16 Thrift Store Finds That Work Double Duty To Organize & Decorate Your Space

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Thrift stores are full of budget-friendly finds that don't just decorate your home, but can help you keep it organized too. Whether you're shopping on a budget, trying to do your bit for the environment, or going for a more vintage, collected aesthetic, it's worth perusing thrift store shelves. From common but useful items to unexpected storage solutions, we've rounded up the finds you should keep an eye out for on your next thrift trip. These are the items we recommend snagging if your goal is to find gems you can use to organize and decorate.

With different decor styles and storage needs in mind, we've collected some organizing ideas disguised as decor, and decor pieces that secretly work for storage. For the most part, we've focused on common thrift store finds. While you're shopping, keep in mind some vintage brands that stand the test of time and are always worth buying at thrift stores. Keep reading for the pieces that can help tame clutter and add to your home's style at the same time.

It's pretty common to find items like entryway coat racks and standalone wall hooks at thrift stores. If you come across antique options, they can be excellent finds, especially if they're made from solid wood, cast iron, brass, or other sturdy materials that are less used nowadays, particularly for something simple like storage hooks. Various wall-mounted racks and hooks are useful for storage all around the house, from storing coats by the front door to hanging towels in the bathroom; it's one of those items you can quite easily find a place and use for.

From a decorating perspective, you might browse for racks and hooks at the thrift store to find distinctive designs that aren't available at big-box stores. These products can come in all sorts of materials. A vintage brass hook can bring warmth to an entryway, while a wooden peg rack can add rustic appeal to a kitchen or laundry room. Hooks with ceramic adornments are attractive picks for cottage-style homes, while sleek and angular steel hooks might suit modern rooms best. Of course, you can always hang decorative items from hooks. This setup makes it easier to switch pieces out if you like to change your decor with the seasons. Some ideas include wicker hanging baskets, hanging planters, artistic tapestries, and other hanging decor and ornaments. While it's not a perfect solution since it has a weight limit, if you're renting and can't drill into walls, you can use Command Large Picture Hanging Strips for mounting large enough racks and hooks.

A wall-mounted plate rack is a heritage-inspired thrift store find that can boost your kitchen's aesthetic appeal. They're not so popular nowadays, which makes them ideal for secondhand shopping. New options are fairly limited in design, and real antique thrift store finds will likely have more character and better-quality materials, especially for their price. For storage, a wall-mounted plate rack can add vertical space for dishes, freeing up some room in the cabinets. Some also have shelves along the top or bottom for organizing small items.

However, even more appealing to many, these racks let you display your prettiest plates. Whether you have special decorative pieces or want to show off your everyday fare, it turns dishware into decor that's perfectly themed for kitchens or dining rooms. Many choose to display a variety of plates, which gives the space a more collected and lived-in look.

The thrift store is a great place to find cheap shelves. It's a great find if you stumble upon a discounted option from a good brand or one made of solid wood rather than the engineered materials popular nowadays. When it comes to storage, shelves will always have their place in a home for maximizing unused wall space. Use bins and baskets to hide clutter (you can also find these at many thrift stores).

Decor-wise, shelves are the perfect blank canvas for styling. Vintage-style wood shelves instantly add warmth and texture to a wall, while also giving you a spot to display decor pieces. Metal shelves have a more industrial look. Either way, with areas of each shelf styled with decor items and areas reserved for functional storage, thrifted shelves offer decor and organization benefits.

Walk into any thrift store with a home section, and you'll probably come across a teacup. They're a regular on thrift store shelves, and it's unsurprising to come across lovely collections for very affordable prices. For storage, teacups can make an adorable catch-all or trinket dish for small items like coins, jewelry, and keys. They can be more eye-catching than a small trinket plate, looking vintage and charming on any surface.

Since they're so small, teacups don't have the biggest storage potential, but there are many ways to repurpose old teacups around the house for decor. As-is, they're charming to display on shelves or in glass-doored cabinets or hutches, especially for a cottage or grandmillennial-style home. They're also an excellent pre-decorated base for a range of DIY projects. Some examples include using the teacup as a candle vessel, a tealight holder, or a plant pot, all useful ideas that add character as decor.

Thrift stores can offer a wide variety of vases at a fraction of the cost of major retailers. On thrift store shelves, you might find anything from hand-thrown ceramic vessels to vintage crystal vases, sometimes in distinctive styles that are hard to find new. Beyond holding flowers, vases can be surprisingly useful for storage and organization. They can corral all sorts of long, skinny items, like kitchen utensils and serving spoons on a counter, makeup brushes in a bathroom, or stationery and craft supplies in an office. Wide-mouthed vases tend to be more useful for storage.

