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How to Style Thrifted Finds for Summer

By Rachel

published 06/27/2024

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Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by Rachel Granholm

Learn how to style thrifted finds for Summer!

Could your home decor use a little refresh for the Summer season, but, at the same time, you don’t want to spend a ton of money to do so? No fear! Thrifting is not only budget-friendly but also a sustainable way to decorate your home. Join me today as I show you how to style thrifted finds for Summer!

Thrifted Summer Decorating on a Budget

According to the Resale Retailing Annual Report, the resale industry has been growing 21 times faster than the retail industry for the past three years! That’s SO crazy! With an increasing trend towards thrift shopping, why not revamp your home with some thrifted finds?!

In this post, I’ll show you how to style thrifted home decor finds to create a simple yet vibrant Summer look. You can totally add unique, beautiful, and character-rich items to your home for less! Come along as I share ideas for budget-friendly decor to give your space a fresh, Summer vibe and learn how to style thrifted finds for Summer!

Thrifted Goodies Volume 24- How to Style Thrifted Finds for Summer

Hello, guys! We are taking a break this week from the Summer home series to do some thrifting! Welcome back to the blog and to the next installment in the ‘Thrifted Goodies’ series! If you are new around here, welcome!

This is a monthly series where my friend MaryJo from the blog Master’pieces’ of my Life and I share thrift hauls, thrifting tips, and general thrift shopping advice.

Every other month or so, we invite a fellow blogger who loves thrifting just as much as we do to share their expertise on the topic. This month, our friend Lora, from lorabloomquist.com, is joining the thrifting fun!

MasterPieces of My Life

My friend and partner in this series, MaryJo, is sharing a thrifty post all about how to thrift shop for patriotic decor. After you are done here, head over to her post and say hello! You may find just the thing you are looking for.

MasterPieces of My Life Social Channels:

Lora Bloomquist

I’m so happy to welcome Lora to the series this month. Lora is a fellow Minnesota blogger who I just ADORE! Her sense of vintage style and how she decorates with her collections is just out of this world. You are NOT going to want to miss her Vintage Patriotic Table Setting with Vintage and Thrifted Finds!

Lora Bloomquist Create and Ponder Social Channels:

Decorating for Summer with Thrifted Decor

Sometimes, seasonal decorating can feel overwhelming, and, truth be told, downright expensive. But, I’m here to let you know that it doesn’t have to be that way!

One of the many beautiful things about decorating your home with thrifted finds is that prices are amazingly cheap. Like, you can totally outfit an entire room in your house, including furniture, for under $300 if you are willing to be patient and find things as they come to you.

It’s also super rewarding to be able to hand-pick and source each piece of decor. By shopping secondhand, you are not only saving money but also taking care of the environment by keeping waste out of landfills.

Thrifting, rather it be for Summer decor or not, is a win-win for everyone!

Shop Thrifty Summer Decor

How to Style Thrifted Finds for Summer and Thrift Haul

You guys! I’ve been finding SUCH good stuff lately and for very cheap prices. I can’t wait to show you what I’ve found and how I’m using my thrift finds for Summer decor. Let’s get into it!

1. Thrifted Find #1: Blue and White Transferware Pitcher

As you may know, I have a small but growing collection of blue and white transferware. I’m always on the hunt for affordable and unique pieces to add to said collection.

So, when I stumbled across this INCREDIBLE pitcher in my favorite antique mall this past Spring, I snatched it up. The squatty shape of it is just so cute! I can’t remember exactly how much I paid for this but it was no more than $10.

For Summer, I have it styled on a shelf with my collection of vintage milk glass. I just love the juxtaposition of the more subdued ironstone against the milky white glass!

Thrifty Styling Tip: Don’t be afraid to mix and match your thrifted finds! You can combine many different mediums and textures together as long as you have one cohesive element whether it be a color, pattern, or faux stems.

2. Thrifted Find #2: Framed Barn Art

The next find is another piece of vintage art! For years, vintage artwork was so hard to come by but, in recent months, there has been an abundance of it. It makes me so happy!

My most recent find is this barn print that was only $3!! It came with a wood frame, which is amazing. A lot of times, you will find old artwork in plastic frames or without a frame at all, especially at a thrift store.

Barn artwork is my very favorite subject matter to collect and this one is just stunning.

Look at the purple flowers on the tree cascading over the barn itself! And, the way that the sun is painted in the background literally makes the painting look like it’s glowing. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

I hung this picture on an open wall in my bedroom. The blue wall really makes the art stand out and is just a happy scene to look at each day!

3. Thrifted Find #3: Vintage Floral Plates

You guys…my vintage dish obsession continues!

I mean…okay. First of all, the floral pattern on these ironstone plates is unlike any other dish that I’ve ever thrifted. It’s a combination of like a dusty pink with a very light blue amongst the brown transferware. Just stunning. Second, they have scalloped edges which, if you know, you know 🙂 And third, each plate was a mere .89 cents!! I mean…what was I supposed to do?!

I don’t have them styled anywhere as of right now but plates like these look so pretty when stacked with other vintage plates. So, that’s probably what I’ll end up doing with them!

