20 Easy Thrifty Makeovers: Before and After Thrift Store Finds

If you are a thrift store junky, you will love seeing these 20 easy before and after thrifty makeovers. You can transform ordinary thrift store finds into stunning, budget home decor. Learn simple makeover techniques to turn your simple finds into extraordinary high-end decor items.

Before and after thrift store find Ginger Jar.

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How To Discover Inexpensive Thrift Store Finds
Pottery Barn Inspired Decor Thrifted Finds
More Napkin Decoupage Transformations

How To Discover Inexpensive Thrift Store Finds

If you have followed me for a hot minute, you know that I love thrift store shopping and finding great deals. I always look for ugly, out-of-style, cheap thrift store finds that I can transform into a current trend or high-end look alike. So when I see a home decor accessory in a boutique or online, I snap a photo and add it to my shopping list. Eventually, I’ll find the item I need to transform. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite before-and-after finds.

Ginger Jar Before and After

Ginger Jars are always on trend for home decor, but this year, they are everywhere and can be pricey. So when I spotted this less-than-appealing one in a thrift store, I snapped it up. It only took a few minutes to create a stunning blue and white ginger jar.

yellow ginger jar from thrift store before makeover. — BEFORE

Blue and white napkin decoupage Ginger Jar with floral stems — BEFORE

See Ginger Jar Napkin Decoupage Tutorial

Thrifting with the Gals

Today’s post is part of our monthly series, Thrifting with the Gals.

If you are new to our series, we are friends who share a love for vintage and thrifted decorating.

We all live in different parts of the country, but we come together once a month to share thrift store shopping ideas and tips on decorating with your treasures.

Here are the Gals:

Ann from Dabbling and Decorating finds her treasures as she travels between Vermont and Maine. She decorates both homes with so many vintage treasures.
Robyn from Robyn’s French Nest loves to travel and bring her vintage treasure to her lovely Florida Home.
Lora from Lora Bloomquist Create and Ponder is thrifting and picking up amazing roadside finds to decorate her home in Minnesota.
I am from North Carolina and love filling my farmhouse and beach cottage with thrift store finds. I focus on budget-friendly decorating and DIY projects.

We are excited to have Cindy from County Road 407 as our guest thrifting friend this month.

Decorative Wooden Box Makeover

I found a great decorative box perfect for holding remote controls at our beach cottage. However, the price tag was more than the remote controls were worth. After studying the design, I found some similar napkins in the same shop. I quickly found a damaged box at the thrift store, and ta-da!

Damaged thrift store wooden box. — BEFORE

Napkin Decoupage blue and white decorative box makeover — BEFORE

See Decorative Wood Box Napkin Decoupage Makeover

Insider Tip

If you plan to transform your thrift store finds, look for items with damage. They will be cheap, and you can quickly repair the damaged area. The decorative box had a deep scratch on the top. A little wood filler easily repaired the damage, and the napkin decoupage covered the repair.

Moss Covered Birdhouse

When I saw this birdhouse, I almost left it in the store because it had seen better days. But for only a $1.00, I felt I could do something to revive it. I had recently seen a moss-covered birdhouse in a florist gift shop and decided to duplicate the design. It’s a perfect example of looking for damaged items.

Birdhouse damaged thrift store find. — BEFORE

Moss covered thrifted birdhouse with wood bark roof. — BEFORE

The Moss Birdhouse Makeover Tutorial can be seen here

Pottery Barn Inspired Decor Thrifted Finds

I love to see what creative decor Pottery Barn offers each season. I check out their lookbook as soon as possible and begin to scour the thrift stores for look alikes.

Fall Turkey Tableware Makeovers

Last Fall, they had these cute white turkey salt and pepper shakers and soup tureen. I snapped a screenshot and couldn’t believe my luck of finding exactly what I needed right away. These inexpensive thrift store finds were quickly transformed into Pottery Barn look alikes.

Thrift Store finds for Pottery Barn Knock-off Turkey Salt and Pepper Shakers and Turkey Tureen in White

Pottery Barn Knock-off Turkey Salt and Pepper Shakers and Turkey Tureen in White

Check out this Pottery Barn Inspired Turkey Tableware

Tiered Basket Pottery Barn Look Alike

Another Pottery Barn item that I liked was their tier basket. So I shopped at the flea market and quickly found two baskets and a candlestick to recreate this look alike. I actually like my version better with the mismatched baskets.

Pottery Barn basket tiered tray. — Pottery Barn Version

Pottery Barn tiered basket with thrift store find. — Pottery Barn Version

See Easy Tiered Basket Tutorial

Earthenware Pottery Barn Style

I’ve made two earthenware pottery barn style makeovers. First, I created this vessel for holding flower arrangements, and I’ve used it for several years.

DIY Earthenware vessel with fall stems that looks like a Pottery Barn knock-off

See Earthenware Vessel Tutorial

Easy Decor Vases Makeover Transform Outdated Thrift Store Finds

When I saw these outdated vases in the thrift store, I imagined them with an earthenware finish in an updated style. Here are the before and after of these inexpensive thrift store finds.