Of course, vases are a fetching vessels for flowers and greenery, but you can use them for other decor displays too. Clear vases can be filled with decorative pebbles, holiday ornaments, seashells, and more. An empty vase can even be a pretty design piece, adding height and visual interest to a side table or shelf. Or, cluster a few thrifted vases together for a layered display.

Don't overlook thrift store pitchers. You can use them just like you use a vase, so if you can't find one you love, look in the kitchen section to see if there's a pitcher that calls to you instead. Compared to vases, pitchers have a more rustic and farmhouse aesthetic. They also feel more casual since they're a repurposed household item rather than a purpose-built decor piece. Most pitchers have wide openings, so they are great for holding kitchen utensils, including larger ones like rolling pins. You can also use them for craft items like paintbrushes or for hair tools if you want a rustic touch on your bathroom or vanity counter.

Pitchers can also come in all sorts of decorative designs, making them perfect to use as decor. Their rustic appearance can bring a warm and relaxed feel to open shelving, countertops, or dining tables. Fill them with flowers or dried stems to create a casual centerpiece, or leave a patterned pitcher empty on the kitchen counter to make the space look more lived-in.

Thrift stores often carry an assortment of glass and ceramic jars and canisters for a fraction of the price of buying them new at a homeware store. You might come across vintage stoneware crockery and antique glass pieces that have more character than modern-day versions. From a storage standpoint, these can be extremely versatile. Depending on the size, you can use them to hold everything from tea bags on the kitchen counter to Q-tips in the bathroom, and they'll look much nicer than the original packaging for these items. If you're using them in the pantry, make sure the canister is food-safe.

Ceramic vessels are one piece of vintage decor you should never leave behind at the thrift store since they add instant charm and texture to a display. You don't even have to put anything inside. Or you can use them like a vase to hold flowers, dried stalks, tea lights, or other decor. Glass jars can also be used the same way, but they have a more open and airy look since they're clear (or at least translucent).

Bowls, small and large, are another item you'll find in almost every thrift store. They're just as useful for organizing and storing items as they are for serving food. Small bowls can be a catch-all near the front door for keys and coins. Or, you can grab a few and use them to organize inside a junk drawer. Large bowls look great on the counter when filled with fruit, or you can use them as a bigger odds-and-ends bin for junk mail, umbrellas, and dog leashes.

Available in various materials and decorative designs, don't overlook the style a curated bowl can bring to an area. They can bring pattern, color, or texture to a coffee table, shelf, or kitchen counter. Some sculptural designs can look very attractive when they're empty, and this idea will suit minimalist homes. Or, you can fill the vessel with decor like pine cones, ornaments, dried flowers, or potpourri for a more traditional look.

Using stylish baskets remains one of the best ways to corral clutter in a fashionable way. New baskets can cost a pretty penny, so you can score some major savings if you find them at the thrift store. For storage, you can use them for almost everything under the sun. Small baskets can help with organizing toiletries, kitchen items, or office supplies. Medium baskets might find their home in a pantry or laundry room to tidy everyday supplies. Large baskets are great in living rooms and bedrooms to hold blankets and toys.

Though often bought for storage first and foremost, baskets double as design accents. Woven rattan or wicker baskets feel rustic and add texture and warmth. Colorful and patterned options look more playful and can be made of soft braided fabrics. Wire baskets look the most utilitarian and industrial, ideal for more cool and collected modern spaces.

Anyone who wants affordable picture frames with character should browse the thrift store. Thrift stores offer frames for cheaper than big box shops. You're also more likely to find ornate vintage wood or gilded frames, and even some fun retro designs, for a fraction of the price of buying new. Not to mention, if they're truly vintage, thrift store frames can be better crafted than contemporary counterparts. Picture frames aren't the most versatile storage option, but you do have some options if you're willing to DIY. You can use a picture frame to make a framed cork board to tack on memos, mail, paper clutter, and even to hang small items like keys. Another option is to turn a frame into an earring or jewelry holder by adding hooks or a mesh backing.

The right picture frames can really elevate a space from a decor standpoint. If your current pictures aren't yet framed, doing so can make the space look a lot more put together. Also, if you like to DIY, there are plenty of ways to repurpose old picture frames into something new, ranging from turning one into a kid's art board to attaching several together to make a display case.

