Collectibles
Know what different people in your family collect. Thrift stores often get whole collections when someone dies, moves, or loses interest. If you visit your favorite thrift store regularly, you might score a Hummel for great-aunt Alice, a vintage Lionel train set for Cousin Louis, or a Thomas Kincaid for Mom.
Does Aunt Jane decorate in Victorian style? Thrift stores often have beautiful teacups or teapots for very reasonable prices. Perhaps a set of complementary milk glass vases would fit into Aunt Eliza’s cottage decor.
Books
Know what authors or series different members of the family like. This takes a little more work as you will need to have an up to date list of their book wishes.
Look for novelty books. Do you have a relative who is an avid hunter? Thrift stores are a great place to score a vintage Audubon or a Hammond’s Natural History. Does Cousin Penny adore vintage crafts? Or does your Father love to read vintage, regional, or ethnic cookbooks? Try the thrift store for vintage craft books and for a wide variety of cook books.
Reconstructed Jewelry and Button Gifts
Beading and jewelry making is a popular hobby. Some thrift stores sell jewelry in bulk contained in a jar or box. If you buy the bulk jewelry on a discount day, you can get a huge supply of treasures quite inexpensively to use for making your own jewelry. If you don’t like to make jewelry or if you know someone who doesn’t wear jewelry, try making a wind-spinner.
Buttons are popular for using in craft projects. Buttons could be made into a wind-spinner, used to decorate a picture frame (see photo below), or to make a fun and whimsical button bouquet.
Reconstructed Games for Unique Gifts
Board games are abundant and very inexpensive at thrift stores. Next time you find a wooden checkerboard, a Scrabble game, or Connect Four buy it. Checkerboards make a great graphic backdrop for a collaged wall hanging. A Connect Four game makes a unique picture frame. Use a Scrabble game to make a family memory collage.
Miscellaneous Reconstructed Gifts
If you like to craft or you like the idea of personalized gifts, reconstructed gifts are the perfect solution.
Plain tissue box covers are easy to find at the thrift store and are usually priced for less than a dollar. Paint one in colors that match the recipient’s decor and then decoupage it with images that reflect their tastes. (See photo below.)
Hankies are inexpensive at thrift stores and the beautiful embroidery and lace that they are decorated with comes in endless variety. Use the hankies to decorate a pillow or make a Hanky Angel.
Often people buy materials for redecorating their house and never use them. The items often end at the thrift store still in their original packaging. If you find light switch covers, you can buy them and paint them to match a room. Then decoupage them with images that fit the room’s decor. (See photo below.)
The wood section of thrift stores often holds a vast variety of shelves, boxes, and wall-pockets. Buy a set of shelves that have a similar look or theme (for instance heart shelves). Paint them the same so that you have an eclectic but matching set of shelves to give as a gift. Decorate a whimsical wall-pocket to give as a gift.
Another item that is plentiful at thrift stores is picture frames. A pretty frame with broken glass could be used to make a mini-memory collage. If you find an old compact or pocket watch, make a self-contained memory collage for a unique gift.
Melissa Howard - I am a stay-at-home Mom. My college education was in English and History and my last job was as a Technical Writer. Now that I ...
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