Old out-of-date thrift store finds. — BEFORE

Out-of -date home decor vases with a new earthenware finish — BEFORE

See Easy Thrift Store Vases Makeover Technique

And I also upcycled this thrift store lamp with plaster of Paris for a Pottery Barn-style lamp.

Pottery Barn Dupe Earthenware Thrift Store lamp makeover Before and after — BEFORE

Pottery Barn Dupe Earthenware Thrift Store lamp makeover — BEFORE

Easy Thrift Store Lamp Before and After Tutorial

Hobnail Ballard Design Inspired Lamp Before and After

The second I received my latest Ballard Design catalog, I began the search for a lamp to recreate their hobnail lamp design. This may be my favorite lamp before and after.

Thrift Store Find Lamp with supplies for DIY — BEFORE

Hobnail textured Ballard Design lamp look alike with white shade and bunny decor. — BEFORE

Thrifted Chic Textured Lamp Makeover Tutorial

Thrift Store Lampshade Makeovers

Speaking of lamps, take a look at these two thrifted lampshade makeovers.

First, I was never happy with the lampshade on the earthenware lamp makeover so I searched for a thrift store find that would be more appropriate for the lamp. Although the lampshade was in good shape, I decided to create a trending fabric shade.

Thrift Store Find old lampshade for fabric makeover. — BEFORE

Fabric Lampshade Update on earthenware thrift store find. — BEFORE

Fabric Lampshade Refresh Tutorial

I was so happy with the fabric lampshade that I decided to refurbish a vintage shade with a thrifted milk glass lamp. Instead of using fabric, I found these great napkins, and the results were amazing.

Milk Glass Lampshade before Makeover with no wrinkle napkin decoupage technique.

Milk Glass Lampshade Makeover with no wrinkle napkin decoupage technique.

No Wrinkle Napkin Decoupage Lampshade Makeover Tutorial

Easy Paint Update With Faux Apples

These inexpensive red plastic apples get a refresh with white and gold paint. From outdated faux fruit decor to stylish trending white decor.

Red fake apples before and after easy fruit decor makeover. — BEFORE

Easy Apple Decor before and after with white paint and gold stem on blue plates and greenery. — BEFORE

See easy Budget Fake Fruit Decor Makeover

Beaded Mirror Makeover: Budget Thrifted Flip

I’m always picking up small mirrors at the thrift store. They are a great way to bring light to the back of a cabinet or as a reflective tray for your decor. Because I see beaded mirrors everywhere, I updated these thrift store finds with wooden beads and paint. What do you think?

Inexpensive gold thrift store finds small mirror before makeover — BEFORE

Beaded thrift store mirror on shelf with bird nest and candle stick. — BEFORE

Check out this easy-beaded mirror update

More Napkin Decoupage Transformations

I love decorative paper napkins, and there are some wonderful designs. Plus, they make such great thrift store finds. Here are a few of my favorites.

Thrift Store Vases Like Magnolia Market

When I saw Magnolia Market’s latest vases in green and white, I decided to look for similar napkins. Next, I began scouring the thrift stores for vases to makeover. Here’s what I found.

Before and after thrift store finds for a Magnolia Market Dupe Makeover — BEFORE

Upcycle Thrifted Vase Makeover with Napkins

I also decided to update these cute lambs with the same napkins.

Thrifted Easter Lambs with napking decoupage on mantel

See this easy Lamb Napkin Decoupage Makeover

Distressed Decoupage Lamp Makeover

I was inspired to create this distressed lamp makeover when I saw these blue and white vases on the Magnolia Market website. I had initially thought I’d duplicate the vases, but then this $1.00 thrift store lamp caught my eye. So here’s how it turned out.

Napkin Decoupage Lamp $1.00 Thrift Store Find

Distressed Napkin Decoupage Thrift Store Lamp makeover.

READ Distressed Napkin Decoupage Lamp Makeover

Thrifted Napkin Rings Makeovers

When I find basic napkin rings at great prices, I always add them to my stash. I also love to create unique napkin rings to complement my tablescapes seasonally. These wooden rings came in handy for this blue and white tablescape.

Thrift Store Finds - Wooden Napkin Rings

Napkin-Decoupage-Napking-Rings-For-Chinoiserie-Table-Setting-for-Chinese-Themed-Supper-club-

READ Stunning Blue and White Napkin Decoupage Napkin Rings DIY

When we were planning a Kentucky Derby Supper Club Party, I wanted to create unique napkin rings for the tablescape. I had thrifted these wooden napkin rings a few years ago. A quick coat of white paint and a little gold rub-and-buff updated the old rings. However, the small horse was the icing on the cake.

DIY Kentucky Derby horse napkin rings with pink and white napkin

See Easy Thrifted Napkin Rings for the Kentucky Derby party.

Vintage Wooden Spools Repurposed

I found a box of vintage wooden spools at a yard sale. I wasn’t sure what my plan would be for them, but I couldn’t wait to bring them home. I think you will love this before and after.

Read Vintage Wooden Spool Tassel Craft

Make New Ornaments Look Vintage

Another fun project was taking new Christmas ornaments that I found for cheap at the thrift store and making them look like vintage. Old Shiny Brite ornaments will have a faded, rustic appearance. These easy techniques will make all your newer ornaments look old.