20 Creative Bathroom Thrift Flips To Upgrade Your Style On A Budget

Thrift store finds are affordable, distinctive, and can bring some character to any room, including the humble bathroom. Plus, there are more options than just vintage mirrors or old toilet paper holders. The thrift store is home to plenty of items you can repurpose for the bathroom. With a bit of creativity and elbow grease, you can breathe new life into items you might otherwise overlook. Besides the more wallet-friendly price, you'll also be able to customize these pieces to fit your aesthetic and space.

We've rounded up some easy thrift flips to add style and function to your commode. Achievable with just a few tools (and some with no tools at all), these project ideas reimagine common thrift store items and transform these finds for use in the washroom. Personalize your bathroom without breaking the bank with the creative bathroom thrift flips ahead.

The branded cardboard box that tissues come in is useful, but they can be a bit of an eyesore. A prettier vessel can mean the difference between average and elegant bathroom counters. Luckily, you can repurpose a pretty jar into a tissue holder. Considering tissue box covers in a similar ornate style can cost up to $100, this is a very cost-friendly idea, that's also better for the environment than buying new. It's a small switch, but swapping from the box to a decorative container looks more styled and intentional.

Pedestal sinks are stylish, but they lack countertop space; sometimes they don't even have enough room for a soap holder. With some vintage hardware, you can make your own. This project uses a wall-mounted taper candle holder and a small crystal bowl to create an extra surface for a liquid soap bottle. These materials have the added benefit of suiting the more antique aesthetic of many pedestal sinks. Also, using thrift store finds, it's a more elegant and unique alternative to many contemporary wall-mounted soap holders.

Your bath time routine is luxurious "you time." For an elevated experience, you might want a personalized side table to really make it all about you. This project upcycles a thrifted side table (or plant stand, if it's the right size) to make a decorative surface for a candle, glass of wine, favorite book, or whatever accessories you want to have when you're relaxing in the tub. This project idea is affordable and also a great opportunity to flex your creativity, since you can paint a customized design or color that looks a lot more distinctive than the plain (some would say, boring) bathroom tables out there.

With all the peel-and-stick wallpaper projects trending in recent years, don't be surprised if you see small bits of wallpaper at your local secondhand store. Even small pieces can be useful! There are quite a few ways to make the most of leftover peel-and-stick wallpaper, and a fabulous one is on bathroom cabinets. This project is an easy way to add an unexpected pop of color or pattern to an otherwise boring space, bringing style to your storage area, rather than just holding your accessories. You can use it on the cabinet backing, shelves, or even on a medicine cabinet door.

It's rare to come across bathroom decor with wow-factor, but this simple idea is creative enough to catch a guest's attention. It starts with a thrifted wall-mounted taper candle holder, then adds glass tubes to turn it into a small vase. You might be able to find a couple of cheap tubes at your local dollar store, or you can grab a 10-pack of the Ronyes Lifescience Glass Test Tubes. A putty like the Gorilla Mounting Putty helps hold the tubes in place and makes it removable for when you need to clean it out or fill it with water. Alternatively, you can choose to display faux plants and omit any water entirely, in which case, you can glue the tube to the candle holder.

A thrifted toilet paper holder may already belong in your bathroom, but you don't need to use it as-intended. If you have an impressive collection of bracelets, use a toilet paper holder as a bracelet organizer and display. The post is the perfect size to hang bracelets and even necklaces from, depending on the holder layout. You can install a wall-mounted version with screws or Command Picture Hanging Strips (the latter optional is renter-friendly). Or you can repurpose a freestanding toilet paper holder into a jewelry stand, drawing inspiration from this DIY from @redeux_style.

There are several creative ways to turn thrift store finds into useful bathroom storage. One practical option is to repurpose a secondhand wine rack into a towel holder. Rolled up towels are a similar size and shape as wine bottles, so this type of rack is perfectly suited for the job. This idea moves towel storage to an empty wall, clearing up bathroom shelves or cabinet space for other items. Perfect for guest bathrooms, it's a nice way to display your fancy towels, keeps them easily accessible for visitors, and you can use the top rack to hold a painting instead of a towel, if you want to dress the rack up even more.

Did you thrift a chic large clip, but don't know what to use it for? While you can use it as a chip clip, that feels like a waste if it's really pretty. If you'd rather have it on display, turn it into a hand towel holder for your bathroom. You can mount it to a wall or, if you're a renter, to the side of your own bathroom storage unit. To help mount it, attach a small hanger like the EesTeck Small Triangle Ring Picture Hanger to the back. The finished project is a small detail that can add an unexpected pop of character to the bathroom.

Towel hooks don't have to be boring; the right ones can actually add some style to your bathroom walls. Though you can find ornate towel hooks, they tend to be on the smaller side. An alternative for the most visual pop is to upcycle a thrifted decorative candle holder. The arm section that holds the candle can double as a hook once you remove the candle holder part. Ideally, look for one where you can twist this piece off, but if that's not possible, you can also try to remove it with a hacksaw and the right metal file for the job.