Not all thrift stores carry bookshelves, but if you come across one, it'll likely be cheaper and possibly better built than ones you buy brand new. Again, if you find vintage ones, they can be made out of solid wood with craftsmanship that outdoes mass-produced options, both in durability and style. It doesn't need much explaining: bookshelves are extremely versatile for storage in any room.

They're just as versatile for decor too, acting as both a functional and aesthetic centerpiece in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and beyond. Antique options are more likely to have traditional design touches that can make them look like a work of art in their own right. Otherwise, a plain bookshelf serves as a blank canvas for decor, like a mix of books, plants, framed photos, and trinkets.

Thrift stores often have a wide variety of trays, as well as other items that you can repurpose as trays. You can also look for platters, risers, and cutting boards if trays are in short supply. Vintage wood, metal, ceramic, and glass trays can come in many different styles with eye-catching patterns, distinctive shapes, or charming patinas. For storage, trays can help fence in items like jewelry, keys, bathroom essentials, or kitchen bits and bobs. A tray with a raised lip can help keep items more contained, while a flat tray creates a visual boundary that makes an area look more organized.

For decor, a tray is the ideal base for displays. It helps delineate a group of items, like a few well-placed candles, vases, plants, or decorative knickknacks. Since trays can come in all sorts of materials, patterns, and designs, the piece itself can also add some visual interest, texture, or color to a shelf, coffee table, or countertop.

If you're after a vintage look, browse the thrift store for spice rack shelves. This is another item where minimalist, modern products just can't live up to the beauty and ornateness of traditional versions. At the thrift store, you might find spice rack shelves crafted from solid wood, metal, and even glass, complete with charming finishing details. Of course, as their name suggests, you can use these to organize spices, but you can also repurpose them all over the home to arrange small items, from perfume bottles to picture books. For example, follow along the lines of using IKEA Bekvam spice racks for entryway storage, and you can see just a few ideas for using a spice shelf beyond the kitchen.

Most spice racks are designed to be somewhat decorative, since they're usually displayed on the kitchen counter or on a wall. Thrifted options can easily double as charming display pieces. Whether filled with colorful matching spice jars, small potted plants, or decorative vases and canisters with fresh blooms or dried flowers, they're another item that can be a nice base for decor.

Tabletop storage boxes and small lidded storage cases are another fabulous thrift store find for organization and decoration. These can come in the form of wood boxes with decorated lids, like the one shown, metal tins, decorative ceramic boxes, and pretty glass and metal boxes. You can even repurpose breadboxes or jewelry boxes for some of these ideas. In terms of storage, they can help hide everyday items like keys, remote controls, or other small household essentials. Lidded options conceal clutter and make a console table, entryway table, or nightstand look a lot neater.

It's not hard to see how beautifully decorated boxes can double as decor accents. Set on a table, they can add a bit of color, pattern, or texture to an area. When grouped with nearby books, vases, or candles, they create a layered display, while hiding items that might otherwise make the area look messy.

A mug tree is a fun countertop addition that you might come across at a thrift store. Usually made of wood or metal, some are simple and utilitarian, while others might come in playful shapes and colors. They're most useful for storing mugs, which can help you free up cabinet space and keep cups within easy reach at a coffee or tea station. But you can also use them for holding other small items, like necklaces and bracelets, small kitchen utensils like measuring spoons and tea strainers, or even for craft supplies like scissors and rolls of tape or ribbon.

Repurposing a mug tree for decor usually involves hanging items from its branches. If you have a lot of decorative mugs, the whole display can double as decoration on the countertop. Otherwise, you can use a mug tree to hold items like ornaments, bunches of dried plants, mini garlands, and seasonal decor, like mini wreaths, bells, and stars.

Cake stands aren't only for baked goods: they can be useful for organizing and decorating, too. Depending on how you want to use them and how much space you have, you can look for single or multi-tier stands at the thrift store. For storage, a cake stand can elevate items on a countertop or table. This helps create layers and maximizes vertical space, which can improve tidiness. You can use them to display fruit, contain small kitchen items, or keep items like kitchen sink essentials, laundry day accessories, or cosmetics and perfume bottles in one accessible place.

A cake stand is an elegant display platform for decor. It can add more height than a tray, creating a more visually interesting and layered silhouette. The surface is tray-like, though, so you can decorate it similarly. Fill the top with seasonal decor, votive candles, collected trinkets, or small plants. If you have a glass lid, you can use it like a cloche and put together a magical vignette inside.