Thrift Shop Finds: For Altering

My brother, parents, and grandmother have been donating a lot of things to a certain thrift shop in their hometown in the last year. I helped my grandmother do a decluttering this summer and fall and we donated at least 20 large bags or boxes of items. (My brother did the drop-off’s.) I had never visited the shop until two days ago.

The shop is not open often and never past 4 p.m., and it is 35 minutes away from me (without traffic), so I had not been there. However I did get to visit with a goal of finding things to alter, two days ago.

I found a French Flower Vase (actually there were four but I only bought one). I decided to try to alter it and if it worked, I’d go back and get the other three (or send relatives to buy it). I am now kicking myself because I paid $2 and I see similar ones for over $55. These were all in ‘like new’ condition. Here is a picture of one which looks very similar. However the design on the exterior of mine was a different and better looking (to me) muted rose pattern.

I bought a little cabinet with a door. This appears to be melamine but maybe it is real wood. It has a nice nautical scene on the inlaid panel on the door. I paid $5 for it.

I bought a wooden tray intended for cutlery. This is quite sturdy and nice and cost $3.

I bought a tiny heart shaped tin with a vanilla scented candle in it for 25 cents. Today I am burning the candle out and will alter it to be a little container.

I bought a bag of Christmas ornaments; there were eight in all, for $2 total. Upon further inspection of them (they were in a sealed bag), I realized these are Styrofoam bases coated with decorative papers and sealed with what looks like Mod Podge. I say it looks like Mod Podge that because one was quite yellowed and cracked in two spots, so I threw it away. (People keep telling me that Mod Podge yellows and can crack over time.) There were four circles/balls and four heart shaped (three dimensional).

The goal of buying things at inexpensive prices to alter is threefold: I can’t afford to buy new expensive things to alter; I would not want to spend the money that way even if I did have it, and if I botch the job then I am not out very much money. Oh, and this is yet another way to “reuse and recycle”. Lastly, the money I spent on these goes to a charity, so they benefit from my purchase as well.