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Thrifted Goodies Volume 8: Vintage Linens

By Rachel

published 02/16/2023

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Last Updated on November 13, 2024 by Rachel Granholm

Welcome to thrifted goodies volume 8, the linen edition!

You know the feeling when you get a really good deal on something? Like when a dress that you’ve been looking at forever goes on sale and you can’t believe it was so cheap?! That’s how I feel about the beautiful collection of vintage linens that I’ve managed to amass over the past few months. Vintage linens are one of my weaknesses…I want to save them all. Join me for thrifted goodies volume 8: vintage linens!

Table of Contents

Shopping for One-of-a-Kind Secondhand Decor at Thrift Stores

I’m joined once again by my thrifty friend MaryJo from Master’pieces’ Of My Life! Together, we are bringing you two thrifting posts. We love to encourage others to shop secondhand to find special pieces of home decor.

Head over to her blog as well to find out what she’s been up to in her latest thrifting adventure, Insights and Inspiration.

Why Thrifting?

I’ve been getting many questions and comments lately such as “How do you find all these things?” or “You have the best luck out of anyone!” You guys..there is not a secret code that I follow and I don’t have more luck than others. I just LOVE to thrift and I go a lot. And by a lot I mean like twice a week. Sometimes three if I’ve driving by and have a few extra minutes.

Thrifting for home decor is a hobby that I will never grow tired of. It has taken years of practice for me to spot good things or notice something special within the chaos of the messy shelves. My advice to those of you who might new to thrifting is to go often and take your time. You can learn more about how to find antiques and vintage decor at thrift stores here.

Thrifted Finds for Any Room!

Oh boy do I have some amazing old things on deck today! I’m giddy with excitement as I write this. I’ve had bountiful luck with linens over the past few months and have been saving them all to put into one post.

You won’t believe the crazy cheap prices I paid for some of them. I also have a bonus item at the very end that is extremely special to me and wanted to show that to you as well. With that, let’s get into these linens!

Shop Vintage Linens

Thrifted Goodies Volume 8: Vintage Linens

The first four linens in the list are from the same thrift shop. I stopped at this store back in December, right after Christmas. This thrift store is not that close to my house so I don’t get there that often but it’s such an amazing place to shop. They have tons of vintage and piles to dig through.

This particular day, there was a whole basket full of linens. I asked the lady how much the linens were and she said “$1 a piece!” Like…what?! That is a garage sale price! I easily could have bought all of them but that’s ridiculous. So, I dug through the pile, picking out my favorites.

Spring Basket Table Runner

The first linen from that store is this tatted lace-edged table runner. The embroidery on it is so pretty and reminds me of an Easter basket! It does have a few stains and small tears, but to me, all of those imperfections add to the charm of it.

I’m really starting to get spring fever and these pastel-like colors are so refreshing! This will be the perfect linen to use for my Easter tablescape this season.

Purple Floral Table Runner

The next linen is another lovely runner with purple flowers. This one looks brand new and is in perfect condition. The simple aesthetic of this vintage runner will make it super easy to layer into a vignette for Spring decorating!

I did clean and iron all of these but, for some reason, I cannot get the creases out of this one. If you have a trick for getting wrinkles out of delicate linens, comment below!

Orange Floral Linen

Next up is this bright and cheerful orange floral linen! I’ve never seen anything quite like this before. The needlework detailing on it is amazing to me! Orange is a color I don’t find too often among vintage linens so this was a welcome surprise.

The round shape on it as well as the scalloped edge tugged at my heartstrings. Doesn’t it have like a retro 70’s vibe to it?! I think it’s rad.

This linen would look so pretty styled into a small vignette on bathroom counter or used as part of a centerpiece display. How would you use this one?

Small White Doily

This is the last linen that I grabbed from the basket for $1. I truly adore finding not one but two circular shaped linens on this thrifting trip! These come in so handy for small areas such as bathroom and kitchen counters or small side tables.

The countertop is not that pretty in my hall bath. There’s nothing wrong with it; I just wouldn’t have chosen this color had I been the one re-doing it.

Since we won’t be tearing this out anytime soon, an easy fix to make it feel more ‘me’ is to decorate the space using vintage decor. This small linen is the perfect item to use here to bring in a softer, more feminine feel.

Large White Doily

The next linen on the list is one that I found at my favorite local thrift store. They usually have a big bin in the back full of towels, table cloths, napkins, etc…It is always super messy so you really have to dig.

I saw the edge of this doily sticking out from the side and immediately knew what it was. Isn’t the lace around the edge so pretty?! The color on the tag that day happened to be half off so I paid .50 cents for this beauty!

Again, these circular linens are so nice to have on hand to use for small areas. I’ve been wanting something to sit underneath this lamp that is on a very small end table next to the couch. Every thing I have tried to use has been too big but this doily fits perfectly. It grounds the lamp on the table and makes the whole area seem cohesive.

Vintage Tulip Hanky

I’ve saved my favorite linen for last! I actually just purchased this a few days ago. Hubby and I went on a little date to some fun antique stores and this is one of the items I found.

You guys…there were so many pretty linens everywhere. But, this little hanky spoke to me the most. From the tulips, the bright and cheery spring colors and the scalloped edges, I just couldn’t leave it behind. Plus, it was only $3.00!

Spring is just around the corner and I’m going to use this pretty thing in so many ways! Little linens such as hankies are lovely to use in cloche displays, tucked into little teacups, or as a base for a small vignette.

BONUS: Pearlware Pie Plate and Dessert Plates

As stated at the beginning of this post, I have a very special vintage item to share. My grandma Jean passed away in 2008 and this was her set of vintage Pearlware dishes. The set contains a pie plate, pie scoop and six dessert plates.

My mom has had them for years but decided to pass them on to me!

Grandma used these dishes for special occasions such as birthdays. I remember a birthday cake that she made for me when I was little was served on the pie plate!

Aren’t they so pretty?! When the light hits them a certain way, you can really see the pearl-like coloring of them.

The edges are 22 karat gold, can you believe it?? I know that because of the writing and stamp on the bottom of the plates.

My grandma was a very special person and I am so happy to be the caretaker of her dishes. I am reminded of her love each time they are used!

Closing Tidbits on Shopping for Thrifted Linens

Wasn’t this thrifted goodies volume 8 so fun?! I adore this series here on the blog and I hope you find joy in it as well. This volume was truly one of my favorites to write, mainly because vintage linens are so dear to my heart. Linens are delicate, feminine and, in a way, graceful.

Old things exude charm and character that you just can’t get with newer pieces of home decor. The blemishes…the stains, nicks, rips, chips, all of it, add to the allure of vintage pieces. It is all part of a larger story that you now get to be a part of. Be encouraged to seek comfort amongst the imperfections, finding delight along the way.

Let me know in the comments if you have found anything super neat at the thrift store lately. I love to know what others are looking for!

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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!