Pretty tiles are an odd thrift store find, but they might end up there as leftovers from a renovation project or as a souvenir from international travels. Usually, if it's special enough to sell, it won't just be any old tile, but something worth putting on display. You can show off these tiles in your bathroom as wall art by mounting it on a blank area. If you feel like this looks a bit out-of-place, another idea is to install them as a backsplash behind the sink faucet, a more typical spot for tiling.

Why buy a new mirror when you can thrift one for a lot cheaper? Considering a wicker mirror can cost over $100, it's a major save. And painting a mirror isn't as difficult as it sounds; all you have to do is remove the frame (if possible) or cover the mirror surface with painters tape and paper. Painting it yourself gives you the flexibility to choose a distinctive color that might be hard to find otherwise. You can choose metallic colors to match nearby gold, brass, or silver frames, bright colors to make it stand out on the wall, or, of course, fail-safe neutrals for minimalist bathrooms.

Thrift stores often have old tablecloths, and some are made out of gorgeous linen or lace. If you don't need another tablecloth, but you don't want to let a promising thrift find go, you can upcycle it as a shower curtain. It's a lot cheaper than a buying new one. Using the lace example, you can expect to pay over $50 for a new lace shower curtain, compared to dollars at a secondhand store. You'll want to make sure you have a shower curtain liner behind it to protect the fabric. The Ehznzie Shower Curtain Liner is very affordable and comes in several colors so, you can add a peek-a-boo of pink, blue, green, or another shade behind your tablecloth-turned-curtain.

Proper thrifted shower curtains are also a great material for an upcycling project. Again, it's almost always cheaper than buying new, and you can make all sorts of alterations to create your own design. Drawing inspiration from a much more expensive version, the TikTok user above uses a sewing machine to craft a checkerboard curtain. However, there are simpler no-sew options, too. You can dye a secondhand shower curtain to get your own custom shade. This video from @lakynbowman is a great example of what a visual difference some fabric dye can make. Another idea is to dip-dye the curtain for a color block look.

You can craft a fun and useful item with this clever thrift store flip to create a unique towel rack. This project requires decorative L-shaped bookends. Then, all you have to do is mount a towel hook or ring on the bottom to turn it into a hand towel holder. Once installed on the wall, you can hardly tell it used to be a bookend, and by nature, it's one-of-a-kind. Wood bookends can be easier to work with since you can screw the towel holder right into it, and if it's thin enough, screw it right to a wall. However, metal bookends can work too with some glue, though they might be less durable.

A magazine rack is a fun thrift store find. These pieces aren't common in new furniture stores, so they really have a vintage feel. They're fabulous to use in the bathroom for storing reading material, but you can take it a step further and use it as a toilet paper holder too. The right type of magazine rack for this project will have a rod along the top that's also removable, so you can slide a toilet paper roll onto it. (Tip: Test that it's removable at the thrift store before buying the rack.)

Spice racks are versatile items, and if you can find one at the thrift store, there are plenty of upcycling ideas. The simplest choice is to turn it upside down and mount it on the wall. In this configuration, you can use the top section as a shelf and the bottom as a towel rod. Many spice racks in this style are made of wood, especially vintage ones that you might find at the thrift store. This is excellent news to DIYers who want to refinish the rack to suit their bathroom. To keep a natural and rustic look, use a wood stain. But of course, you also have the option to paint it another color. Consider choosing bright or pastel colors for a playful look, or neutral shades if you prefer a subdued look.

This creative project is one way to upcycle a picture frame and wall basket, two common thrift store decor finds. Since these items tend to be lightweight, you can make this project renter-friendly too with Command Picture Hanging Strips to attach it to the wall. In this video above, they use the finished project to hold a lightweight plastic plant, but you can also use it for decorative functional storage too. Use it as a basket to hold rolled hand towels, a pretty cosmetics bag, or your favorite hand lotions.

A bath tray can make your bathroom feel like a spa. When styled, it's a nice luxurious decoration, too. But if you put your bath stuff on display, you probably don't want to keep bath soap in the boring, branded plastic bottle it comes in. Instead, decant it into a pretty vintage glass bottle. An apothecary jar, complete with a stopper, makes this simple idea look extra charming.

A commonly thrifted kitchen item that makes a budget-friendly bathroom storage solution is the humble butter dish. Instead of putting it in the kitchen for your spread, repurpose it on your bathroom vanity to store bar soap. The lid makes it look decorative and adds some design to this space, an upgrade compared to a plain and rather boring soap dish. Decorative soap dishes aren't cheap either, with some big brand stylish options costing over $20, so you'll likely save some money with this idea too.

Thrift stores are often full of charming glass jars. If they catch your eye, but you're not sure what to do with them, an idea is to use them for storage in the bathroom. You can use these delightful pieces for all sorts of personal care items. Depending on their size, use them to store Q-tips, cotton rounds, bar soap, bath salts, and more. Considering new jars cost anywhere from around $10 to $50, if you can find suitable secondhand picks, you'll save some cash, especially on large jars.