10 Easy-to-Find Secondhand Staples (and How To DIY These Thrift Store Finds)

Here are 10 secondhand staples you run into at thrift stores all the time, and 10 corresponding DIY projects to modernize them. Most are simple projects that are both do-able and transformative. Keep them in mind the next time you are wandering around a flea market, or in your favorite Goodwill.

Mismatched Plates: These DIY tiered stands are inexpensive to make, and a great way to use old dishes. The finished project is perfect for desserts on a table, or as catch-alls for keys, jewelry or other items on your landing strip.

Skirted Sofas: You can remove these granny-style skirts in minutes, and take years off a sofa’s life. Go ahead, show those legs off!

Milk Glass: Design Milk recently modernized these common white vases by using some metal wire and rope.

Windsor Chairs: Just today, June took one of these wooden chairs, which are a dime a dozen at thrift stores, and gave it a little style.

Office Chairs: If the fabric on these skeeve you out, then here’s a simple fix, and then how to clean them thoroughly for smoother rolling.

Metal Storage Tins: Believe it or not, this lamp was made out of an old X-mas lidded tin from a thrift store.

Filing Cabinets: This post shows tons of examples of how to transform ugly, beige filing cabinets into something a little more special.

Dining Table: Cover up unsightly stain and scratches with a zinc top, which you can do yourself.

Dressers: There are tons of ways to update old dressers, but this one is particularly great and graphic.