Thrift Shopping My Way Through The Holiday Season

This holiday season, I had a very particular problem--how was I going to keep our beloved rescue Beagle, Bernie, from snatching ornaments from our Christmas tree?  All of November, I wracked my brain for ideas on how to Bernie-proof the tree. I needed something functional and sturdy, without being an eyesore. And while I was thrift shopping the weekend after Thanksgiving, I found just what I needed.

I didn't expect a secondhand solution to come my way. But fortunately for me, a trip to Good Stuff Thrift of Fairless Hills, PA yielded this beautiful vintage fire screen. It guards the tree, and in my opinion, may even add a little nostalgic flair to it. 

To think that I almost passed it by. But after stepping back to let a crowd of thrifters pass, I gave it a second look and sent a picture to my Dad to see if he thought it was too big for the job. He thought it was a perfect find...and a total bargain for $10. I gave it a thorough clean and polish. And now I consider it the crowning achievement of my holiday thrift haul. 

My entryway table, which is usually a catchall for mail, keys, cups of coffee and whatever else I have my hands filled with...is looking especially festive. And though it's not entirely secondhand, I do love the various shades of metal we have here. The worn looking galvanized metal star bucket, the mercury glass bottle, the golden bowl of fruit. 

When it comes to decorating, I love featuring a mix of colors and textures. 

Even our key bowl is spruced up with $1 golden grapes.

Maybe it was because I started early, or maybe it's because I went often. But between my crafty Christmas up-cycle featured in the last blog post, and the gorgeous fire screen...I feel that the Ghost of Christmas Past paid me a little visit...or at least the Ghost of donor's Christmas Past. 

Stay tuned for one more crafty Christmas post prior to the big day...featuring lovely pieces of ephemera and Grafix Shrink Film.  In the mean time, I'd like to know:

From decor to gift-giving, has thrift shopping helped you this holiday season?

How I'm Getting Crafty This Christmas...With Just $10

This piece of holiday decor just has...a little TOO MUCH Christmas going on. 

A few weeks ago I hit up a few thrift stores in hopes of finding some fun fashion, and maybe a few pieces of thriftspiration for the upcoming holiday season. And for under $20 total, I came home with a few bags of decor and more. A few of those finds are saved for upcoming posts. but this particular piece is something I can feature in all of its merry detail. 

Overall I like the shape, or what I can see of it under the heavy-handed application of faux poinsettias. The candles though...a little dated. And all together...it's a little...much. Okay, a lot of much. It's just too much. 

But the key to thrifting for anything, whether it's fashion, furniture, or even holiday decor...is to see the item beyond its current state. 

Look at any secondhand item with an open mind. See it not just for what it is, but for what it COULD be. 

The first thing I had in mind was to swap out these dated trumpeting angels with something simpler. To me, the shiny brass of the tree is elegant enough that it doesn't need two gigantic glass candles flanking its sides. It's time to tone down the Christmas and to bring this holiday castaway into the 21st century. 

After a quick trip to Michael's Craft Store for some supplies to make my creative Christmas vision a reality, I busted out the hot glue gun. That's all it took...a hot glue gun, scissors, and just a bit of burlap. 

Simple. Modern. 

And there it is! My too-much Christmas decoration, modernized and re-imagined. Two white taper candles (cut down a few inches to not dwarf the tree) and a garland of faux pine needles from Michael's...a total of about $6. 

After cutting the candles to size, I glued them to a small square of burlap, and glued both to the candle holsters. I also used a tiny glob of hot glue to hold the ring of garland in a circle around the base of the tree. That's it! I love, love, love how the garland is light enough to not overpower the piece like the poinsettias had been. Because the base of the tree is actually very pretty. 

$4 for the Goodwill rescue piece and $6 for the supplies (with garland to spare)...this $10...and ten minute up-cycle is a Christmas miracle! 

There's so much holiday spirit at Let's Go Thrifting headquarters that I can't even squeeze it into a single blog post. So stay tuned for more ho-ho-ho-liday thrifting magic...AND for a special crafting post featuring Grafix Shrink Film! 

How are you getting crafty this Christmas?

