You are going to love these 5 ways to decorate with yard sales finds near you this summer. Join me if you love all things chippy and vintage.
It’s the season for watermelon, picnics, the beach, bike rides, and, my favorite, yard sales!
Do you enjoy a good yard sale?
I found my love for yard sales by watching my father go around town on summer mornings, in his later years, coming home with all kinds of goodies. He would get such a hoot out of it. And sometimes he would even come home and put the finds back out to resell:)
I recently found an old sign in his shed that said, “FREE, WORKS FINE!”…
Yard Sales
Where can you find A yard sale?
Recently, I visited North Hampton, NH, to do some antiquing. The yard sales were everywhere, and I was in heaven.
Yard Sale Finds
Blue and White Bowls & Crock
I found a stash of 12 blue and white dish bowls by Blue Meissen for $10.
Along with a large vintage crock for $20!
If you like thrifting, join me every week for the series Thrifting with the Gals.
Stop by the post What Does Frugality Mean to You? to see how, later on the same day, I used these dishes and other items I found antiquing to decorate for an outdoor summer table serving up Maine lobsters.
What is the best yard sale app?
I am currently using the Yard Sale Treasure Map and Garage Sale Map. The Yard Sale Treasure Map app is $4.99 a year to access its premier features. Which I think is well worth it if you like to yard sale. The Garage Sale Map is free. Both work well, in my opinion.
Be sure to check out the chippy green apothecary cabinet I found thrifting this past spring, too, that I use as the foundation for 5 clever ways to decorate with yard sale finds.
5 Clever Ways to Decorate with Yard Sale Finds
1. Start with a Foundation
Like this vintage apothecary piece! You can use a cabinet like mine, a dresser, a table, a coffee table, a trunk, a shelf, a bookcase, etc. It is a piece that you love and are looking to make shine.
2. Stacks of Yard Sale Dishes
Collecting dishware in several different patterns at a yard sale is a really simple and frugal way to add charm to a dining room, kitchen, living room, porch, or sunroom.
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.”
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And how about a She or Garden Shed, too?
Oh my gosh, you guys, you have to check out my friend KariAnne over at Thistlewood Farms‘ post on How to Mix and Match Plates Without Overthinking It!
I didn’t even realize how practical this setup was going to be for us when I was putting it all together. You see, our sunroom is just a hallway away, and it’s now so easy for me to simply grab a decorative plate to enjoy with a small snack on my way to relax with a coffee or the like.
You may also be inspired by this Plant Decor in Living Room Book Nook post.
3. Yard Sale Finds: Milk Glass Vases
I found 7 white milk glass bud vases for $1 apiece. I can’t believe how much milk glass is making a comeback this year. I’ve been seeing them at all the antique and vintage shops, flea markets, and yard sales, too!
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What is Milk Glass?
Opaque Glass originated in 16th-century Venice and came in a variety of colors, including white, pink, yellow, blue, and brown. The white variety beloved today rose to prominence during the Victorian era when it was coveted as an economic dead-ringer for porcelain. Source: Country Living Magazine
4. Flowers
Simple flowers picked from a wild bush around our mailbox decorate the thrifted milk glass bud vases beautifully. And they didn’t cost a thing.
Growing up, my mother always kept a pair of clippers in her car so she could stop and cut weeds at any given time. Now I do the same thing. You can create some really beautiful arrangements from roadside pickings.
Would you like to see a blog post on roadside arrangements, maybe? Check it out here!
5. A Vintage Dough Bowl Yard Sale Find
An old dough bowl for $60! What? I had been looking for one for years, honestly, but never wanted to pay the price people were asking for them. I knew this was a deal when I saw it, and so I snagged it.
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I only have one regret. That is, I didn’t buy them all at the yard sale…
Drop by 3 Finds at a Flea Market Near Me This Weekend to see how we hung this large old dough bowl in our dining room.
I found a cute little pink picture that I attached to the center of the dough bowl with a thumbtack for a little added color and balance.
Which do you like better? The brown chair or the rocking chair?
Your Guide to an Eclectic Style~
I’d love to hear from you! If you have thoughts, questions, or just want to pop in and say hello, feel free to leave a comment below. And if you have a vintage-loving friend, don’t forget to share this post—they might find a little inspiration here too.
Do you have a flair for all things vintage, too? I would love to see and feature you in our Reader’s Showcase Series. A place for you to share and be recognized for your talents and passion for all things thrifting, vintage, and antique decor-related inspired by your time here with Dabbling & Decorating. Email me at [email protected]
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This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
You have found the best stuff, Ann! I love your dough bowl and you know what a big fan I am of your blue and white dishes. I’d love to share this in my weekly wrap-up this week.
Thank you, Kim, of course!
Wow what an amazing find with the blue china! And I love what you’ve done with it, especially with the pink flowers – one of my favorite color combinations! I like the rocking chair best – such a beautiful area. Thanks for inspiring me with your lovely photos, and reminding me how much I love thrifting! 🙂 Happy Sunday!
Thank you so much, Barbara!!
Best entertainment and great ideas!
Thank you so much, Kaye!!
Ann,
You know I love this. I’m sharing a link on Sunday.
So sweet of you Rachel!!
That dough bowl is great! I have a (Maine) friend that tells a great story about picking roadside lupines. They were unaware that they were covered with aphids until the bugs ended up all over the car! I itch just thinking about it! One year I won a blue ribbon for a “roadside weed” arrangement of bullrushes, goldenrod, and Queen Anne’s lace in a birch bark watering can at the Windsor Fair! I think dandelions are about the only flower I don’t want growing in my yard!
Oh my gosh, Kathy, that’s such a great story! I’ve been thinking about a blog post about roadside arrangements. Send me a photo if you have one, I’d love to include it in the post if you like?
Ann I love all your yard sale finds. And that dough bowl is just incredible. I love all your pretty blue dishes with the pink flowers too! xo
Thanks so much, Stacy!
Thanks for these tips and as always, love your lovely homes and the way you decorate.
Thank you so much, Marlene!