You want a home that shows your style, but you dread the price tags. You roam thrift stores and estate sales, hoping for a steal, but often you leave empty handed. You wish you knew thrifting tips that really work.
Sarah Lyon, a home decor writer with a big Instagram following, treats sustainable shopping like a sport. She hits thrift stores, charity shops, and online auction sites each week to spot wood, brass, and marble gems.
In this post, she shares 8 tips, from using a measuring tape to fit a rocking chair to repurposing vintage pieces for diy projects that boost your color scheme. Get ready.
Key Takeaways
- Sarah Lyon shares 8 thrifting tips for 2025. She shops weekly at thrift stores, charity shops, and online auctions with a tape measure and credit card.
- She tracks restock days (like Tuesdays) and markdown days (like Wednesdays with up to 50% off). She mixes rural thrift stores and urban estate sales for unique wood, brass, and marble finds.
- Hunt for solid wood, brass, and marble pieces. Use a loupe to spot cracks, test furniture legs for wobble, and record room measurements to ensure each item fits.
- Repurpose finds with simple DIY: turn a crystal ashtray into a candle holder, add leather straps to a stool, or spray-paint old frames. Always pack a reusable tote and tape measure.
- Use online platforms like eBay, Etsy, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace. Set alerts, vet sellers with 4.5+ ratings or 90%+ positive feedback, and watch shipping fees.
Visit Thrift Stores Regularly
Visit your local resale shop every week, and scan the racks for art deco mirrors and worn leather ottomans. Carry a measuring tool, your payment card, and a fresh eye to fuel your sustainable shopping mission.
Know restock and markdown days
Staff refill racks at my favorite thrift store on Tuesdays, dropping new brass hardware, acrylic frames, and vintage pieces for interior design fans. I roll in by 9 AM to grab the best finds.
I chat with shelf attendants to nail down exact restock times. A measuring tape and my credit card help me snag pieces that fit my space.
Wednesday marks markdown day, and early birds score up to 50 percent off color-coded tags. I sweep through glass vases and wooden rocking chairs before crowds arrive. A quick tap of my debit card feels sweeter than payday.
Sustainable shopping meets thrifting tips in each discounted discovery.
Mix up your shopping locations
After you track markdown days, hit rural thrift stores and urban antique shops. Shopping in a rural shop feels like a treasure hunt. You may find retro styles at attic prices. Then check an estate sale in an affluent neighborhood for high end frames; plan for a heftier tag.
Drop by men’s section and spot solid wood boxes or brass candlesticks. Bring a measuring tape and note your wall heights. Use credit cards that charge low fees in mobile wallets.
Try online marketplace platforms for one of a kind finds. This mix supports sustainable shopping and DIY projects.
Develop Your Eye for Unique Decor
Clutch a measuring tape like a prospector panning for gold at estate sale tables, sizing frames and lamps. Let your eyes dart to chipped paint or warped edges, then spin them into a diy project.
Look for quality materials like wood, brass, and marble
Heavy items often signal top quality. Solid wood desks, marble vases, and brass candlesticks cost more new. They add heft and class to your home decor. A simple magnet pulls to solid brass, and tarnish wipes clean with a soft cloth.
Find these at thrift stores, antique shops, and estate sales. You score vintage pieces and natural materials to boost sustainable shopping. The men’s section might hold a brass lamp base.
It fits a minimalist shelf or DIY project.
Pay attention to color, texture, and shape
Worn wood tables at an estate sale show off bold hues, grabbing your eye with bright blues or fiery reds. A quick spin of a shade guide or cloth sample helps match tone to a space.
Slip a measuring tape around a brass vase, feel its smooth curve, note its squat shape. Cotton throw pillows and marble trays bring natural materials into play, adding nubby or glossy texture.
Seasoned shoppers blend round mirrors, square frames, and odd crochet cushions for playful contrast. This puzzle of forms, colors, and fabrics lets a corner tell its own story. Sustainable shopping makes every thrift store find a chance to shine, in kitchen or living room.
Clever crafters use diy projects to buff brass candlesticks, sand wood frames, or stitch fresh fabrics on old chairs.
Shop With Creativity in Mind
Grab your tape measure, eye a chipped vase, then plan a lamp upgrade with brass bits from an old-world emporium. Mix bold hues in a DIY project and use thrifting tips to spark wild ideas.