Teeny, Tiny Secondhand Treasures: Our $5 Christmas Tree

Small in stature, but quite festive!

I'm not going to lie. This year, I've found it really difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. I'm not being a Scrooge, or at least I'm not trying to be one. You can just chalk it up to poor timing I guess. As the the temperatures in the Philadelphia area are fluctuating between 40-70 degree temperatures, my body is responding in a chaotic fashion. I'm just beginning to feel better following a nasty bout of Bronchitis. But I'm still contending with the muscle spasms and nerve pain from the Fibromyalgia, all the while averaging 3-4 hours of sleep a night. In short, my mind might want to fa-la-la-la-la right up to the 25th of December. But my body is saying bah humbug.

But I'm trying to keep spirits bright. All of the gifts have been purchased---and most of them have been wrapped. I even decided on getting a tree, despite the tight budget from lost time at work when I was sick. During one of my infamous Target trips---an ordeal which my boyfriend, James, can attest is an aimless cart filling of everything from jars of olives and cleaning products, to socks and craft supplies---I found just what I needed. A perfectly sized tree for two people, with no kids, and just a little money to spend. 

At first glance the tree was far too skinny, and rather limp looking. But that was until I realized the branches were bendable. Perfect! And just look at the rustic burlap-wrapped base. 

Who doesn't love garland?

Finding the perfect ornaments was crucial. I got lucky in finding a roll of slender gold colored garland at Five Below, which was the perfect size to wrap around our little Charlie Brown tree. 

And at first I tried using the smallest of the standard-sized ornaments that I could find. But it just wasn't right. So imagine my surprise and delight when I found an unopened box of vintage gift box ornaments at the thrift! Not only are they in perfect proportion to our tree, but the gold ribbon on the gift wrap matches the gold garland I already had. Score!

Vintage gift ornaments = adorable. 

Tree: $3, Target.

Garland: $1, Five Below

Vintage Gift Ornaments: $1, Goodwill 

So what if I spent more on the poinsettia for the kitchen wall cutout than the tree? I'm trying to be festive damn it!

I can't wait until Christmas Eve, when James and I will leave our gifts for each other under the tree. And by "under the tree," I mean we will literally stack the gifts on the dining room table and put the tree on top. Technically, that's under the tree, right?

How To Stuff Those Stockings With Secondhand Finds

Thrifting for gifts? It can be done!

It'a hard to believe that Christmas day is but a few short weeks away. The malls are packed. Big-box retailers are at maximum capacity. Even supermarket traffic is getting quite congested. And it's no surprise. Holiday shopping is big business. 

It was once believed that there were two types of Christmas shoppers:

1. The Early Shoppers: Those who buy way ahead of time, or slowly but surely build their gift pile until the big day.
2. The Frantic Last-Minute Shoppers: Those who take every last cent and every last ounce of energy to cramped malls in hopes of magically finding everything they need just before they need it.

But I'm willing to throw one more type of holiday shopper on the list.  And that type is the Thrift Gifter, a frugal and creative shopper who sees gift-giving potential in secondhand finds. 

It can certainly be a hot topic among the thrift shopping community, but I dare argue that Thrift-Gifting is not only acceptable, but is something to be encouraged.

And this unique secondhand opportunity is something to especially consider for those friends and family members who, like you, long for quality vintage wares,  are hip to being environmentally conscious, or are just appreciative of a gift made more special by being hand-picked in a stroke of secondhand luck instead of mass produced. 

Don't look a thrifted gift horse in the mouth.

To thrift-gift a secondhand find is to truly know someone---that person's taste in movies, music, personal style, home decor, interests and passions. It says, "Hey, I saw this... I immediately thought of  you." 

Naturally, before you get started you may have some hesitations, some questions. And that's okay. After all, you've been taught how---and what to buy---your whole life. But just consider the possibilities. And to get you started, I've developed a few how-to's for a beginning thrift-gifter. 

