How to be a “Thrifty” Decorator this Holiday in Central Minnesota

I’ve said this to several of my co-workers that my wife has the looks and the talent in our relationship, and she’s supported me and my career for the last 26 years and has bounced around through several moves over the last 9 years.  

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I spent 7 years trapsing around the country with a college football or basketball team, when I was on the road, my wife developed the ability to find expensive (ish) vintage items in thrift stores that are priced cheap.  

During our unpacking process here in Minnesota we have gotten to the process where we’ve been able to find some of her decorative pieces. Sunday night while I worked on a project for work sitting on our couch, she began to decorate the table.  

She wanted a “Fall” theme and really saw the result in her head before it was finished.  

What makes this table so special to us is everything on this table except for the glasses (Dollar Tree) and the napkin rings (Target) came from thrift stores or yard sales. And that includes the table and chairs. One of the things we enjoy doing together is going to thrift stores and looking for unique items, so many of these items we found together in either Virginia, North Carolina or here in Minnesota.  

The small pumpkins were picked up this past weekend from Collegeville Orchards when we visited there. They were the perfect finishing touch to what she wanted to put on display.  

The key is to be able to take items that didn’t come together and make them look like they did. “Don’t be afraid to buy things that aren’t in a set, and then make your own sets” she says. Mixing shapes is like putting together a puzzle, and when all the pieces fit, it’s fun to watch her reaction at the end result.  

Starting with a base color that can be built around is one of her key starting points. Then find the splashes of color that accentuate the theme of whatever you’re designing. Mixing and matching is a major part saving while you design. There will be some trial and error, but with each error you learn what you like and don’t like.  

We're blessed in this area with a number of really good thrift stores so you've got a number of places to start if you don't have any or few pieces for the vision you want to create. The good thing is we've seen a fair amount of Christmas themed items for sale in thrift stores. I mentioned the table in these pictures is included in the items we didn't pay full price for. Remember Facebook Marketplace and even Craigslist could be a good place to find any furniture pieces you want to decorate around.

 So, with the Holidays coming up and everything costing so much more these days, remember that it may take a little effort in the searching process in Thrift Stores but decorating for the holidays doesn’t have to be expensive. All it takes is a little vision and of course a little luck finding the connecting pieces in the secondhand stores.