Thrift Store Craft Supplies You Should Never Pass Up

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I’m a HUGE fan of getting your craft supplies at thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets. BUT, I may not be talking about the traditional craft supplies you are thinking about like glitter, paint and glue. I like to collect vintage items to use in my DIY home decor projects! Not everything on my never pass up list is vintage, but sometimes the best deals are found second hand!

When you are out thrifting keep you eyes peeled for some of my favorite craft supplies so you can have them on hand to use in creative ways for your DIY projects. I think so many of these items take your projects up a notch and often add instant age to a brand new creation. By the way – you can click on each picture for a link to that tutorial if you want to know more about any of the projects you see here! 

Craft Supplies I Never Pass Up

1. Old hymnals/Religious books – Often found for a dollar or so these are paper crafting gold! The pages are often stained, torn, I’ve bought pages with no binding left. The sad little books that no one wants always come home with me. Because they are in such disrepair I don’t feel bad ripping pages out of them for a wide variety of DIY projects.
2. Mismatched Hardware Pieces – You will often see a plastic bag filled with a few pieces of random hardware. Stuff like vintage drawer pulls, door knobs, hinges, etc. If it is inexpensive I grab it, not to re-use on furniture or cabinets, but to decorate my decor projects with! Such gorgeousness on a dime.
3. Sewing Patterns – One of my favorite kinds of paper is vintage sewing patterns. These too are typically a dollar or less and it doesn’t matter what the pattern is for, if it’s already cut up or never opened. That thin crinkly paper is glorious to use in your decorating and upcycling projects!
4. Game Pieces – I love jars and boxes of random game pieces. Dice, dominoes, scrabble letters, playing cards. All these tiny treasures can be worked into a variety of creative project ideas. Not to mention, they are easy to store and look cute stored in the open as decoration until you put them to work.
5. White sheets – You will be amazed home many projects you can use a plain white sheet for! Of course you want to wash this ASAP, but after that you can rip it, cut it, dye it stain it or use it for tons of different craft ideas.
6. Napkins – Paper or linen you can use both! You can get some fabulous paper napkins to use for crafting for next to nothing. Most of the time there are just a few, the pattern may be odd or out of date…so no one wants them! With linen you can get a deal on broken sets, but you will use them for something besides the dinner table and that’s where you win!
7. Actual Crafting Supplies – There is nothing better than coming across a sale of actual craft supplies that someone is off loading! I am still working out of a bag full of wooden doll heads and beads I came across for a few bucks years ago!
8. Neckties – The uglier the better. I usually try and buy these in a group of like colors based on my decor style or a holiday color theme. These tiny strips of silk are gorgeous worked into a number of craft projects.
9. Wrapping Paper – I wallpapered my dollhouse with old wrapping paper from a garage sale. It is so much fun to use for decoupage projects and crafts! (Vintage wall papers are super cool, usually thick paper and have great designs if you happen across those!)
10. Old Framed Pictures – People pass up things they can’t put immediately into their house. That’s good for you! Old canvases and outdated pictures become a fresh canvas for super cheap. No need to spend big money on a new canvas! Plus you usually get a frame you can paint with it.
11. Costume Jewelry – Bags of beads and baubles are so fun to have on hand. Use them to update jewelry, add to craft projects, make garland and let your bejeweling creativity go wild.
12. Things you can deconstruct and re-use – Think about all the ugly wreaths you see at garage sales. The fake flowers are melted and the bows have enough dust to trigger and asthma attack, but you can use this cheap find! Take all the bad junk off and use the wreath base to make your own. Maybe the flowers aren’t that bad for a completely different craft. Look for things you can take apart and use the pieces in your own way. 
13. Candles – You can get AMAZING deals on candles second hand. Taper candles in a variety of colors are great to use in your tables-capes. Fat chunky candles are great for craft projects at a fraction of the cost you’d pay in a store!
14. Silver – May not sound like a craft supply, but old silverware can be used for jewelry, holiday decor, home decor and painting. It’s great to have a stash on hand to use when the idea strikes you!

Tell me what you look for to use in your craft projects. I love to get fresh ideas to keep my eyes open for. I hope this list helps you look at that garage sale junk a little different.