How To Upcycle Thrift Shop Finds Into Trendy Home Decor

Thrift Shop Hot! What to look for right now....

In my last post I shared some tips for shopping thrift shops. Now I'm going to share with you some items commonly found at thrift shops that are great for upcycling into swanky home decor and crafts. These items are great because not only are they inexpensive, but they are very much in style as current home decor. Check it out! 

What should you be looking for right now?

1)  Silver-plated Serving Trays
I always see lots of silver-plated trays and platters when I go thrifting, and they're usually inexpensively priced from about $1 to $5 each. The neat thing about these trays is that they come in different shapes and sizes, and some have pretty engraving or ornate edging on them. 
What to do with them? Hang them on a wall as you would china plates, making a display that works well not only in a dining room but throughout the home. (Click here for more wall-display grouping ideas)

Pretty wall display

image via Apartment Therapy

Photo by Blayne Beecham 

Wreath made from silver platters image from Bees Knees Bungalow

2)  Vintage Scarves
Sometimes sold by the bag-full, vintage scarves are abundant at thrift shops and also cost next to nothing. They come in a wide range of colors and patterns, so they are great for repurposing and upcycling. Vintage hankies are great for repurposing too, but they can be a bit more difficult to find than scarves. 
What to do with them? Frame them as art, sew them together to create a unique curtain, or use them to cover throw pillows.
(Click here for even more ideas on how to use scarves and vintage hankies.)

Curtain made from vintage scarvesvintageisforlovers.com

Upcycled skirt by Flowerpie via Etsy

 Children's dresses made from silk scarves by Nixie (above and below)

Scarf curtain

Framed scarf

Pillows made from large Hermes scarves

3)  Picture Frames
I always check out the picture frames at thrift shops. Pay no attention to the colors, you can always paint them. As a matter of fact, I just painted a group of 6 frames black for a photo grouping for my family room. Once painted, they're brand new! The thing that's great about buying frames at thrift shops is that you can find a variety of unusual shaped and sized frames, which are great not just for photos, but also for framing  artwork.
What else to do with them? Replace the glass with mirror, cork board, or paint with chalkboard paint. Get the glue gun and cover them with twigs, sea shells,rocks, or any type of small found objects, or decoupage them with fabric or paper. Or, use them as-is to create a gallery wall of unique variety.

painted frames by MandolinGoose via Etsy (above and below)

Wall display of frames by Simply sadie jane

Chalkboard frames (above and below) by Shugabeelane via Etsy

*Check out my other blog post, Creative Uses For Chalkboard Paint for more chalkboard ideas and a recipe for how to make your own chalkboard paint!


           
Chalkboard paint comes in both brush-on and spray forms!

Twig covered frames

4)  Globes & Maps
Just like road maps, globes become outdated and are replaced with new, up to date versions. I don't see tons of them at thrift shops but I do come across them from time to time. 
What to do with them? Use old maps for decoupage projects, and old globes can be upcycled into pendant lamps.
Check out my previous post on upcycling globes  for a myriad of globe ideas. 
Also check out this post on upcycling maps and atlases for even more ideas!

Vintage globe lamps

Chandelier made from vintage atlas pages

Vintage globe clock

Dresser decoupaged with maps

Mod Podge decoupage medium for decoupaging maps and any type of paper

5)  Old sweaters
With a price average of $1 to $5 a pop, the men's cashmere sweater section in a thrift shop is a goldmine! Not only are these great to wear as-is, but these once pricey luxury pieces are perfect for upcycling into new items for yourself, your family, and your home.
What to do with them? Use them to cover throw pillows, or try your hand at fashioning some new accessories from them like the ones pictured below.

Upcycled cashmere baby blanket by Thismommamakesstuff

Yes, those are upcycled cashmere undies - perfect for keeping your tush toasty on cold winter nights!

Upcycled cashmere sweater pillow by mmwolters via Etsy

 Upcycled sweater pillow with DIY from Going a little coastal

Awesome & stylish upcycled cashmere sweater hoodie dress by darrylbalack via Etsy

Upcycled fingerless gloves by Flowerpie via Etsy

Rose pillow from an old sweater (above and below)

What do you think?
What's your favorite way to repurpose thrift shop finds?

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There's more! Click here to read Part Two of this article!

I hope you enjoyed this post! 

Please leave a comment below! 

Which is your favorite? 

Have a great week!

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs

Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love for Dishfunctional Designs™ 2018

all rights reserved

Originally published April 19, 2012 and updated for relevancy

What Is Upcycling?

Recycling, Repurposing, Upcycling – what’s the difference? 

…and what exactly is Upcycling?

Recycling vs Upcycling

Most of us already know what recycling is. A plastic bag is used to carry home groceries, then is later reused by the owner who uses the bag a second or third time, perhaps to again carry groceries or to store items. 

The bag has been reused, and in a way, it has been recycled by its owner. The value of the bag remains the same.

Let's now say that the same plastic bag is sent out for recycling to a recycling plant. It's taken to a factory where it is put with lots of other plastic bags which are then turned into something new, such as more new plastic bags. 

The bag is being recycled, but most of the time, it is also being downcycled... 

What is downcycling?

Downcycling is something that occurs when items that are recycled are converted into items of lesser quality due to the recycling process itself. 

For example, different types of plastic bottles may be recycled and during the recycling process, some of the valuable materials from these plastics may be extracted by the recycling process itself. In the end, what may be left is a hybrid type of plastic of a lesser quality than the quality of plastic of the original bottle before it was recycled. 

After the recycling process, the quality of the plastic has gone down. One example is that an old plastic bag that is recycled into a new plastic bag may not be as durable as the original bag was. This is downcycling. 

What does upcycled mean?

With upcycling, an item is no longer being used for its intended purpose, but is repurposed – given a new purpose – and along with this new purpose (and this is the important part) it is also given an increase in value (usually both aesthetically and monetarily.)  

It is worth more in its new form.

What is upcycling? 

It's when an item is repurposed with a new use and the item's value goes up. 

What does upcycled mean?
Upcycled means that the item is now being reused for something different than it was originally intended and the item now has an increased value due to it's new use. 

Why is Upcycling important?

UPcycled items often have both a better  quality and a higher environmental value than they had in their original state! 

What else makes upcycled products items so desirable?

Upcycled products are created with innovation and creativity!

Here's an example of upcycling:

My daughters found this piece of a broken plate on a nature walk...

I turned the broken plate piece into three beautiful necklaces for them!

One of the best quotes explaining upcycling comes from Wisegeek:

"Upcycling is designed to work in opposition to consumer culture, encouraging people to think of new and innovative ways to use things, instead of simply buying new consumer goods. It also benefits the environment, by promoting reuse over discarding whenever possible."

At a glance:

Recycled – in it's broadest sense - used again and value remains unchanged

Downcycled – items are turned into new items of a lesser quality than their original state

Repurposed – used again but with a new purpose

Upcycled – used again, with a new purpose, and with greater value than its original state

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What do you think?

Have you ever upcycled something?

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Please leave me a comment below! 

Have a great week!

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs

Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love for Dishfunctional Designs™ 2018

all rights reserved