Decorating on a Budget: 10 Things to Always Look for at Garage Sales
Garage sales are a great place to find unique things to decorate your home on a budget. Here are my top 10 things to look for and how to create a look when decorating with garage sale finds.
It’s garage sale season!!! Yay!! What better way to find budget friendly home decor than to shop garage sales or flea markets! Look for pieces with good bones the way the are or choose things that you can update or upcycle with paint. These 10 things are versatile so you can switch them out from room to room or season to season to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Things to always look for at garage sales and how to decorate with garage sale finds:
- Books – I love Books! Whether they are current coffee table style books (think decorating, local history or biography for example) or, my favorite, vintage books with a wonderful warn patina, they add so much interest to any space. They can make great conversation pieces and can add color, texture or height to any vignette.
2. Baskets – Baskets are great for so many reasons! They come in a ton of different shapes and sizes, are great for storage in any room and can be used in through any season. They add wonderful warmth, color and texture to any vignette.
I picked this basket up for $2. the handle was broken so I cut it off with wire cutters and gave it a aged look with black craft paint.
3. White vases/pitchers – These are perfect for styling any vignette with faux or real flowers. Put the in grouping for a pretty look.
4. Art – art can be so expensive so garage sales are a great place to look. Stick to the same style and you can’t go wrong when you are mixing pieces together.
I picked this piece up for $7…
5. Picture frames – Choose frames that have a similar width and style (i.e. chunky, beveled wood or clean straight lines). Don’t worry about the color because you can always paint them. You can use them for so much more than framing family photos or art like creating a collage, framing a piece of architectural salvage or a flat basket with flowers.
6. Trays – Great for creating easy vignettes by grouping things on one place plus makes it easy to remove from a kitchen table for meals or a coffee table for games.
7. Candlestick holders – Look for interesting shapes and sizes. Don’t worry about color as they can be painted. I like to have neutral colors like white, black and stained wood so that I can swap them out from room to room and use them for every season.
8. Cutting boards – You wouldn’t think of these at first when it comes to decorating with garage sale finds, but I love using these for creating table risers or for decorating shelves not for cutting food. Don’t be discouraged if they have a ton of cut marks. Simply break out the palm sander to smooth them out and even give them a coat of stain to match the ones you already have. Hang them on a wall in a collage to create a unique look in your kitchen.
9. Mirrors – Mirrors are a great way brighten up any space and even make small spaces look bigger. Use one large one on a wall or use a few to create a pretty collage.
10. Wooden boxes/crates – I cannot get enough of these. Great for storage and creating a vignette by themselves or adding height to one.
- Bonus item: Christmas decorations – this takes a little planning but you can save a ton of money on holiday decorations by picking these up at garage sales. Stick to your color scheme, though, and don’t buy stuff just because it’s cheap. (that goes for any garage sale or thrift store finds.) You can create a beautiful Holiday theme, especially if you love vintage and antiques while decorating with garage sale finds.
If you know what to look for and you stick to your style and color scheme, you can save a ton of money and create your own unique look for your home with garage sale finds. I hope this gave you some inspiration to go out and find your own treasures!
Happy decorating!
Col
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I get so excited when u email something. I am one to change things up often. Always looking for ideas on a budget. Your home is my style also. I like vintage, rustic, primitive and little farmhouse.
Painted our bedroom dressers that were mine growing up. So thanks for your tips. May the Lord bless you!
Christine
Thank you so much, Christine! I’m so happy you find inspiration here and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you following along. Have a wonderful weekend!
Great blog. Ty.
I adore finding inexpensive treasures at yard sales and thrift shops. When I look around my house it is amazing to me how much of my decor is gently preused finds. The thrill of the hunt and joy when you find just the right item. Last week I found a beautiful African basket and a bag of lovely shells to fill it with for an addition to a summer vignette on my coffee table. Thanks for all your ideas and photos.
Hi Kathy! I agree 100%, it IS the thrill of the hunt and putting different pieces you find together to create your own unique look. Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!