Thrift Store Hacks: 15 Thrifted Finds Used the Wrong Way That Look Totally Genius at Home

Thrift Store Hacks are having a big moment, and the best ones have nothing to do with paint or makeovers. The trick is to buy an ordinary secondhand piece and use it for something it was never made for. A picnic basket becomes a wall shelf, a gravy boat holds your rings, and an old ladder suddenly looks like it came from a pricey home store. These ideas cost a few dollars, take minutes instead of weekends, and make guests stop and ask where you found that. Below are 15 clever finds to look for on your next trip, with a simple supply list and easy steps for each one. Bring a tote bag, keep an open mind, and look at every shelf a little sideways..

Thrift Store Hacks Start With a Picnic Basket Wall Shelf

Thrift Store Hacks do not get much cuter than this one. A wicker picnic basket costs a few dollars on the bottom shelf of most thrift stores, and once you hang it on its side with the lid open, it turns into a charming little shelf. Fill it with a trailing plant, a couple of small books and a framed print. It looks like a boutique find, and nobody will guess it once held sandwiches. This picnic basket idea that thrift lovers shared thousands of times shows how fast the trend is spreading. Which wall in your home needs a little basket magic..

You will need: a sturdy wicker picnic basket with a lid, 2 picture hanging hooks or screws with anchors, a small plant, a few small books.

How to make it: 1. Check the basket for loose weaving and remove any old fabric lining. 2. Hold it sideways on the wall, mark two spots through the back and screw it in with anchors, with an adult doing the drilling. 3. Prop the lid open with a ribbon or let it rest flat, then style the inside.

A Vintage Planter Turned Table Lamp Base

Vintage planters often have the prettiest glazes in the whole store, and they make perfect lamp bases. Turn one upside down so the drainage hole is on top, and an easy lamp kit threads right through it. Pair it with a simple linen shade and you have a lamp that looks like it came from a designer catalog. Green, cream and speckled brown glazes all look lovely. Would you go bold or soft with your glaze?

You will need: a ceramic planter with a drainage hole, a plug in lamp kit with a harp, a bulb, a linen lampshade, felt pads.

How to make it: 1. Turn the planter upside down and feed the lamp kit cord through the drainage hole. 2. Tighten the socket on top following the kit directions. 3. Add the harp, shade and bulb, and stick felt pads underneath to protect your table.

Thrift Store Hacks for Jewelry: A Silver Gravy Boat Dish

Thrift Store Hacks like this one take ten seconds and look so elegant. Silver plated gravy boats sit in every thrift store, usually for a couple of dollars, because most people only use them once a year. On a dresser, the curved shape is perfect for rings, earrings and a necklace draped over the handle. Give it a quick polish and it will shine like an heirloom. Do you have a spot where your rings always end up?

You will need: a silver plated gravy boat, silver polish, a soft cloth, a small velvet pad (optional).

How to make it: 1. Wash the gravy boat in warm soapy water and dry it well. 2. Rub on silver polish with a soft cloth until it shines. 3. Lay a little velvet pad inside if you want soft cushioning for your rings.

An Old Picture Frame Turned Serving Tray

Big ornate frames are easy to find and often cost less than the art inside them. Keep the glass, add a pretty paper or fabric behind it and screw two drawer pulls onto the sides. Now you have a gilded tray for coffee in bed, perfume on a dresser or snacks on the sofa. It looks like a hotel tray that costs ten times as much. What would you slip under the glass?

You will need: a sturdy picture frame with glass and a solid back, 2 drawer handles with short screws, patterned paper or fabric, a screwdriver.

How to make it: 1. Remove the old picture and slip your paper or fabric in behind the glass. 2. Secure the backing tightly. 3. Screw a handle onto each short side, with an adult helping, and test that it holds before you load it up.

Thrift Store Hacks for Parties: Candlestick Cake Stands

Thrift Store Hacks are perfect for hosting, and this cake stand is the proof. Glue a thrifted plate or round board on top of a brass candlestick holder and you have a tall, elegant stand for cakes, cookies or a cheese board. Make two or three in different heights and your table instantly looks styled. Party stores charge a lot for this look. Which treat would you put on yours first?

You will need: 2 or 3 candlestick holders, thrifted plates or round wooden boards, strong two part epoxy glue.

How to make it: 1. Clean the top of each candlestick and the center of each plate. 2. Mix the epoxy and glue the plate centered on top, with an adult handling the glue. 3. Let it cure fully before use and hand wash only.

Chipped Teacups as Succulent Planters

Lonely teacups and saucers are often sold for pennies, and even a chipped one can live a whole new life. Fill them with a little gravel and cactus soil and tuck in a small succulent. A row of mismatched cups on a windowsill looks sweet and grandma chic. They also make easy little gifts for neighbors and friends. Do you have a lonely teacup in the cupboard right now?

You will need: vintage teacups, small gravel or pebbles, cactus potting mix, small succulents, a spoon.

How to make it: 1. Add a layer of gravel to the bottom of each cup so water has somewhere to go. 2. Spoon in cactus soil and press in a succulent. 3. Water lightly once every couple of weeks, since the cups have no drainage hole.

A Brass Bowl as an Entry Key Catch

Brass bowls glow on an entry table, and they solve the endless hunt for keys. Thrift stores are full of little hammered brass dishes, often tarnished, so most shoppers walk right past them. A little polish brings back the warm shine. Drop it by the door and keys, sunglasses and earbuds finally have one home. Keep the dark patina if you like the old world look. Where do your keys usually end up?

You will need: a small brass bowl, brass cleaner or lemon and salt, a soft cloth, a felt pad.

