the home and finding deals. I love deals!
How to Save Money on Home Decor
I would say that about 90% of our home is furnished and decorated with thrifted finds. Thrifting is not only wonderful economically, it’s just so fun! It’s like treasure hunting! Not every thrift outing will be successful. You need to be choosy in what you bring home. It’s tempting to just get something to show for your “hunt,” but then you will just clutter your home with someone else’s junk. The things you bring home should have a use or just something that you absolutely LOVE.
Some of the first things I looked for to start collecting new decor for our home was to find frames at thrift stores and baskets (I love baskets! More on that a bit later.) I would bring home some UGLY pictures in those frames, but I knew they were not staying in those frames! Most of the frames I brought home were only a few dollars! I threw away all the ugly pictures and went online and downloaded some great art prints to fit my aesthetics. Adding art to the walls brings your home to life. It tells a story of the things you love. It brings beauty and interest to a blank wall.
Where to find prints
You can find some free prints online by searching “free digital art prints.” Or you can search art gallery archives (like National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. that I have linked below) that have images of thousands of art prints you can download for free. You will just have to search through a lot of art to find what you like. I’ve purchased many prints from Etsy shops listed below and Museum Quality Art. Etsy is a great place to get them easy and cheap!
- Etsy
- National Gallery of Art Archives (Free)
- Museum Quality Art
- North Prints
- Olive and Oak Prints
- Country Lane Living
Where to print your art downloads
Once you download your art prints, you can just print them at home if you have a good printer and the image you want is small enough. I have just ordered my larger images at Walmart, since it is the most convenient for me and I’ve been very happy with them.
Baskets!
Ok, I already said I love baskets, but I love baskets! I love decorating with them. I have them on my wall in my living room and they add such nice texture and interest. They are also very useful in organizing things. I just find baskets pretty and useful and I’m always drawn to them at thrift stores.
Places to thrift
Of course, there is the obvious chain thrift stores, but don’t forget about Facebook Marketplace and Estate sales. I have found some really, I mean really good, cheap stuff at online. I got a good, solid hutch that we turned into our kitchen island for $1 at an online estate sale in my area. One of my favorite estate sale find was a huge set of American Pottery cream dishes that I use everyday for $13! My favorite Marketplace find was an antique McDougall Hoosier for $50 and our huge dining table and 13 dining chairs. My husband talked them down to $20 on the table and all the chairs were $35! We refinished both the hoosier and the table and I LOVE them.
Making your house your home
Home is such a special place. It’s a place all your own, a place your children feel safe and comfortable, a place you can share with others. Sometimes in making a home beautiful you need to be creative with the recourses you have. Thrifting for the home is very resourceful and makes you think outside the box. I like to think of thrifting as a way to give new life to old things.
