15 Creative Ways To Style Common Thrift Items For Unique Decor At Home

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Thrifting items to decorate your home is a smart move. You get to style your interiors with conversation starters while saving money. Plus, if you like adding your stamp on each decor item, there are multiple thrift flips you can start and finish in one weekend. But what if you want something that's low effort and will make your humble abode look amazing in a jiffy? Simply visualize how you can decorate commonly spotted items in distinct ways for a wow factor. For instance, a beautiful toothbrush holder can double as a flower vase. All you have to do is clean and dry it prior to styling.

Another unique way to display your cut or artificial flowers is to slide them in knife storage blocks. Use them as is or paint them in your preferred shade to hide the dings and scratches marring its surface. You can even turn an old duvet cover into fabric wallpaper, provided it doesn't sport any stains or marks. The ideas are practically endless; you just need to think outside the box. Need a little help in decorating your home? Here are 15 creative ways to style common thrift items for unique decor.

Need a hanging wall rack near your entryway? Repurpose an old chess set from the thrift store. Simply clean the board, paint it for a bespoke appearance, and glue the pieces where you want them. In case you're not a chess pro, steal a few moves from "The Queen's Gambit" to position your pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, kings, and queens in an intense stare-off. If you go for a magnetic board, ensure the grip is strong or the pieces will fall off when you hang your keys, scarves, and bags.

Fridge magnets are a great way to spice up your boring refrigerator. If you don't want to display something mundane, thrift some antique-style brooches. Take off their pins and wipe them clean before making your own fridge magnets. Get some strong magnets: MIN CI's Round Neodymium ones are a good option. Position them on your brooch's center and glue them down. Remember, if the decorative piece is odd-shaped or too heavy, you might have to attach more than one magnet to evenly distribute its weight and keep it from falling off your appliance.

You might think that a silver-plated casserole server missing its glass insert would be of no use. However, it can help you organize and display your favorite books with an adorable thrift flip. Simply pick a few conversation starters that you'd like to display in your living space with and put them vertically inside the server. To keep them in place, tie them up with a colorful ribbon or twine. Bonus points if you can find something that matches or complements your books' cover or server's finish.

The next time you find some instruments at your local thrift store, don't bypass them. Instead, turn them into gorgeous decor for your home. For instance, a French horn can double as a Christmas decoration. You just need to dress it up with some winter-specific greenery (both real and imitated work), bows, and glass ornaments. Once you're done, hang it on your door in place of a wreath, over your mantle, or on your headboard. When the weather changes, tie summer blooms and beach motifs along its length instead.

If you keep your decorative napkins on your kitchen countertop, thrift beautiful bookends and nestle your cloths between two pieces. This way, you can not only display them in style but also keep them together. In case you'll be putting them on your island, experiment with two varied ends for a different perspective from each side. But for this to work and not look like a design mistake, get pieces that share some basic similarities. They could be the same height or color or feature similar patterns.

Changing your side table's decor elements is a simple way to give it a refresh. But if you don't want to spend much on new decorations, thrift a silver chafing dish. Don't worry if it's tarnished. Turn it sparkling with Weiman's Silver Polish and Cleaner, or try out one of the best ways to clean silver-plated items without chemicals. Afterward, use it as a fancy catchall to hide your remotes, candy, jewelry, or other trinkets. You can also style it in your bedroom or home office to corral small items.

Make basic doorways magical with thrifted light switch covers. Paint them all in a similar shade for a unified finish or use different colors for a bespoke look. Then, start screwing them in. To speed things along, get a cordless screwdriver like the SKIL 4V Rechargeable model. The only caveat to this idea is that you'll need a significant amount of covers to deck your doorway completely. However, if you aren't ready for that kind of commitment or have a tight budget, add antique covers along the side that's most visible.

An orphaned tea cup at the thrift store will seldom stir your interest. Still, if you find a particularly adorable piece, bring it home to DIY a beautiful candle. To keep things economical, get leftover wax out of your old candle containers and reheat it. In the meanwhile, clean and dry the tea cup so it's ready for the melted wax. However, if this seems like too much work, wipe the cup with a damp microfiber cloth and insert a battery-operated candle. SHYMERY's Flameless Votive set is a good option.

If your interiors are filled with neutral or wooden accents, add a splash of color with pool balls. You could decant them in a thrifted glass jar and place them on your side or coffee table for an instant upgrade. Alternatively, lay them in a flat tray and put it beneath your glass coffee table for visual interest. If your plants are looking lonely, fill small pots with the billiard balls and place them nearby. Or, try putting them on your bookshelf within a billiard triangle. 

Books and eyeglasses are the two core components of the intellectual chic trend. You might own plenty of the former, but if you're lacking character-rich glasses, thrift a pair. The older the glass' style, the more academic your decoration will look. Sift through the collection and find a pair. However, steer clear of ones with broken panels or cloudy glasses to maintain a clean aesthetic. When you find one you like, lightly dust it and place it on open books in your library or home office.

A game-changing trick to make your artificial flowers look real is to house them in a gorgeous vase. But this doesn't mean you have to purchase an uber-expensive one. Since the goal is to prevent onlookers from examining your imitation blooms closely, steal their attention with pretty pitchers. Go with a ceramic one for a simple arrangement or add rustic charm with copper ones — ensure they aren't chipped or missing their handles. Use floral foam and place season-specific florals inside before hanging it from a hook.

Don't like the way basic tissue boxes cramp your style? A creative way to elevate boring tissue boxes to match your home's aesthetic is to decant them in a thrifted canister. Just ensure you find one that has a wide bottom and a narrow top. This will help you pluck out one tissue at a time and keep the rest within your chosen canister. Experiment with chinoiserie-inspired planters, elaborately decorated canisters, vintage teapots, ginger jars, glass lampshades, or crystal fairy lamps, depending on your tastes and home decor.

An oversized bust is another common thrift item you can style for unique home decor. All you have to do is choose the right spot for it and accessorize it for added interest. For example, if you plan on putting it on your mantel, decorate it with a hat — thrift a pretty one for a simple appearance or go with a pirate-style for a quirky look. Similarly, when using them in your home office or library, add eyeglasses for a geeky vibe. Alternatively, dress them in fun scarfs, chunky necklaces, and whimsical sunglasses.

Thrifted a ceramic swan but don't know what to do with it? As long as it has an open top, you can use it as the base for a lamp. There are two ways you can go about it. Either glue puck lights, like Amazon Basics' LED ones, to your old candlesticks. Or, group a few tall battery-operated candles, such as Homemory's 9.6-inch Ivory set, with a ribbon or twine. Once you're done figuring out the lighting part, put a thrifted lampshade that matches the swan's color on top.

Photo and art gallery walls have become quite common. If you like the concept but want something a bit more unique, use cutting boards. Start by grabbing a few cutting boards from your local thrift store in various sizes, shapes, and textures to add visual interest. You could even stain or paint the boards in different tones to lend them differing personalities. Hang them from pre-drilled hooks or use Command Wall Hooks (consider the weight limit) for a renter-friendly solution. Curate your collection in or around your kitchen for maximum impact.