How to make it: 1. Rub the bowl with brass cleaner, or a lemon half dipped in salt, then rinse. 2. Dry and buff it with a soft cloth. 3. Stick a felt pad underneath and set it by the door.

Thrift Store Hacks for Earrings: A Cheese Grater Holder

Thrift Store Hacks can be funny and useful at the same time. An old box grater has dozens of holes that are just the right size for earring hooks, and it stands up on its own on a vanity. Hang studs on the small holes and dangly pairs on the big side. Scrub it clean first and wrap the sharp edges with a little ribbon. Your friends will laugh, then copy it. Would you keep the vintage metal or spray paint it gold?

You will need: a clean vintage box grater, ribbon or washi tape, a scrub brush, spray paint (optional, outdoors with an adult).

How to make it: 1. Scrub the grater well and dry it completely. 2. Cover the sharp grating edges with tape or ribbon so they cannot scratch. 3. Paint it if you like, let it dry, then hang your earrings through the holes.

A Wooden Salad Bowl as a Dough Bowl Centerpiece

Antique dough bowls are expensive, but a big wooden salad bowl gives you the same warm look for a few dollars. Rub it with a little oil to bring out the grain, then fill it with moss, pine cones, small gourds or battery LED lights. Change the filling each season and it will live on your table all year. It is the kind of piece people assume you inherited. What would you fill yours with this week?

You will need: a large wooden salad bowl, food safe wood oil, a cloth, moss, pine cones or small gourds, battery LED lights (optional).

How to make it: 1. Wipe the bowl clean and rub in a thin coat of wood oil. 2. Let it soak in for an hour and buff off the extra. 3. Lay moss in the bottom and arrange your seasonal fillers on top.

Thrift Store Hacks for Pets: A Suitcase Pet Bed

Thrift Store Hacks for pets make everyone smile. An old hard shell suitcase, propped open with the lid against the wall, becomes a cozy bed for a cat or small dog. Screw on four short furniture legs so it sits off the floor, then add a thick cushion. It looks charming in a living room and your pet will claim it in minutes. Remove the lid if your pet is very playful. Who in your home would move in first?

You will need: a vintage hard suitcase, 4 short furniture legs with mounting plates, a soft cushion or folded blanket, a screwdriver.

How to make it: 1. Wipe out the suitcase and check that the hinges are firm. 2. Screw the leg plates into the bottom corners and attach the legs, with an adult helping. 3. Open the lid fully against the wall, fit the cushion inside and invite your pet.

An Embroidered Tablecloth as a Cafe Curtain

Old embroidered tablecloths are some of the best treasures in the linen aisle, and they look beautiful with light shining through them. Fold one over a tension rod and you have a cafe curtain in two minutes, with no sewing at all. The stitched flowers glow in the morning sun. It suits a kitchen, bathroom or laundry room window. Which window in your home could use a little softness?

You will need: an embroidered tablecloth or table runner, a tension rod or curtain rod, clip rings (optional).

How to make it: 1. Wash and iron the tablecloth. 2. Fold the top edge over the rod, or clip it on with rings. 3. Fit the rod into the window frame at the height you like and adjust the folds.

A Wine Rack as a Bathroom Towel Holder

Wooden wine racks turn up at thrift stores all the time, and they hold rolled towels perfectly. Mount one on the bathroom wall or stand it on the floor, then roll fresh towels and slide one into each slot. It looks like a spa and frees up a whole cabinet. A wall rack is also great for magazines or rolled kitchen towels. How many towels could you fit in yours?

You will need: a wooden wine rack, wall screws and anchors, a level, rolled towels.

How to make it: 1. Sand any rough spots and wipe the rack clean. 2. Hold it level on the wall and screw it in with anchors, with an adult doing the drilling. 3. Roll each towel tightly and slide it into a slot.

Thrift Store Hacks for Flowers: A Glass Decanter Vase

Thrift Store Hacks with glass might be the easiest of all. Old cut glass decanters sparkle in the sun and their narrow necks hold a few stems upright with no florist tricks. Group two or three decanters of different heights on a table and add a single bloom to each. It looks like a styled shop window for the price of a coffee. Which flowers grow near you right now?

You will need: a glass decanter or two, a bottle brush, warm soapy water, fresh flowers or greenery.

How to make it: 1. Scrub the inside with a bottle brush and rinse well. 2. Fill it with fresh water. 3. Trim stems at an angle and slip in one or two blooms.

Vintage Tins as Drawer Organizers

Pretty vintage tins are hard to resist, and inside a drawer they become tiny organizers. Mix round and square shapes to fit the space like a puzzle and give each tin a job: pens, clips, tape, chargers. Every time you open the drawer you get a little burst of color. Line the bottoms with felt so nothing rattles. What drawer in your home is the messiest?

You will need: assorted small tins without brand labels, felt sheets, scissors, glue dots.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the tins and peel off any old stickers. 2. Cut felt circles or squares for the bottoms and stick them in. 3. Arrange the tins in the drawer and use glue dots so they stay put.

An Old Ladder as a Blanket Rack

A worn wooden ladder is one of the most loved finds in any secondhand shop, and it makes the perfect blanket rack. Lean it against the wall next to the sofa and drape throws over the rungs. It keeps blankets close for movie nights and shows off pretty knits and quilts. Sand any splinters and keep the paint marks for character. Before you go, browse these thrift store decor finds that home stagers grab first. Which cozy throw would hang on your top rung?

You will need: an old wooden ladder, sandpaper, a clear matte sealer, felt pads, a couple of throw blankets.

How to make it: 1. Sand rough spots and wipe away the dust. 2. Brush on a clear sealer and let it dry. 3. Add felt pads on the feet, lean it securely against the wall and drape your blankets.