Use Thrift Shop Finds for These 9 DIY Projects—and Skip the Craft Store Altogether
Perusing thrift store aisles for items you can easily incorporate into your home is one thing, but getting crafty with your scores takes the whole experience to the next level. It lights up the creative channels in your mind and breathes freshness into old pieces. And the reward? A relaxing crafting session and a new showpiece for your home. To get started, consider these craft projects where you can utilize your latest thrift store finds.
Whether you opt to turn vintage dishware into a gorgeous mosaic table or cover an outdated vase with decoupage for a personalized piece, these Martha-approved craft ideas will ensure you’re never short on inspiration.
And with all the thrift store treasures out there, you also won’t be short on supplies!
Repurpose a Bowl Into a Candle
James Merrell
Bowls are another easy item to find at the thrift store and many serve as the perfect vessel for a flickering candle. From heavy crystal bowls with silver rims to shiny copper containers to handcrafted ceramic pieces, you’ve got plenty to pick from. Keep your creative mind open here, too. Mason jars, teacups, and old planters can also work brilliantly and add a unique take on this household essential.
Create a Light Pendant From Glass Bottles
You could pick up any old light fixture—or you could put on your creativity gloves and build a striking light pendant from a thrifted glass bottle. It’s a simple and straightforward DIY project that requires just one power tool (a Dremel), plus some handwork via a glass cutter and sandpaper. The electrical work is minimal—you just need a bulb and light fixture cord.
Transform Thrifted Dishware Into a Mosaic Table
Martha Stewart
If there’s one thing you can count on at a thrift store, it’s stacks of dishware ranging from delicate china with gorgeous floral motifs to kitschy, color plates that look straight out of a retro diner. Whatever your aesthetic, you can easily repurpose these pieces into a beautiful mosaic table. All you need is a hammer, grout, and some pretty gold leaf for a gilded touch.
This is a great project for secondhand ceramics in poor condition. For items in great shape, try doing a Google Lens search to ensure the pieces are not collectible before breaking them down.
Make a Jewelry Holder From a Caned Chair
A singular chair with intact caning can be easily transformed into, not one, but two different jewelry organizers. This DIY project utilizes the caned chair back for one jewelry holder and fabric from the seat cover for the other. Once your pieces are complete, you can use them to store your favorite baubles.
Give a Dated Vase New Life With Decoupage
Martha Stewart
Don’t pass up an old vase just because it looks outdated. If you find the shape interesting, or you’ve been looking for one that exact size, it’s got potential.
This easy DIY project uses paper napkins and decoupage glue to quickly give a vase a brand new look. As an alternative to decoupage, you could also try applying concrete to the exterior for a rustic-modern finish.
Transform a Retro Trunk into a Bar Cart
Martha Stewart
Have you always wanted a luxe bar cart for entertaining? No need to go for broke over such a piece. First, hunt down an old steamer trunk from a thrift store. Then, follow our tutorial for transforming the vintage trunk into a useful and stylish bar cart.
Peel-and-stick wallpaper will allow you to personalize the interior, and inexpensive (or secondhand) wine racks will provide safe storage space.
Add Personality to a Thrifted Dresser
Kimber Collective
If you’ve got your sights set on a larger project that delivers high impact, go scouting for an old dresser. You can pick these up at thrift stores, oftentimes for under $100, and all it takes is some elbow grease to bring it back to life, says Mackenzie Craven, a DIY content creator and ambassador for Krylon.
Start by removing all the drawers and hardware and giving the piece a good clean with a de-greaser. Lightly scuff-sand, then prime, paint, and seal. Swap in new hardware or clean and polish the existing hardware.
If you’re not in the market for a dresser, you can take the same approach with nightstands, credenzas, buffets, bookshelves, and TV stands.
Turn a Thrifted Ladder Into a Storage Station
If you spot a wooden ladder at a thrift store then snag it. The upcycling possibilities are endless with this find. One option is to turn it into a storage station in the bedroom or bathroom.
“Wooden ladders can be repainted and used as hangers for clothes, towels, plants, etc.,” says Evelina Juzėnaitė, principal interior designer at Planner 5D. “For storing small things, you can attach hooks and small baskets on them.” She also recommends fixing the ladder to the wall to prevent toppling.
Craft Holiday Décor With Thrifted Wall Art
Martha Stewart
Always plentiful and certainly less pricey than most brand new options, wall art is a quintessential thrift store find. Not just useful for everyday home décor though, you can add character to these sometimes-bland pieces and transform them into new bits of holiday décor.
After thrifting framed wall art, use craft paint to alter and add thematic or kitschy details. Zoe Hunt, a crafting guru at Pine + Poplar and ambassador for Krylon, notes that you can also freshen up the wooden frame by lightly sanding it down before applying one or two coats of paint or spray paint. Finish with a sealant for a smooth finish.
