Treasure Hunting for the Kitchen: Unique and Affordable Thrifted Finds

I had a successful trip to my favorite thrift store last weekend. Let me show you what I found and how I am incorporating a few of my thrift store finds in my kitchen.

Mid-January is always a great time to hit the thrift stores! They are usually packed with items people have donated from their New Year’s purges. On this trip, I was looking for a few items to use to refresh my kitchen since it looks empty now that all my Christmas stuff is put away.

Shopping at thrift stores is a fantastic way to add a little character to your decor without spending a fortune on new items. You just have to take the time to sift through what is on the shelves and keep your eyes open for potential gems.

What Should I Shop For At A Thrift Store?

These are a few of the things I always am on the hunt for when I hit a thrift store.

• Vases/ Containers
• Trays
• Classic New England Items
• Lamp Bases
• China & Other Dining Pieces

I’m always on the lookout for interesting vases and containers that are either perfect the way they are or would make a great DIY project for my home that I can share with you. (Usually the latter!)

My thrift store has an entire aisle of vases and containers. Simple glass vases that have a unique shape can be spray painted to freshen them up.

One of my most popular projects last year was when I transformed a glass thrift store vase into a Pottery Barn lookalike.

Another fun project was taking an ugly planter that I bought at the thrift store and transforming it into a modern-looking vase.

What I Found At The Thrift Store

I scored a lot of cool things on this thrift store trip…but there was a gal in the vase aisle with me that had some amazing stuff in her carriage…I should have gotten there before her!!!!!

This entire carriage-full of goodies only cost me $40! Some of the pieces I will keep the way they are but a couple are destined for DIY makeovers. I’m talking to you… lime green spray-painted pot and weird red looking vessel!!

Let me break down what I bought…and the bargains that I got!! On this trip I did pick up a few things on my list: vases/containers, trays, and china (a piece of ironstone too)

One sweet bargain that I found was this Independence Ironstone vegetable serving dish for $1.99! One trick I use when I’m thrifting or antiquing is using the Google lens feature on my Google app. What it does is search the image in the lens…so I found that this ironstone piece is worth around $20!

Another good find that was in perfect condition was this Lenox Summer Terrace pitcher…it will be perfect for filling with flowers don’t you think?? This was a steal at $3.99!!

But I think my favorite little find was this porcelain china 4-piece set that I picked up for $7.99. The sugar bowl is $13 alone on replacements.com.

This pink ceramic vase was tucked away in the back of a bottom shelf. I loved the aged crackle on the vase and the soft pink hue…I don’t know if it’s really old or just pretending to be!! It does have a number stamp on the bottom so that is usually a good sign. Hey for $2.99 it was a bargain either way!!

How I’m Using My Thrift Store Finds In My Kitchen

I’ve started adding a few of the pieces to my kitchen. This pottery creamer cup was $1.49 and makes the perfect home for a small plant cutting that I just repotted.

In my corner china cabinet, I am using one of the vases as a bookend. I like the texture and kind of odd shape of it…I almost put it back at the thrift store but it’s growing on me now!!

The set of china looks pretty on an old silver tray (that was also thrifted). I popped a few of my grandmother’s little silver spoons into the creamer.

The white Toby jug on the bottom shelf was a local antique store find…it reminds me of all the historical Boston Revolutionary War figures.

For this odd-shaped vessel, I popped a few faux stems in it and put it in my china cabinet.

And that beat-up tarnished silver serving dish is the perfect place for a small flower arrangement. See how I made this flower arrangement here.

Well, I think that I had quite a successful thrift store haul this week! I’ll be using the pieces that I found for years in different ways!

So, don’t be afraid of hitting your local thrift store…you never know what goodies you can find if you just take the time to search!! You never know what treasures are hidden in there!!

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Now please go check out what my friends Stacy and Kim found on their own thrifting adventures and how they used vintage finds in their homes!!

More Thrift Store Ideas

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