Hey, I Can Do That: Recreating Trends From Thrift Store Finds

Trends come and trends go. While it can be really fun to splurge on a very special piece occasionally just because you love it, indulging in every new fashion or home décor craze is just not financially feasible for the average person. But that doesn’t mean your home or closet has to remain stagnant from season to season! With a little creativity and thrifting luck, it’s easy to recreate your favorite trends from thrift store finds.

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Image via GoodwillSC.org

Kendra from Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina (Greenville) fell in love with Anthropologie’s book letters and wanted to take some home…until she saw the price tag. That’s when her can-do attitude kicked in and she headed toward Goodwill instead. Shortly thereafter, with two thrifted books and the help of a jigsaw she had recreated the same home décor for just $1 per book. Success! She now gets to enjoy the look of this library-chic décor element without having to pay the on-trend price.

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Image via MyPassionForDecor.blogspot.com

Sometimes while thrifting, a certain piece will just call out to be taken home. And for good reason! While Melody of the blog My Passion For Décor wasn’t entirely sure why she was taking home an ugly wooden filing cabinet one day, she just knew that she had to. Lying in bed that night, she suddenly realized that her filing cabinet (which was half of a set) would create the perfect base for the replica of a Pottery Barn desk that she had fallen in love with on their website. Thankfully, when she ran back to Goodwill the next day, the second filing cabinet was still there! She scooped it up quickly and turned the pair into the beautiful desk pictured above for around $60. This little industrial desk space is current and stylish, but, seeing as she kept the price low by doing the dirty work it herself, Melody won’t have to feel guilty if she decides to swap it for a newer trend again soon.

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Image via SeattleGoodwill.org

When Seattle Goodwill Industries, Inc. interviewed one of their fashion inspirations (Katrina of the blog Demure Muse), they found that she actually creates a lot of her favorite pieces herself! “With a limited clothing budget,” Katrina said, “I like to get creative and DIY a lot of pieces that I feel will be one-off, non-basics, for trends that I’m currently lusting over but know will not become long-term pieces in my wardrobe.” Where does she go for her DIY supplies? Goodwill! (I bet you saw that coming, didn’t you?) Have a peek at the Seattle Goodwill blog for Katrina’s full interview!

What are your current favorite décor or fashion trends? Have you tried recreating them from bits and pieces you find at Goodwill? Seeing as Goodwill has made Forbes’ list of America’s Most Inspiring Companies for the third year in a row (#11 this year!), it’s no wonder that so many people find DIY motivation in their aisles. If you’ve got a favorite trend that you don’t want to pay top dollar for, I’d definitely recommend checking Goodwill for elements to recreate it. Happy thrifting!