The Unique Vintage Decor For Your Home & Garden That You Can Score At The Thrift Store

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Thankfully, you don't need to have deep pockets to have great taste in decor, because the best treasures for your home and garden are often found in places like your local flea market, a garage sale, or a thrift store. Not only are they great for convenient budget buys, but they're a treasure trove for anyone who appreciates a good antique piece. There is one item you may find at your local thrift store that can make your garden feel more sentimental: vintage wooden church pew benches. Often, the seat covering on these benches is made of thick fabrics, including velour, olefin, or wool-blend material, which, combined with grained wood backing, lends a timeless appeal.

You can upcycle one of these benches in a single day, creating the perfect retro-style statement piece for your entryway. Or, do you need a higher place to set your patio plants than the ground? If so, no problem. This quick hack offers a great solution to decluttering your patio by giving you an additional platform to house anything from plants and statues to gardening tool storage and decorative lanterns. Kicking off this DIY doesn't require a lot of expensive tools and materials either. However, you'll want to give the bench a thorough cleaning. To do this, you'll need a vacuum with hose attachments, a steam cleaner, furniture polish, like this Old English Wood Conditioner & Cleaner, fabric spot cleaner, and cleaning cloths to bring back the shine in the wood.

Before deciding to buy this common thrift store find, be sure to have an idea of how you plan to transport it from the thrift store to your home, as these wooden benches can be heavy and are typically too long to fit inside a sedan. Once you have your church bench, the first thing you'll need to do is clean it. First, use a handheld vacuum or a vacuum with an attachment to remove any dirt, crumbs, or dust on the seating. 

Make sure to vacuum deep inside any crevices where debris and lint are commonly trapped. Next, for a deeper clean, go over the porous seating material with a steam cleaner. Then, using a slightly dampened microfiber cloth, apply a furniture spot cleaner to any visible stains left after the steam cleaning session. Next, move on to the wood areas. Start by using a dampened paper towel to wipe down the wood base, removing any dust. Be sure to clean around any ornaments and Bible holders (which are usually located on the back). Then, go over the wood with your furniture polish and a few microfiber cloths to give it a good shine.

If you're planning to take the bench to the garden, consider adding an outdoor stain or paint to the wood to give it a fresh look and help preserve it throughout the seasons. You can also reupholster the seating fabric with modern, water-resistant materials that can also give it a more refined look. Stenciling quotes, drawings, names, or inspirational sayings on the back is also a great way to personalize the bench and give it more character.

If housing the bench indoors, use it to maximize storage space by placing a few storage bins beneath it to conveniently house extra blankets, gardening shoes, or hobby materials such as knitting kits. You can also paint it and add a few decorative pillows, so it blends easily with your room decor. For more functionality, place a few magazines on those back Bible holders to store reading materials for houseguests. You can also completely swap out the old fabric seating, replacing it with vinyl or leather. This will allow you to keep the vintage theme while incorporating a more present-day look.