We budget $50.00 each month for thrift shop purchases.
We use our thrifting budget to buy all sorts of things: clothing, linens, dishes, books, and furniture. Some of these things we use within our own household and others provide material for craft projects that are either given as gifts or sold for a little extra income.
I hadn't spent any of last month's thrift shop budget so I decided to treat myself to a visit to my favourite store.
I came home with a skirt, a muumuu (handmade in the 60's, label still attached), a dress, 2 individual sized corning ware ramekins from the 1960's, 2 double bed flat sheets and one matching pillow case, 2 vintage pillow cases, 3 fabric yardages - different colours of the same design - dating from the 1970's (1 x 1.25 yards, 1 x 1.5 yards, 1 x 3 yards), and an assortment of knit and crochet pattern books.
My haul cost me $29.25.
The skirt needed shortening so I hemmed it.
The mumu needs some alteration. The armholes are a bit tight. I want to enlarge them so that I can layer a shirt of some sort underneath.
The dress needed a belt but I have one already that will work. It's ready for use as an office wear piece for me.
I'll use the ramekins both as every day kitchen wear and as props in future food photos.
The flat sheets and matching pillow case will be used for a variety of things: I'll make a nightgown, a roman blind (lined with a second sheet I already have on hand), some cloth napkins, and possibly some tea cozy liners or re-useable shopping bag liners.
The vintage pillow cases will be combined with some of the fabric yardage to make another nightgown.
Part of that same fabric yardage will be combined with another pillowcase that I already have on hand, to make an apron.
The largest fabric yardage, combined with a sheet I already have on hand, will make another roman blind.
The last fabric yardage will be set aside and used later, with some other scraps to make a baby quilt.
Not too bad a return for what I spent, right? :^)
Are you a thrifter? What do you buy on your thrift shop or yard sale forays? Do you upcycle or repurpose any of your finds?
Join the conversation at my new Facebook forum. I'm sure we'll learn lots from each other.