Repurpose items for new uses
Scout estate sales and thrift stores in your town. You can snag vintage crystal ashtrays, they make stellar candle holders. Browse antique shops next, you might spot a chipped vase that looks rad with succulents.
Check the men’s section for old belts, they turn into chic handles on woven baskets.
Pick up plain wooden frames at steep discounts. Use spray paint to match color palettes in your home decor. Measure wall space with a measuring tape before you shop. Lean on natural materials, like glass and wood.
This thrifting tip boosts sustainable shopping and helps your salary stretch. Buy with cash when you can to dodge credit card fees.
Think beyond their original design
Pick a lamp at a thrift store and upgrade its shade or fix its cord to craft a fresh accent. Turn a brass vase from an estate sale into a candle holder or use a wood frame as a shelf for mail.
Snap a photo with your phone camera, drop it into the Canva app, and try it on a plain wall to picture new uses. Use a measuring tape to check if a vintage rug or mirror fits your space.
Think about DIY projects that blend old and new, like adding leather straps to a metal stool. Reimagine items from the men’s section as plant stands or book ends. This boosts sustainable shopping and adds character to your home decor.
Next, see how to pick high-value thrifted items.
Prioritize High-Value Thrifted Items
Visit estate sales with a measuring tape in hand, ready to size any find on the spot. Spot wood, brass, and marble gems, then picture how they fit in your space and your style.
Picture frames and mirrors
Thrifting tips shine when you spot low-price timber frames at a thrift store. This home decor hack cuts costs sharply. Collectors spray paint them for custom color. Grab a measuring tape to test fit on any wall.
Estate sales hold ornate mirrors with solid backs. Sustainable shopping fans scan for high-reflective glass. Inspect reflective clarity, skip foggy or chipped pieces. Shoppers treat each find with a DIY projects twist, they update frames easily.
Natural materials like thick glass and timber resist wear.
Unique lighting fixtures
Scoring lamps at a thrift store can boost your home decor game, like finding buried treasure. You can swap an old shade for a crisp cone, and watch it come alive. You might snag a brass table lamp or a marble reading light at an estate sale.
Sustainable shopping fits here, since a quick fix, like tightening a loose wire with a wire stripper, can make them last years. That diy project might even become your favorite weekend hobby.
Candlestick holders can earn new life as lamps once you clean them with hot water. Then, add a bulb kit and tuck the cord behind a stack of books or a small tray. Natural materials, such as a wooden shade or marble base, add texture and warmth to a dull corner.
Always bring a measuring tape to check height and cord length before you buy. Next, inspect items thoroughly before buying.
Inspect Items Thoroughly Before Buying
Bring a loupe to catch fine cracks in ceramics or marble. Wiggle wooden legs and tighten loose hardware with a Phillips head driver.
Check for damage or missing parts
Hold marble trays under a bright beam, and watch for chips or hairline cracks. Stone and marble home decor comes from natural materials, but no item is perfect. Run your fingertip along edges.
The slightest rough spot tells the tale. Inspect each joint on wood furniture, test for wobble or missing dowels.
Shine a light on tarnished silver, then wipe it with a soft cloth to spot dents. Maker’s marks like Sheffield, England can raise the item’s value. Push on table legs, note any loose screws or missing caps.
Slip loose parts into a cloth bag for future DIY projects. These quick checks save you from returns and fit your sustainable shopping plan.
Ensure stability and functionality
Press on table legs in a thrift store to find wobbles. Check for solid joints, like dovetail or tenon, in home decor furniture. Sniff fabric and wood for mildew or rot on natural materials.
Favor sturdy pieces to boost sustainable shopping.
Carry a measuring tape to note exact width and height in inches before you pay. Test drawers and doors by opening and closing them; spot missing pulls or loose hinges. Lift one corner gently to gauge weight balance and strength.
Next, prepare your essentials for the coming shopping spree.
Come Prepared With Essentials
Sketch a quick floor plan, you can avoid a sofa that won’t fit your space.
Slide a fold-up tote into your pack, you can snag lamps, vases, even weird trinkets.