A Handy Guide To Finding The Perfect Thrift Gift 

• If you're hitting the thrift store solely because you cannot afford to give a brand new gift...you may run into some obstacles. Namely, desperation. Sometimes you find something truly special. Sometimes you don't. That's the nature of the thrift. If financial straits have you panicked prior to even going to Goodwill, you may want to postpone gift-exchanges until a time better suited to your needs. Have a post-Christmas gift exchange gathering. You'll have some piece of mind and your wallet will thank you.
• If you're thrifting for gift-giving inspiration and ideas, have fun. Look around, but don't be pressured into buying something just because it's there. 
• Don't forget that candies and homemade baked goods are a hit. If all else fails, grab a  lovely holiday tin and use that to gift your culinary creations. Or maybe a holiday mug filled with candy, wrapped in cellophane and ribbon. This might be the one instance where you'll want to think inside the box---as in, look how pretty this tin/bin/basket/box is...what can I fill it with?
• Go early and go often. You'll up your chances of finding that special something. 
• Be sure to check and re-check the quality of any item you may be considering, even more carefully than an item you would buy for yourself. Look for chips/cracks/imperfections in pottery and ceramics. Check all seams and zippers on garments. Give bags and purses the sniff check. (There's nothing worse that a lovely leather satchel...that reeks of decade's old cigarettes). 
• Trust your gut. If you see something and immediately think that so-and-so would loooooove it, put in your cart for thorough inspection. 
• And if you're as avid a thrift shopper as I am, you know my mantra. A gift card to my  favorite thrift store(s) is better than cash, because it's the gift that literally could be anything. It's like an invitation to a treasure hunt. And I'll be digging for that buried treasure. 

And if you're looking for specific ideas on things you may find at the thrift store...how about ugly Christmas sweaters, so-bad-it's-good framed artwork, a vase (that you can fill with fresh flowers), unique costume jewelry, a casserole dish/platter to bring a home-cooked addition to the holiday feast, and vintage-vintage-vintage. High quality vintage anything....it's nostalgic! (Well, maybe not anything...but you get where I'm going with this). 

So... have I convinced you? Are you sold on the idea of Thrift-Gifting? I'd love to know. 

Would you gift an item that you purchased at the thrift store?

Yes, absolutely.

Yes, but only if the item passed as brand new and they never knew it was bought secondhand.

Maybe. It depends on the person.

Only if it was a rare, unique item not likely to be found elsewhere.

No. Nope. Never.

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

Holiday Thrifting: It's A Secondhand Winter Wonderland

"Now bring us some figgy pudding."

There are seven days left until Christmas. And like many frantic holiday shoppers, I've hit malls, outlets, supermarkets and yes, wine and spirits shops. And I've hit them hard. There was just one place I hadn't been able to hit in anticipation of the big ho-ho-holiday bonanza. 

That's right. I'm hanging my head in shame that, I, the sole force behind Let's Go Thrifting, had yet to visit the thrift store for some holiday inspiration. And so, with a week to spare, I reached out to the kind folks of Impact Thrift, to ask if I could take a few holiday themed photos for this very blog post. And of course, they welcomed me back to take a gander at what festive wares they had in store. 

I was not disappointed. And this got me thinking. Could a well-stocked thrift store be a one-stop holiday shop for gift-givers, party goers, social hosts, and Christmas revelers alike? Well, let's see...

There are lovely dinner platters to bring that you wouldn't mind leaving for your host to keep. Of course, you might want to keep them too...especially that one on the left. But, hey! This is the season of giving! 

There is a bounty of holiday tins. And they'll make a perfect presentation for all of the candy and baked goods you'll be giving to friends and family, or as storage for delicate tree ornaments. 

Talk about some elegant serving options. If you'd like to host a holiday dinner party, why not keep it classy? You can bring your guests some figgy pudding---whatever that is---and  do so with a lovely silver serving bowl. 

And don't forget the decorative touches...

Oh. My. God. How cute are these ornate candle holder gift boxes? 

And carolers-- you can never have enough carolers, even if they demand figgy pudding. 

So, if you're looking for holiday decor, elegant dining inspiration, last minute gifts, or something festively appropriate to wear, thrift shopping can help you be merry, bright, and on budget. 

What holiday goods have you purchased secondhand? 

Season's Greetings and many thanks to the folks at the Feasterville Impact Thrift Store!