Sometimes, people will ask about the stamp or marking on items so I always like to show that when I can. Both plates are Johnson Brothers and are marked on the bottom with this stamp.

Thrifting Tip: When you come across dishes or other decor that you think is older, always look for a stamp or makers mark. This way, you can confirm that what you are buying is actually vintage and not a reproduction.

Shop Ironstone Plates

4. Thrifted Find #4: Antique Patriotic Postcard

Next up is this old postcard donning an American flag! Though not technically a thrift purchase, I wanted to include it anyways because it still goes with my vintage theme AND it was only $4.00 so, still a thrifty price:)

I purchased this postcard on e-Bay, where I find most of my vintage postcards. I adore the blue flowers behind the flag! The seller said that it’s from 1910, making it a true antique! It’s just amazing to me how this piece of paper is in such immaculate condition after all these years.

4th of July is upon us so I stuck the postcard in my flower frog, which is in the hutch, for the holiday. And, actually, I’ll probably keep it in there for the rest of the Summer since it goes with my blue and white theme!

5. Thrifted Find #5: Vintage Bone Dishes

Yes, more dishes 🙂 At the same store as the plates above, I spotted these scalloped edged, beautiful bone dishes!

There was a pile of floral ones, which you can see below, so I went through and chose the two best out of the bunch. I thought the bone dishes were a corresponding match to the plates but, upon closer inspection, they are slightly different. Alas, they were a mere .69 cents a piece so, basically free 🙂

And then, a little ways down the shelf from the floral ones, sat this pair! These ironstone bone dishes, full of crazing and staining, are just gorgeous.

Again, each one was .69 cents!

I don’t come across vintage bone dishes out in the wild very often, so when I do spot them, it’s very exciting!

When it comes to styling bone dishes, I personally like to stack them. I’ll place between three-five bone dishes in a stack and set them inside my hutch, in a cabinet, or on top of a few plates. Sometimes, I add faux greenery or linens to the display, as well.

6. Thrifted Find #6: Two Monogrammed Hankies

Last but not least are two finds that I’m still stunned to find at a thrift store and in the same exact bin! You probably know my love of vintage handkerchiefs but if you don’t, I love vintage hankies of all kinds. Lace, embroidered, scalloped…you name it.

I’ve been on the hunt now, for quite a few months, for a hanky with an ‘R’ monogrammed into it. Well, wouldn’t you know it…my patience finally paid off!

At the same thrift store as the dishes above, there is a small box right near the check out where they keep hankies. So, whenever I go to that store, I always take a minute to go through that hanky box to see if anything suits my fancy.

As I neared the bottom of the box, this hanky was just sitting there, staring me right in the face. I couldn’t believe it! My vintage ‘R’ hanky, for only .49 cents, had found its way to me.

I wanted to be able to look at it often, so, for Summer, I draped it over my milk glass pitcher on the credenza.

And then! If you can believe it, right after I found the R, I found this G (for my last name) monogrammed hanky, too!! It was my lucky day!

I draped the G hanky over a small vintage book on the shelf in my entryway. I figured that was a fitting spot for it.

So! This just goes to show you that you CAN and WILL find the thing that you are looking for. Just be patient, go often, and the thing will find its way to you.

FAQ on How to Clean Vintage Handkerchiefs

Sometimes, I get asked how I clean linens that I find at the thrift store. So, I thought I would pass along what I do. It’s a super easy process.

Fill a Sink or Bucket with Warm Water. Add either a scoop of powdered Oxiclean or unscented laundry detergent to the water.
Place Hankies in the Water. Let them soak for an hour or two…if they are super stained or stinky, let them soak overnight. (Keep in mind that these linens are old and probably have been stained for a long time. So, you may not be able to get rid of all stains or spots.)
Rinse Well! With luke warm water, rinse out the linens thoroughly. Hang dry.
Steam Iron. Once dry, the linens will probably be wrinkled. So, all I do is place a bath towel on the counter, put the linen on that, and do a quick iron on ‘hot’ heat with steam.

Voila! Clean hankies.

Closing Tidbits on How to Style Thrifted Finds for Summer

With that, this concludes the thrifted goodies and how to style thrifted finds for Summer! It’s always my hope, with thrifting posts especially, that you are able to pull little nuggets of helpful information.

Seasonally decorating your home needn’t be stressful nor expensive. For unique, inexpensive, and one-of-a-kind decor pieces, thrifting is truly the best way to go.

Be encouraged to decorate with ease this Summer, finding contentment along the way.

Again, please be sure to visit MaryJo and Lora and read their thrifty posts, as well!

Leave me a comment! Do you like to decorate with thrifted decor for Summer? I love hearing from you!

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!

My New E-Book is Available!

My new book, ‘An Introduction to: Antique and Vintage Home Decor’, is a piece of work that has been two years in the making.

This 32 page, downloadable e-book is full of valuable information such as tips for sourcing, finding, and styling vintage decor. I touch on many different types of decor including milk glass, copper, and linens.

You can find it below!

‘An Introduction to: Antique and Vintage Home Decor’