Bring measurements of your space
Grab your measuring tape before you hit the thrift store aisle. You will track wall lengths, nook sizes, even table heights. Open a notes app on your mobile device, type in each figure as you go.
This trick keeps home decor from turning into a guessing game.
Save room sizes, shelf depths, curtain-track spots. Carry the tape, log dates and measurements, and watch your sustainable shopping score rise. You dodge ill-fitting buys, skip extra trips, and make vintage finds fit your space like a glove.
Carry a tape measure and reusable bags
Carrying a measuring tape stops you from guessing if a retro side table suits your home decor. It saves trips and your budget. A sturdy tote bag swallows lamps and frames without a tear.
It holds at least fifty pounds with ease. A charged phone rides for price checks, store hours, or maps. This simple prep boosts sustainable shopping at your favorite thrift store.
Don’t Shop With a Strict List
Drop your fixed list and let your eyes roam free, you might land on a sculptural vessel that ticks your sustainable shopping box. Use a wishlist board, tweak search filters on a resale app, and let serendipity grab that next conversation starter.
Stay open to unexpected finds
Try a thrift store run in a small town one week, then hit a big city shop the next. A tiny town spot can hide wood and brass treasures at low prices. A large city shop might offer sleek marble and glass pieces.
These visits fuel your sustainable shopping quest. You let your style grow with each find.
Check online secondhand marketplaces for lamps or rugs that catch your eye. List your room size on your phone before you shop. Pack a tape measure, and foldable canvas bag. You grab odd pieces and repurpose them into fresh home decor.
Let your style evolve naturally
After you spot a quirky frame or brass vase, let your style evolve naturally. Let hints from print journals or mood boards shape your taste. Each piece steers your home decor path a bit more.
Use neutral walls as backdrops. Drop images into a graphic editor to check color and fit. Mark combos on mood boards. Watch thrift store finds loop into a living design story.
Make the Most of Online Thrifting
Hit up a few bid platforms and swap hubs, and let search filters be your best friend. Scan seller ratings, check shipping fees, and snag that vintage lamp before someone else does.
Explore secondhand marketplaces and auctions
Explore dozens of sites to find home decor. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Etsy, and eBay list lamps, vases, brass trays, and wood frames. Goodwill auctions on eBay often support charity groups.
Charish and local estate sales feature rugs, mirrors, and chairs. Check dates and locations on www.estatesales.net. Set alerts to catch new listings fast. Aim to browse at least one marketplace daily.
Check seller ratings and read recent feedback on each platform. High scores on Etsy and eBay signal quick shipping and clear photos. Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace lack formal ranks, so send friendly messages about condition.
Next, research reputable sellers.
Research reputable sellers
After scanning secondhand marketplaces and bidding at auctions, you need to vet each seller. Search thrift shop names on Google to find customer comments and restock alerts on Instagram.
Compare accounts to see who posts new finds regularly.
Check star counts on vintage auction sites and review percentages on handmade marketplaces. Aim for sellers with a 4.5 rating or higher, and at least 90 percent positive feedback. Save screenshots or note rating scores in a shopping app.
Takeaways
Sarah Lyon shares tips that help you snag standout decor. You can hunt at thrift shops, flea markets, or online auctions. Check her Instagram to see fresh thrift store finds. Bring a tape measure, cash, and sturdy bags for a smooth haul.
Flip items into new designs, mix colors, trust your eye. Keep your mind open, laugh at odd finds, score big deals.
FAQs on Tips for Scoring Unique Home Decor
1. How can I find thrift shops for home decor in 2025?
Scan map apps, join buy-sell-trade forums, and drop by flea markets after estate sales. I used these tips once and snagged a mirror for five bucks.
2. What should I bring when I go thrift shopping for home decor?
Bring a tape measure, a cloth tote bag, and your phone. Tape shows if an item fits your space, totes hold all your picks, and your phone light reveals any chips or stains.
3. How do I choose high-quality decor pieces on a budget?
Look for solid wood, ceramic or metal pieces. Check for minor chips or worn spots you can hide. Snag items with good bones, and you will score strong finds on a tight budget.
4. How do I blend thrifted home decor into my unique style?
Group items by color, by shape, or by theme on shelves. Pair old vases with fresh stems. Swap out pillows to tie your look together. Mix old and new, and your home will tell a story.
