How To Decorate Your Bedroom By Upcycling Thrift Store Finds Into Chic Home Décor

Your bedroom is both your sanctuary and your blank canvas to express who you are. The decor is a reflection of your personality and your sense of style, so it’s worth putting some time and effort into decorating your room. Not only will your visitors be impressed by your magazine-cover bedroom set-up, but you’ll also feel joy whenever you enter your bedroom.

The more unique it is, the better. You want your space to feel special rather than just plain ordinary.

So, now that you’re convinced that your bedroom needs a revamp, you’ll need some tips. If you want your bedroom to look like it belongs on a cover of a magazine, look no further than your local thrift store. You’ve probably hit up the thrift store in search of vintage fashion, but have you ever looked at their home decor section? It’s definitely worth a look. You can upcycle and repurpose cool and unique thrift store finds and end up with chic décor. Here’s how:

1. Check out the vases

Your local thrift store will have tons of vases. Some of them will be an interesting vintage colored glass, or a retro pattern, or an artistic statement vase. Other vases you’ll find will be plain clear glass but in a cool shape that you love. If you love the shape and you think plain glass is boring, take that $3 vase home with you and transform it into a unique and chic vase using DIY inspiration that you find online. After I painted a thrift store vase a pretty metallic gold, I went out and bought white silk roses (you know, the ones that never die) and created a beautiful décor staple to dress up my night table.

2. Look for beautiful vintage frames

The thrift store is a great place to find beautiful, large picture frames on the cheap. You’ll find exquisite vintage gold poster-sized frames that house rather ugly art – but ignore the art, because that $7 price tag is worth it just for the frame. Many thrift store shoppers overlook these gorgeous (and cheap!) frames because they’re not a fan of the artwork, but that oversight is a rookie mistake. I simply throw away the mundane art that’s inside the frame. Then, in keeping with the beautiful vintage look of the frame I’ve found, I replace the unwanted art with a cool retro print from Fine Art America which is my go-to destination for affordable and trendy posters and prints. (Check out this awesome 1920s Parisienne vintage print that I bought to put in my thrift store frame!) This is a great way to repurpose an otherwise boring thrift store find.

3. Stock up on vinyl records

For about $1 or $2 each, you’ll find loads of vintage vinyl records when you’re thrift store shopping. Stock up on them, because there are tons of creative ways you can repurpose vinyl records into trendy décor for your bedroom. You can create a whole wall of records in your bedroom, or make vinyl record bookends, or a vinyl record side-table, make a wall clock out of your favourite vinyl record, or even make a cool storage box out of them. I recently scored some fantastic Dolly Parton records and some great Bob Dylan records, and the cover art is so awesome that I can’t wait to decorate my bedroom with them!

4. Buy plain wooden trays and boxes with a transformative plan in mind

The inexpensive, plain wooden décor items at the thrift store will soon be your new best friends. It’s so easy to upcycle a plain wooden jewelry box or a plain wooden tray, just by grabbing a few bottles of paint and a few other embellishments at your local craft store. You don’t have to be a professional painter – anyone can do this. Check out how one blogger transformed an ugly wooden serving tray into a trendy and modern magazine tray here. Plain wooden boxes can be painted and used as trendy storage boxes in your bedroom. Simply choose a color theme for your bedroom and stick with it. Once you’ve chosen your colors, you can start painting everything you buy to match your theme!

5. Vintage globes

Many thrift stores have vintage globes for sale, and I highly recommend buying one. They’re usually priced at only $10 – $15, and they’re great for dressing up the top of a bookshelf in your bedroom, or adorning the top of your dresser. Plus, it’s fun to take a look at it sometimes and plan your next travel adventure.

6. Vintage books

I love buying vintage hard-cover books from the thrift store. Many of them have unique cover art, and these artistic books are awesome finds to use as home décor. You can stagger a pile of cool vintage hard-covers on your night table and place a vase on top, or use them to decorate your book shelf.

7. Jewelry displays

The thrift store always has plenty of jewelry displays for under $10. A jewelry display (or a jewelry holder) is an artistic way to display and store your accessories on your dresser. They’re usually in the shapes of trees, mannequins, bird cages, etc. Many thrift store shoppers walk right by these as they don’t know what they are. Sometimes, if it was a child’s item, it’s in a weird colour like hot pink or bright purple. However, a little gold or silver paint can turn that juvenile piece into a classy and chic adult décor item. Upcycle, upcycle, upcycle!

Erica Gordon is the author of Aren’t You Glad You Read This? The Complete How-To Guide for Singles with a History of Failed Relationships Who Want their Next Relationship to Succeed, available here.